Farmersville, TX Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

Farmersville Code of Ordinances § 14-309(16), part of the city's Minimum Building and Property Standards (Chapter 14, Article IV), places the smoke-detector duty squarely on the property owner. The detector must be an approved, listed unit, installed according to the manufacturer's recommendations and listing, and must sound an audible alarm when activated. The code sets a specific testing standard: the detector must meet UL 217, the Underwriters Laboratories standard for Single and Multiple Station Smoke Detectors. This sits alongside seventeen other owner utility duties in the same section, including hot water at a minimum 120 degrees F, heat to at least 68 degrees F, and working electrical circuits, showing the smoke detector rule is treated as a basic habitability requirement rather than an optional safety extra.

Article IV applies to all structures within the city, whether constructed before or after the article's effective date, per Section 14-301(b), so the smoke detector duty is not limited to new construction or to rental housing. The city manager, acting as the chief building official, or the code enforcement officer administers and enforces this article and may inspect the exterior of any structure and, with consent, the interior, under Section 14-303.