Caldwell, ID Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

Caldwell does not have a unique smoke-alarm ordinance; alarm placement is governed by the building codes the state and city adopt. Idaho enforces the 2018 International Residential Code, whose Section R314 requires smoke alarms inside each sleeping room, outside each sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms, and on every level of the dwelling including basements. Section R315 requires carbon monoxide alarms outside each sleeping area where the dwelling has fuel-fired appliances or an attached garage. In new construction and many alterations, alarms must be hard-wired with battery backup and interconnected so that all sound together. Separately, Idaho Code 6-320 makes a landlord's failure to install approved smoke detectors in each rental dwelling unit, including mobile homes under the landlord's control, grounds for tenant legal action; if a landlord does not install or repair a detector within 72 hours of certified written notice, the tenant may install one and deduct the cost from rent. Detectors must be approved devices certified by a recognized testing agency. For new fuel-burning appliances or fireplaces, the building permit process triggers the current code's alarm requirements.