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

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
IRC R302.5.1, as amended by § 28.14.004(e)
Detector type
Hard-wired carbon monoxide detector
Placement
Within 5 feet of garage entrance, residence side
Garage-to-bedroom doors
Not permitted
Adopted base code
2021 International Residential Code

Summary

Lubbock's amended residential code bans any door from a garage into a bedroom and requires a hard-wired carbon monoxide detector within five feet of the garage entrance to the residence, under § 28.14.004(e).

R302.5.1 Opening protection. Openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes shall not be permitted. Other openings between the garage and residence shall be equipped with solid wood doors not less than 1-3/8 inches (35 mm) in thickness, solid or honeycomb-core steel doors not less than 1-3/8 inches (35 mm) thick, or 20-minute fire-rated doors. A hard-wired Carbon Monoxide Detector shall be installed within five (5) feet (1524 mm) on the residence side of the garage door entrance to the structure.

Full Breakdown

1, Opening protection, to add a local carbon monoxide requirement on top of the model code's fire-separation rules. As amended, the section forbids any opening from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes. Other openings between the garage and the residence must use a solid wood door at least 1-3/8 inches thick, a solid or honeycomb-core steel door of the same minimum thickness, or a 20-minute fire-rated door. The city then adds its own sentence requiring a hard-wired carbon monoxide detector within five feet of the residence side of the garage door entrance to the structure, which is stricter than the base IRC's location-general carbon monoxide alarm rule.

003 supersede them, with the more specific city provision controlling any conflict. This carbon monoxide mandate is enforced at the building-permit and inspection stage for new construction and garage-to-house door alterations, since the building official reviews compliance with the adopted residential code as part of plan review and inspection before issuing a certificate of occupancy.

Violations & Fines

Failing to install the required hard-wired CO detector, or installing a garage-to-house door that does not meet the fire-rated door standard, is a code violation caught at plan review or inspection under the adopted IRC amendments; the building official can withhold approval and require correction before final inspection is passed. As with other Chapter 28 construction-code violations, enforcement runs through the general penalty and stop-work provisions applicable to Article 28.14.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Lubbock require carbon monoxide detectors in homes?
Lubbock's amended IRC Section R302.5.1 requires a hard-wired carbon monoxide detector within five feet of the residence side of any garage door entrance into the home, adopted locally at § 28.14.004(e). The requirement is tied specifically to the garage-to-house opening.
Can a garage open directly into a bedroom in Lubbock?
No. Amended R302.5.1 prohibits any opening from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes. Other garage-to-residence openings must use a solid wood or steel door at least 1-3/8 inches thick, or a 20-minute fire-rated door.
Which code edition set this rule?
The 2021 International Residential Code as adopted and locally amended by the City of Lubbock under Article 28.14, with the carbon monoxide sentence added directly to the city's version of Section R302.5.1.

Sources & Official References

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