How Vancouver is built
- Before 1961 31%
- 1961–1990 31%
- 1991–2000 13%
- 2001 or later 25%
The rule in British Columbia
B.C. doesn't require CO alarms in existing homes; the province recommends them wherever there's a fuel-burning appliance, fireplace or attached garage, and the building code requires them in new homes.
The City of Vancouver's Fire By-law goes further than the province and does require CO alarms in existing homes with an attached garage or a fuel-fired appliance.
Where CO alarms go: installation rules in British Columbia
What the rules say about installing alarms:
- Not required in existing homes; the province recommends alarms wherever there's a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage.
- New homes served by or containing a fuel-burning appliance, or with an attached garage, need CO alarms under the BC Building Code.
- The City of Vancouver's Fire By-law goes further than the province and does require CO alarms in existing homes with an attached garage or a fuel-fired appliance.
- 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 Vancouver homes
In the Vancouver area, the main heating energy is natural gas for 42% of households (Statistics Canada, 2023). Any fuel-burning appliance, fireplace or attached garage is a potential CO source.
Single-detached houses make up 15% of Vancouver'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 Vancouver
Carbon monoxide testing in Vancouver: common questions
Are carbon monoxide alarms mandatory in Vancouver?
B.C. doesn't require CO alarms in existing homes; the province recommends them wherever there's a fuel-burning appliance, fireplace or attached garage, and the building code requires them in new homes. The City of Vancouver's Fire By-law goes further than the province and does require CO alarms in existing homes with an attached garage or a fuel-fired appliance.
Where should CO alarms go in British Columbia?
Not required in existing homes; the province recommends alarms wherever there's a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage. New homes served by or containing a fuel-burning appliance, or with an attached garage, need CO alarms under the BC Building Code. 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.