In short: in WA, a home must have working mains-powered smoke alarms that are less than 10 years old before it's sold, rented or hired out. Only a licensed electrical contractor can connect or disconnect a mains-powered alarm. Alarms go in every hallway leading to bedrooms and on every storey, and in homes built since May 2015 they must be interconnected so they all sound together.
Smoke alarm installation in Perth is one of those jobs that's small, cheap and legally required, and still gets missed until a settlement agent or property manager asks for proof.
What the WA smoke alarm laws require
The WA Government's Building and Energy rules, in plain terms:
- Mains-powered. Where mains power is available, alarms must be hardwired to the house supply, with a battery backup. Battery-only alarms don't meet the rule for sale or rental unless there's a specific exemption.
- Less than 10 years old. Alarms have an expiry. The rule says they must be "not more than 10 years old and have not reached their expiry date." The manufacture date is printed on the alarm itself.
- Compliant with AS 3786. That's the Australian Standard for smoke alarms. Any alarm you buy from a reputable supplier will state it.
- Interconnected, if the home is newer. Where more than one alarm is installed, they must be interconnected so that if one detects smoke, they all sound. This doesn't apply to homes where the building permit was applied for before 1 May 2015, but it's still the safer setup and we recommend it on any home with bedrooms at opposite ends.
- Before sale, rental or hire. Compliant alarms must be in place before ownership transfers, before a tenant moves in, and before short-term rental guests stay.
And the one that matters for who you call: "Only a licensed electrical contractor can connect or disconnect mains-powered smoke alarms." It's not a handyman job.
Where the alarms have to go
For a standard house or unit, the rules require alarms:
- In every corridor or hallway associated with a bedroom. If there's no hallway, in the area between the bedrooms and the rest of the home.
- On every storey, even the ones without bedrooms.
That's the minimum. In practice we often recommend one more in the living area of an open-plan home, and always suggest photoelectric alarms, which are better at detecting the slow, smouldering fires that start in furniture and bedding.
Landlords and sellers
Landlords are responsible for keeping the alarms compliant for the whole tenancy, not just at the start. That means checking the expiry date and replacing on time. Most Perth property managers now ask for a compliance record, and we provide one with every install.
Sellers need alarms installed before settlement. It's on the seller, not the buyer, and it usually comes up alongside the RCD check. We've covered the WA safety switch rules separately, and we do both in the one visit.
What smoke alarm installation costs in Perth
Price depends on how many alarms, whether there's existing wiring to reuse, whether they need to be interconnected, and how easy the ceiling space is to get into.
- Supply and replace an existing hardwired alarm: $198 inc GST each.
- Supply and install a new hardwired alarm where there's no existing wiring: $302.50 inc GST each.
- So a typical three-alarm home comes to just under $600 inc GST if you're replacing existing hardwired alarms, or around $900 inc GST for three new ones.
Those are our standard rates. We confirm a fixed price before we start, so the number you're given is the number you pay.
Related reading
Nexus Electrical Co | Smoke Alarm Installation Perth
Nexus Electrical Co is a licensed and insured electrician Perth homeowners, landlords and property managers have trusted for 6000+ jobs, based in Balcatta. See our Residential Electrician Perth services. Fixed price before we start, 100+ Google 5-star reviews. Call (08) 9245 1362.
