Live Oak, TX Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Building Code
- IRC R314 / IFC 907.2.11
- Required Locations
- Each sleeping room, outside sleeping areas, each story
- New Construction
- Hardwired + interconnected + battery backup
- Rental Law
- TX Property Code 92.251-92.260
- Tenant Remedy
- Repair within 7 days of written notice
Summary
Live Oak enforces International Fire Code and International Residential Code smoke alarm rules. Working alarms are required in every sleeping room, outside sleeping areas, and on every story including basements.
Sec. 92.255. INSTALLATION AND LOCATION. (a) A landlord shall install at least one smoke alarm in each separate bedroom in a dwelling unit. In addition: (1) if the dwelling unit is designed to use a single room for dining, living, and sleeping, the smoke alarm must be located inside the room; (2) if multiple bedrooms are served by the same corridor, at least one smoke alarm must be installed in the corridor in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms; and (3) if the dwelling unit has multiple levels, at least one smoke alarm must be located on each level.
Full Breakdown
11 as locally adopted through Live Oak Code Chapter 5 (Buildings and Building Regulations). Every single-family dwelling, duplex, and townhouse must have working smoke alarms installed inside each sleeping room, in the hallway or area immediately outside each sleeping area, and on every story of the home including basements and habitable attics. In new construction and major remodels after 2010, alarms must be hardwired to the household electrical system with battery backup and interconnected so that activation of one alarm sounds all alarms. Existing dwellings may use battery-only alarms when hardwiring is not feasible.
260 also requires landlords of rental property to install and maintain smoke alarms and to test and repair them within seven days of written tenant notice. Carbon monoxide alarms are required where fuel-burning appliances or attached garages exist.
Violations & Fines
Missing or non-working alarms in rentals can be enforced as a Texas Property Code violation giving tenants rights to repair-and-deduct or termination. Building code violations in new construction can delay or void the Certificate of Occupancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many smoke alarms does my Live Oak home need?
What are my rights as a Live Oak tenant with a broken smoke alarm?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Live Oak
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Live Oak to another location·View the Texas fire regulations overview
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Smoke Detectors in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Bexar County handle smoke detectors.