Auburn, AL Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)

2, adopted in Code of Ordinances § 5-46(b), extends the carbon monoxide alarm requirement written for new dwellings to existing dwellings undergoing permitted alteration, repair or addition work. Once a permit is pulled for qualifying work, the individual dwelling unit must be equipped with carbon monoxide alarms located as required for new dwellings under the same International Residential Code. The rule carves out four categories of work that do not trigger the CO alarm mandate: work limited to a dwelling's exterior surfaces, such as re-roofing, siding replacement, or door and window replacement; installation, alteration or repair of plumbing systems; installation, alteration or repair of mechanical systems that are not fuel-fired; and the changeout or repair of an existing fuel-fired mechanical system when that work is not tied to a broader alteration or addition.

In practice, this means a homeowner adding a bedroom, finishing a basement, or installing a new fuel-fired furnace as part of a larger renovation triggers the CO alarm requirement, while simply swapping a water heater or replacing a roof does not. The building official checks for the required alarms during the same permit inspection process used for the underlying alteration, repair or addition, and the alarms must be placed consistent with the same location rules the Residential Code applies to new construction, generally outside each sleeping area and on every level of the dwelling.