Residential Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Inspection

NOTICE OF CHANGES IN CONCORD FIRE DEPARTMENT INSPECTION SCHEDULING

1. Effective September 1, 2018 the Concord Fire Department will charge an inspection fee for all failed inspections that require a reinspection. The fee will be equivalent to the original inspection fee.

2. Inspection fees will need to be paid in advance of the inspection. Payment can be made by credit card online, or by check at Fire Headquarters 209 Walden Street.

$100.00 - Two-family Residential Smoke & CO detector inspection

The requirements for smoke detectors vary depending on when the residence was constructed or had permitted renovations that required the smoke detector system to be upgraded to the code at the time the permit was issued.

Massachusetts General Law, chapter 148 section 26F½ and 527 CMR 31 mandate that upon the sale or transfer of any residence, the local fire department must inspect the residence for carbon monoxide alarm compliance. After a successful inspection, the local fire department will issue a Certificate of Compliance indicating that the residence meets the carbon monoxide alarm requirements. This certificate is valid for 60 days from the date issued. Since March 31, 2006, carbon monoxide alarms have been required in all residences that have either: fossil fuel burning equipment or an attached enclosed garage. This law applied to all such residences whether or not the residence is being sold or transferred.

House Numbering By-Law

During the application process you must acknowledge that the Town of Concord has a house numbering by-law that requires street numbers shall be affixed on the front of all buildings so as to be seen from the street. The numbers shall be a minimum of 3 inches in height and be a contrasting color of its background. If the building is more than fifty feet from the roadway, numbers shall be placed at the entrance to the driveway at the street. If the driveway has more than one building on it, numbers shall be placed at each turnoff and at forks in the road indicating which direction to take.

Revised Massachusetts Comprehensive Fire Safety Code Excerpts

527 CMR 1.0 13.7.6.1.7 states that carbon monoxide alarms shall be replaced when either the end-of-life signal is activated or the manufacturer’s replacement date is reached or when they fail to respond to the manufacturer’s operability tests.

527 CMR 1.0 13.7.6.1.8 states that combination smoke/carbon monoxide alarms shall be replaced when the end of life signal activates or ten years from the date of manufacture, which ever come first.

527 CMR 1.0 13.7.2.1.5 states that single and multiple-station smoke alarms installed in one and two family dwellings shall be replaced when they fail to respond to operability tests, but shall not remain in service longer than ten-years from the date of manufacture.

Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements

We have provided guides to help determine the smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector requirements for your residence, based on when the residence was built or permitted. If you are unsure when your residence was built or has had renovations that required the smoke alarm system to be upgraded, you can research this with the Town of Concord Assessors Department, or visit the Assessor's database website.

To schedule your inspection, please select the document below that matches when your residence was built. Fully read the document, then click the link on the bottom of the page to schedule your inspection.