Amarillo, TX Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)

Section 4-3-31 of the Amarillo Municipal Code adopts the International Residential Code with local amendments. 3 requires carbon monoxide alarms to be installed outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms, and inside the bedroom itself if a fuel-burning appliance is located in that bedroom or its attached bathroom. The code gives specific placement guidance: alarms must follow the manufacturer's installation instructions or sit on a wall or ceiling at least 42 inches above the floor, away from heating and cooling vents or areas with turbulent airflow, at least 36 inches from openings into high-humidity areas, and never installed in kitchens or directly above fuel-burning appliances.

2 extends the same alarm requirement to existing dwellings whenever a permitted alteration, repair, or addition occurs, or whenever one or more sleeping rooms are added or created, requiring the whole dwelling unit to meet the new-construction alarm standard. Three exceptions apply: exterior-only work like adding a porch or deck, exterior-only plumbing work such as water, sewer, or irrigation line repairs, and non-fuel-fired mechanical system work are all exempt from triggering the alarm retrofit.