Smoke alarms - compliance for residential building work.

Feb 192 min read

Your support for a stress free building approval.

Ensure safer homes for Queenslanders

To meet your legislative requirements for building work, all smoke alarms need to comply

with NCC 2022
with Building Regulations 2021 (Section 4)

For new Class 1a buildings (and or Class 10a private garage above/ below the Class 1 building),

smoke alarms will be required

- photoelectric, hardwired and powered by the mains source

- interconnected (when there is more than one alarm)

- both in and outside of the bedrooms.

Key Distances (see Building Regulations 2021- Part 4)

Streamline certification

Design professionals and builders:

❗ Both the NCC guidelines and building regulations apply.

Building Regulations 2021 (Part 4)
Apply alongside the requirements are outlined in NCC 2022 Volume 2 and the ABCB Housing Provisions

Key distances

As per Part 4: Building Regulation 2021 - smoke alarm devices

must not be within 300mm of a light fitting
must not be within 300mm of a corner of the ceiling and wall
when installed in a stairwell, must not be out of reach of smoke, due to an obstruction
must not be within 400mm of an opening from which air is supplied ( air conditioner/ forced ventilation) or within 400mm of the blades of a ceiling fan.

Builders: in Queensland, significant renovation projects must include hard wired smoke alarms (see NCC 2022 alongside building regulation legislation for an outline of installation / specifications).

Class 1a: building approval process

As per competent person requirements, when the electrician completes smoke alarm installation, a Form 12 aspect certificate (F12) is provided.

📨Send this in to info@buildingaaa.com.au and the project file will be updated.

QBCC provides updates around conforming products and interconnected hardwired smoke alarms.
HIA has summarised updated NCC 2019 changes and related separating wall / smoke alarm information here.

This Master Electricians blog summarises requirements, see especially the excerpt below

“Since 1st January 2017, all homes approved for construction or substantially renovated are required to have additional alarms fitted to each bedroom and interconnected throughout the entire house…”

Full resource from Master Electricians Australia here.

Learn more: Queensland Fire Department resources