Tigard, OR Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

Tigard Municipal Code § 14.16.310 sets two layers for smoke alarms in residential buildings in the City of Tigard. First, smoke alarms and detectors must be maintained as was required at the time of construction of the dwelling. Second, regardless of the older rule, a single station smoke alarm or detector must be located in all buildings where a room or area is designated for sleeping purposes, whether as a primary use or on a casual basis. The alarm goes in the immediate vicinity of the sleeping rooms and on each additional story of the dwelling, including basements and attics with habitable space. All alarms and detectors must be approved, comply with all applicable laws, be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and be operable.

Chapter 14.16 defines the device: an approved detection device for products of combustion other than heat, either a single station device or one intended for use with a central control panel, that plainly identifies the testing agency that inspected or approved it. "Approved" means the device meets the standards in the Tigard City Code, including any electric, plumbing, building or other standards the code incorporates by reference. The duty falls on the owner under § 14.16.080, which says no owner can maintain residential property that fails the chapter. Smoke alarms sit alongside the escape rules in § 14.16.300, which require every sleeping room to have at least one operable window or exterior door approved for emergency escape or rescue. The chapter covers single-family dwellings, duplexes, apartment houses and hotels, and excludes Group "I" occupancies under § 14.16.030. The building official can inspect regulated buildings under § 14.16.420, and entry requires the consent of the owner or person in control, or a search warrant from the City's Municipal Court.