Test and upgrade smoke and CO alarms
California requires working smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside sleeping areas and on each level, plus CO alarms in homes with gas appliances or attached garages. Alarms older than 10 years must be replaced.
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Step by step
- Press and hold the test button on every alarm; replace any that stay silent.
- Check the date on the back. Anything over 10 years old gets replaced.
- Install one alarm inside each bedroom, one in the hallway outside, and one per level. Keep them 10 ft from the stove.
- Add combination smoke/CO alarms near sleeping areas if you have gas or an attached garage.
- Write the install date on each alarm with a marker.
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Short on time, or the job needs a license? Tell us the project and the property address area. We will connect you with a licensed local partner and get you a written estimate.
Jobs that require a contractor's license under California law are referred to CSLB-licensed contractors. Check any license at cslb.ca.gov.
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Broker, not a contractor. David Thomas Mejia is a California real estate broker (CA DRE #01448424), not a licensed contractor. Work that needs a California contractor's license should be done by a CSLB-licensed contractor; check any license at cslb.ca.gov. Cost ranges on this page are general estimates, not bids.






