Vestavia Hills, AL Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

Code of Ordinances § 5-101(a) adopts the International Residential Code, 2021 edition, as the residential code of the City of Vestavia Hills, governing construction of detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses not more than three stories. Subsection (b) then amends specific IRC sections. 2 Heat Detector is one of those amendments: it requires heat detectors, rather than ordinary smoke detectors, in basements and any garage area where a vehicle can be parked, because those spaces are prone to nuisance smoke alarms from exhaust and dust.

The amendment goes further than a standalone heat detector by requiring it to be interconnected to the smoke detection system for the dwelling, meaning a heat signature in the garage or basement triggers the same alarm heard throughout the living space, matching the whole-house interconnection the base IRC already requires for smoke alarms in bedrooms, hallways and each story. The Department of Building Safety, created under § 5-2, enforces the adopted code and its amendments, and permit holders must give at least 24 hours' notice before an inspection under § 5-4 so the detector wiring can be verified before it is concealed behind finished walls. The residential code package, including this amendment, was adopted by Ord. No. 2329 (3-22-10) and most recently updated by Ord. No. 3066 (12-20-21).