Georgetown, TX Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

Georgetown does not publish a stand-alone local smoke-alarm ordinance separate from its adopted codes; smoke alarm requirements come from the International Fire Code and International Residential/Building Codes the city has adopted, plus Texas state landlord law. For rental housing, Texas Property Code Sections 92.251 through 92.253 require a landlord to provide and install working smoke alarms in each dwelling unit, with at least one smoke detector installed outside each separate bedroom; where several bedrooms open onto the same corridor, one detector may serve them if placed in the corridor in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms. The landlord is responsible for testing and maintaining the alarms and must provide tenants written instructions on testing and maintenance, including battery replacement, and the alarms must meet the standards of the State Fire Marshal's Office. For new construction and substantial remodels in Georgetown, the adopted codes govern the number, placement and interconnection of smoke alarms (and, where fuel-burning appliances or attached garages are present, carbon monoxide alarms). Because requirements differ between an existing rental, a new build, and a remodel, residents and builders should confirm specifics with Georgetown's Building Inspections and Fire Marshal's Office; the Fire Marshal can be reached at 512-930-FIRE (3473). The city has indicated it operates under a current edition of the International Fire Code with local amendments.