Does the NEC specify fire alarm panel height?

No. NEC 760 covers fire alarm circuit wiring, not panel mounting height. Height comes from NFPA 72, ADA reach rules, and the local AHJ.

What height are manual pull stations mounted at?

NFPA 72 requires the operable part of a pull station between 42 and 48 inches above the floor.

Does a fire alarm panel need a dedicated circuit?

Yes. NEC 760.121 requires an individual branch circuit for the FACP with the disconnecting means marked FIRE ALARM CIRCUIT.

How high is a fire alarm panel supposed to be mounted?

The NEC does not give a mounting height for a fire alarm control panel. Article 760 governs the wiring of fire alarm circuits, power sources, and cable types, but the panel height comes from NFPA 72, the equipment listing, ADA accessibility rules, and above all the authority having jurisdiction. The working number most designers use: mount the FACP so the top of the cabinet is at or below 6 feet, with displays near eye level around 5 feet to 5 feet 6 inches, and user-operable controls no higher than 48 inches where the panel is intended for occupant use.

Where the numbers come from

NFPA 72 requires the control equipment to be accessible to authorized personnel and the annunciator visible, and it leaves the exact height to the AHJ and the fire department. ADA reach range, 15 to 48 inches for operable parts, applies where the equipment is expected to be operated by building occupants; a locked FACP in a sprinkler riser room used only by responders and techs is commonly permitted higher. Manual pull stations have their own firm rule in NFPA 72: the operable part between 42 and 48 inches above floor level.

What the fire marshal typically wants

Most jurisdictions want the panel in a normally accessible location near the primary responder entrance or in a riser room, top of cabinet around 66 to 72 inches, nothing stored in front of it, and the 110.26 style clear working space in front of the panel since it contains energized 120 volt terminations. The dedicated branch circuit rules do come from the NEC: 760.121 requires an individual branch circuit, mechanically protected, with the breaker marked FIRE ALARM CIRCUIT and often a red lock-on device per the local amendment.

Ask before you drill

Because the height is an AHJ call, the correct sequence on any new FACP is a submittal or a phone call first. Moving a flush-mounted panel after paint because the marshal wanted the display at eye level is an expensive lesson that every fire alarm contractor learns exactly once.

Field notes

Leave conduit space above and below the can, land the 120 volt feed in the marked corner away from the SLC and NAC terminals, and put the panel where a responder with a flashlight finds it in ten seconds. A perfect height on a panel hidden behind pallet racking fails the only test that matters.