Quebec · Home health · checked September 28, 2026

Carbon monoxide testing and CO alarms in Trois-Rivières

Carbon monoxide is odourless and can kill. Quebec has no province-wide rule requiring CO alarms in existing houses: provincial rules cover larger multi-unit buildings, and for houses it's up to each municipality's by-law, so ask your local fire service.

A carbon monoxide alarm on an upstairs hallway wall outside the bedrooms at night

CO alarm rule

Not required in existing homes

Natural gas heat

Not published

Single-detached share

42%

Alarm cost

$40–$80 each

How Trois-Rivières is built

Trois-Rivières's houses by when they were built Ten house shapes, one for each tenth of Trois-Rivières's 39,825 houses. Before 1961: 21%, 1961–1990: 46%, 1991–2000: 11%, 2001 or later: 21%. Older houses glow hotter.
  • Before 1961 21%
  • 1961–1990 46%
  • 1991–2000 11%
  • 2001 or later 21%
Each house stands for one in ten of Trois-Rivières's 39,825 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row and duplex), drawn by when it was built. The glow shows the usual pattern: older houses tend to be leakier and less insulated. Snowfall scales with heating degree-days. Sources: Statistics Canada 2021 Census (table 98-10-0233-01), NRCan HOT2000 climate data.

The rule in Quebec

Quebec has no province-wide rule requiring CO alarms in existing houses: provincial rules cover larger multi-unit buildings, and for houses it's up to each municipality's by-law, so ask your local fire service.

Where CO alarms go: installation rules in Quebec

What the rules say about installing alarms:

  • There's no province-wide rule for houses: municipal by-laws decide, so ask your municipal fire service.
  • Provincial rules cover larger buildings (multi-unit buildings of more than 2 storeys and 8 units, rooming houses, hotels and seniors' residences), where units with a combustion appliance or direct access to an indoor parking garage need a CO alarm.
  • For new houses, the National Building Code 2020 (Article 9.32.3.9) requires a CO alarm inside each bedroom or within 5 m outside each bedroom door when the home has a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage, an alarm in any room with a solid-fuel-burning appliance (on or near the ceiling unless the maker's instructions say otherwise), and interconnected alarms in a house with a secondary suite.

CO sources in Trois-Rivières homes

Single-detached houses make up 42% of Trois-Rivières's households; many have an attached garage, another reason to put an alarm near the door into the house.

What a CO check involves

  • Alarms next to sleeping areas and on every storey, tested monthly and replaced by their end-of-life date (usually 7 to 10 years).
  • Annual service of fuel-burning appliances by a licensed technician.
  • A combustion spillage test during an energy evaluation, which catches a venting problem before it produces CO.

Our carbon monoxide guide · Combustion safety testing in Trois-Rivières

Carbon monoxide testing in Trois-Rivières: common questions

Are carbon monoxide alarms mandatory in Trois-Rivières?

Quebec has no province-wide rule requiring CO alarms in existing houses: provincial rules cover larger multi-unit buildings, and for houses it's up to each municipality's by-law, so ask your local fire service.

Where should CO alarms go in Quebec?

There's no province-wide rule for houses: municipal by-laws decide, so ask your municipal fire service. Provincial rules cover larger buildings (multi-unit buildings of more than 2 storeys and 8 units, rooming houses, hotels and seniors' residences), where units with a combustion appliance or direct access to an indoor parking garage need a CO alarm. For new houses, the National Building Code 2020 (Article 9.32.3.9) requires a CO alarm inside each bedroom or within 5 m outside each bedroom door when the home has a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage, an alarm in any room with a solid-fuel-burning appliance (on or near the ceiling unless the maker's instructions say otherwise), and interconnected alarms in a house with a secondary suite.

How long do CO alarms last?

Most have an end-of-life date of 7 to 10 years printed on the unit; replace them by then even if they still beep when tested.

Carbon monoxide testing near Trois-Rivières

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