NFPA 72 code sections · Basics of Fire Alarm Systems
Wall strobes live between 80 and 96 inches
Wall-mounted visible notification appliances (strobes) are installed so the entire lens is not less than 80 inches and not more than 96 inches above the finished floor — or, where the ceiling is lower, within 6 inches of the ceiling. The candela rating is chosen from the room-spacing tables in Chapter 18 based on room size and mounting position; a strobe that is too low, too high, or too dim does not provide the coverage the tables assume, even if it flashes.
NFPA 72 reference
Chapter 18 — Notification Appliances
18.5.5 Appliance Location (18.5.5.1 wall-mounted visible appliances 80-96 in.); 18.5.5.4 room spacing tables
References use NFPA 72 2019/2022 numbering — section numbers can shift between editions, so confirm in the edition your AHJ has adopted.
On the job
A contractor mounts corridor strobes at 7 ft (84 in.) to the bottom of the device — but these are combination horn/strobes where the lens sits 4 in. below the top, putting the lens bottom at about 78 in. The AHJ measures the lens, not the box. Each appliance is raised so the full lens falls in the 80-96 in. band.
Quick check
1. The lens of a wall-mounted strobe must sit:
2. Strobe candela ratings are selected from:
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