Smoke & CO Alarm Installation
The most important devices in your home. Installed in the right places, with the right alarms, and actually working.
What I Do
- Smoke alarm installation and replacement
- Carbon monoxide alarm installation and replacement
- Combination smoke/CO alarm installs
- 10-year sealed lithium battery alarm upgrades
- Hardwired alarm replacement (existing wiring)
- Interconnected alarm systems (so when one goes off, they all do)
- Code-compliant placement for new bedrooms, ADUs, or remodels
- Annual testing and battery replacement on alarms that aren't sealed
What California Law Requires
California requires working smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home. Carbon monoxide alarms are required outside each sleeping area in homes with any fuel-burning appliance, attached garage, or fireplace. For homes built or substantially remodeled after July 2014, smoke alarms must be hardwired with battery backup and interconnected. Older homes can use 10-year sealed battery alarms.
If you're not sure whether your home is up to code — particularly if you're preparing to sell, renting out a unit, or finishing a permitted remodel — I'll do a walk-through and tell you what needs to change.
The 10-Year Replacement Rule
Smoke alarms have a 10-year service life. After that, the sensor degrades and the alarm becomes unreliable — and most homeowners have no idea. Check the date stamp on the back of each alarm in your home. If any are older than 10 years (or have no date stamp at all, which usually means they're older), they need to be replaced. CO alarms typically have a 7-to-10-year life depending on model.
If you've never replaced the alarms in a home you've owned for a while, the whole-house alarm refresh is a short job and one of the best dollar-for-dollar safety investments you can make.