Lacey, WA Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

Lacey Municipal Code § 14.07.015 amends Section 907.2.11.2 of the International Fire Code, 2021 Edition, as adopted in the City of Lacey. The location list has three parts. First, a smoke alarm on the ceiling or wall outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of bedrooms. Second, one in each room used for sleeping purposes. Third, one in each story within a dwelling unit, including basements but not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics.

Split levels get a specific rule. In dwelling units with split levels and without an intervening door between the adjacent levels, a smoke alarm installed on the upper level suffices for the adjacent lower level, provided the lower level is less than one full story below the upper level. Adult Family Home alarms carry an extra requirement: they must be installed so the fire warning is audible in all parts of the dwelling upon activation of a single device.

The Lacey amendments also settle permits and monitoring. Under Section 105.7.6, household fire warning equipment installed in Group Use R-3 occupancies is excepted from the construction permit required for fire alarm and detection systems, and maintenance performed in accordance with the code is not a modification and needs no permit. Under Section 907.6.6, supervisory service is not required for single and multiple-station smoke alarms required by Section 907.2.11. Section 907.2 itself covers new buildings and structures, and Section 907.9 addresses retroactive requirements in existing buildings.

The Fire Marshal Office, working under the fire code official, administers the code, and Lacey Fire District No. 3 is the Fire Department under contract to the city. Existing structures also fall under the City of Lacey Property Maintenance Code in Chapter 14.16, which covers life and fire safety hazards.