How Many Smoke Detectors Are Required In A Home

Fire is a deadly form of nature and can strike at moments you least expect them to. However one can be on the safer side by installing smoke detectors/alarms in their residence. 

In fact, as per the National Fire Protection Association(NFPA); the risk of death in a home fire is cut by half if a properly functioning smoke alarm is installed in the house. But still, there are five million houses in the US without a smoke alarm which is worrying.

So How Many Smoke Detectors Are Required In A Home?

One of the questions concerning people the most while installing smoke detectors is how many are really required? 

Well, it depends on the size of your house. The number may increase or decrease depending on how big your house is. So obviously a six-bedroom house will need more detectors than a two-bedroom apartment.

Let’s go in depth

To get a more definite answer to this question we will again refer to the National Fire Protection Association(NFPA). This suggests that smoke detectors should be installed in every bedroom; outside every sleeping area and on every level of your home, plus the basement. Also, all the smoke alarms should be interconnected so that if one sounds all of them sound together. 

So going by this formula by NFPA a two-story four-bedroom house should have a minimum of six fire alarms; a two-story three-bedroom house might need at least five alarms, a single-story apartment might need two, and so on. 

If tight on budget ensure to have at least two smoke detectors, one in your main bedroom and one outside your sleeping area. Saving some money by buying a sub-standard smoke detector is never a good idea and will cost you heavily later on in case of a mishap. You can refer to our article on the best smoke detectors available in the market today.

Also, detectors are not really required in places like bathrooms, attics or garages. Avoid placing it in the kitchen as well to prevent false alarms. Generally, they should be a few meters away from the cooking area.

Final Thoughts

Of course, having a lot of fire alarms if your budget allows is never a bad idea at all but its placement should be accurate to ensure maximum effectiveness. So if possible allow experts to handle the installation rather than doing it all by yourself.