Daniel Fitzpatrick, City Manager
31 Wakefield Street
Rochester, NH 03867
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
City of Rochester Provides Guidance on Properly Displaying House and Building Numbers
ROCHESTER, N.H. — City Manager Dan Fitzpatrick is pleased to announce that the City of Rochester has started a new Code of the Month initiative and will be releasing information about a different topic each month.
For the month of April, the Rochester Life Safety Task Force, comprised of the Rochester Police Department, Fire Department and Department of Building, Zoning and Licensing Services, is providing residents with guidance on properly displaying street numbers on homes and businesses.
“It is crucial that first responders be able to locate homes and businesses quickly in the event of an emergency,” City Manager Fitzpatrick said. “If house or building numbers aren’t visible, it could delay the response to someone in need of help. Please make sure that your street numbers are displayed properly according to the guidelines provided, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.”
The International Code Council Building Code and the National Fire Protection Association code, which have both been adopted by the City of Rochester, state the following requirements for displaying street numbers:
- Buildings shall have address numbers placed in a position to be plainly legible and visible from the street or road fronting the property.
- Address numbers shall contrast with their background.
- Address numbers shall be Arabic numerals or alphabet letters only.
- Address numbers shall be a minimum of 4 inches in height and a minimum of a 1/2 inch in width.
- New properties in the city will not be granted a Certificate of Occupancy if they fail to have their assigned number posted. Furthermore, if a property is found without a street number, the property owner will receive a letter asking for a correction to be made. Should the homeowner fail to do so, a fine of $100 per day may be issued until the violation has been corrected.
Residents who have questions or concerns about the visibility of house or business street numbers should contact the Rochester Department of Building, Zoning, and Licensing Services at 603-332-3508.
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