Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detectors

SMOKE DETECTOR REQUIREMENTS

Locations (R314.3)


Smoke alarms shall be installed in the following locations.

  1. In each sleeping room.
  2. Outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms.
  3. On each additional story of the dwelling, including basements and habitable attics but not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics. In dwellings or dwelling units with split levels and without an intervening door between the adjacent levels, a smoke alarm installed on the upper level shall suffice for the adjacent lower level provided that the lower level is less than one full story below the upper level.
  4. Smoke alarms shall be installed not less than 3 feet horizontally from the door or opening of a bathroom that contains a bathtub or shower unless this would prevent placement of a smoke alarm required by this section.

Alterations, Repairs, and Additions (R314.3.1)
 

An individual dwelling unit shall be equipped with smoke alarms located as required for new dwellings when:

  1. Alterations, repairs (including installation or replacement of windows or doors), or additions requiring a permit occur; or
  2. One or more sleeping rooms are added or created in existing dwellings.

Exceptions:

  1. Work involving exterior surfaces of dwellings, such as the replacement of roofing or siding, or the addition of an open porch or deck, or chimney repairs.
  2. Installation, alteration, or repairs of plumbing, or mechanical systems.

Installation Near Cooking Appliances (R314.3.1)

  1. Ionization smoke alarms shall not be installed less than 20 feet horizontally from a permanently installed cooking appliance.
  2. Ionization smoke alarms with an alarm-silencing switch shall not be installed less than 10 feet horizontally from a permanently installed cooking appliance.
  3. Photoelectric smoke alarms shall not be installed less than 6 feet horizontally from a permanently installed cooking appliance.


CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR REQUIREMENTS

New Construction (315.2.1)
 

For new construction, every single-family dwelling unit, each unit in a two-family dwelling unit, and each townhouse dwelling unit shall be provided with an approved and operational carbon monoxide alarm where one or both of the following conditions exist:

  1. The dwelling unit contains fuel-fired appliances.
  2. The dwelling unit has an attached garages with an opening that communicates with the dwelling unit.

Alterations, Repairs, and Additions (315.2.2)

An individual dwelling unit shall be equipped with carbon monoxide alarms located as required for new dwellings where:

  1. Alterations, repairs (including installation of windows and doors), or additions requiring a building permit, or
  2. One or more sleeping rooms are added or created in existing dwellings.

Exceptions:

  1. Work involving the exterior surfaces of dwellings, such as replacement of roofing or siding, the addition of an open porch or deck, or chimney repairs.
  2. Installation, alteration, or repairs of plumbing, electrical, or mechanical systems. 

Location (315.3)

Carbon monoxide alarms in dwelling units shall be installed outside of and not more than 10 feet from each separate sleeping area or bedroom. Alarms shall be installed on each level containing sleeping areas or bedrooms. Where a fuel-burning appliance is located within a bedroom or its attached bathroom, a carbon monoxide alarm shall be installed within the bedroom.