Missing or Expired Smoke Alarms: What It Means on Your Home Inspection Report

Inspectors flag smoke alarms a few ways: none at all, none in the bedrooms or on some level, alarms past their date, or alarms that didn't sound. The InterNACHI Standards of Practice, one of the standards home inspectors work under, require inspectors to check for the presence of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and to report their absence, but they don't require inspectors to operate or test them. So a report that lists alarms as present hasn't necessarily confirmed that they work, though some states, such as Texas, require inspectors to test them.

The advice on where they go is the same from NFPA and the U.S. Fire Administration: a smoke alarm inside every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement. Both also say alarms should be interconnected, so when one sounds, they all sound.

Why It Matters

A smoke alarm is your warning to get out. NFPA says that in a fire you may have as little as 2 minutes to escape safely. Its June 2024 report on smoke alarms in U.S. home fires found that from 2018 to 2022, nearly three out of five home fire deaths (59 percent) were caused by fires in properties with no smoke alarms (43 percent) or smoke alarms that failed to operate (16 percent). The death rate per 1,000 home structure fires was approximately 60 percent lower in homes with working smoke alarms than in homes with no alarms or none that operated.

"Not working" most often comes down to power. The same report found that missing or non-functional power sources, including missing or disconnected batteries, dead batteries, and disconnected hardwired alarms, were the most common factors when smoke alarms failed to operate. The USFA puts it plainly: a smoke alarm with a dead or missing battery is the same as having no smoke alarm at all.

Age counts too. NFPA says all smoke alarms must be replaced 10 years after their manufacturing date, and the USFA says the same, so check the date marked on each one. NFPA adds that chirping that continues after the battery has been replaced means the alarm is at the end of its life and must be replaced.

What makes it more urgent: no working alarm anywhere in the house, none near the bedrooms, or people already sleeping there. The CPSC's Guide to Home Wiring Hazards, which dates from around 2000, said home fires are most dangerous at night, when people are sleeping, and called operating smoke detectors the most important thing you can do to prevent home fire deaths.

What to Do Before Closing

• Ask the inspector which locations lacked alarms, whether they read manufacture dates, and whether any alarms are hardwired or were tested.
• Ask about local rules. The USFA notes that your city, county, or state may require a specific type of alarm; your local fire marshal can tell you, and your agent can tell you whether anything about alarms is required for the sale.
• Talk to your real estate agent about asking the seller to install or replace alarms, or to give a credit, within your inspection contingency.

What to Do After You Move In

Fix it before the first night. Put a working smoke alarm in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level, including the basement. NFPA's placement advice: on the ceiling or high on a wall, following the manufacturer's instructions, and at least 10 feet from the stove to cut down on nuisance alarms. NFPA and the USFA both say only qualified electricians should install hardwired smoke alarms.

For the type, the USFA recommends both ionization and photoelectric alarms in every home, or dual-sensor alarms that contain both; NFPA says interconnected combination alarms give the best protection, and that photoelectric alarms are the best type near kitchens and bathrooms to reduce nuisance alarms. Our smoke and CO alarm guide covers the choices.

Then keep them working. NFPA and the USFA say to test every smoke alarm monthly. The USFA's schedule: replace 9-volt batteries at least once a year, replace a hardwired alarm's backup battery at least once a year, replace 9-volt and hardwired alarms every 10 years, and replace sealed 10-year-battery alarms according to the manufacturer's instructions. Our smoke alarm testing guide walks through it, and if one chirps after a new battery, see smoke alarm chirping with a new battery. Never take the battery out to stop a nuisance alarm: the USFA says to open a window or door, press the hush button, and wave a towel to clear the air, and that disabling an alarm or removing its battery can be a deadly mistake.

Carbon monoxide alarms are a separate check; see missing CO alarms. NFPA says to install them in a central location outside each sleeping area, on every level of the home, and in other locations where required by applicable laws, codes, or standards.

Can You Fix It Yourself?

Partly. Battery-powered alarms, including sealed 10-year models, are a homeowner job: follow the manufacturer's instructions and use a stable step stool or ladder. Hardwired alarms are not: NFPA and the USFA say only qualified electricians should install them, so have a licensed electrician add, replace, or interconnect them. The USFA notes that some fire departments will install battery-operated smoke alarms; ask on your fire department's non-emergency line. Monthly testing is yours either way.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many smoke alarms does a house need?

Count one in every bedroom, one outside each sleeping area, and one on every level, including the basement; NFPA's example of an alarm outside the sleeping areas is one in the hallway. Your local fire marshal can tell you about local requirements. See more findings in our inspection report decoder.

Can I replace hardwired smoke alarms with battery ones?

Ask a licensed electrician what your jurisdiction allows before you do. NFPA and the USFA say only qualified electricians should install hardwired alarms, and hardwired alarms usually keep a backup battery that the USFA says to replace yearly.

The Bottom Line

Missing, dead, or expired smoke alarms leave you without the early warning that, in NFPA's data, comes with a much lower death rate in home fires. Before your first night, have a working alarm in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level, interconnected if you can, with a licensed electrician handling any hardwired units. Test them monthly, keep the batteries fresh, and replace each alarm 10 years from its manufacture date.

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