Smoke and carbon monoxide detector installation in Austin, TX
Hardwired, interconnected smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that all sound together and are placed to code. We install them right, give you a flat-rate price before the work, and verify every unit before we leave.
Smoke and carbon monoxide detector installation puts hardwired alarms on every level of your home and in the right locations, then ties them together on an interconnect wire so that when one sounds, they all sound. We install dedicated smoke alarms, dedicated CO alarms, and combination smoke/CO units with sealed battery backup, place them to meet code in bedrooms, outside sleeping areas and on each floor, and replace any alarm that is past its 10-year service life. We diagnose what your home has now, explain the options, and quote a flat rate before any work begins.
This is the right call if:
- Your alarms are battery-only, chirping, yellowed, or you are not sure how old they are.
- You have no carbon monoxide detection and you run a gas furnace, gas water heater, or have an attached garage.
- One alarm goes off but the others stay silent, which means they are not interconnected.
- You are buying, selling or renting out a home and need alarms brought up to code.
- You have added bedrooms or finished a space and need alarms in the new sleeping areas.
- Your alarms are more than 10 years old or have no date stamp on the back.
Smoke & CO detectors options
Hardwired interconnected alarms
We run power and an interconnect conductor so every alarm in the home is linked. When smoke or carbon monoxide trips one unit, all of them sound at once, so a fire in the garage wakes someone sleeping at the far end of the house. Each unit carries a sealed battery backup that keeps it working through an outage.
Combination smoke and CO units
In the right locations we install combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms so one device covers both threats. These are a clean fit outside sleeping areas and on each level, and they announce in a voice which hazard was detected so you know whether to look for smoke or get to fresh air.
Dedicated carbon monoxide alarms
Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, so detection near its sources matters. We place CO alarms near gas furnaces and gas water heaters and along walls shared with an attached garage, where a running engine or a faulty appliance can push CO into living space.
Replacing alarms past their service life
Smoke and CO sensors wear out, and the units are rated for about 10 years from the manufacture date on the back. If yours are undated or expired, we replace them with current hardwired models and set them up on the same interconnect so the whole home is covered again.
What waiting can cost you
Battery-only alarms fail quietly
A dead or pulled battery leaves a room with no protection and no warning. Hardwired units with sealed backup keep working whether or not someone remembered to change a battery.
Standalone alarms do not wake the house
If alarms are not interconnected, a smoke or CO event in one part of the home may never be heard in a bedroom across the house. Linking them is what turns a single beep into a whole-home alert.
No CO detection around gas appliances
A cracked heat exchanger, a blocked flue, or exhaust drifting in from an attached garage can raise carbon monoxide to dangerous levels with no smell. Without a CO alarm near those sources, there is nothing to warn you.
Our process
- 01
Walkthrough and code check
We inspect what you have now, note the age of each alarm, and map where code requires detection: inside each bedroom, outside every sleeping area, and on each level including the basement.
- 02
Flat-rate options
You get a written price that covers the units, the interconnect, and any locations that need to be added, all approved before we start.
- 03
Placement and mounting
We locate alarms away from kitchens, bathrooms and supply vents to cut false alarms, and set CO alarms near gas appliances and garage-adjacent walls where they belong.
- 04
Hardwiring and interconnect
We connect each unit to power and tie them together so a trip on any one alarm sounds every alarm in the home.
- 05
Test and verify
We test each alarm, confirm the interconnect sounds the whole system, and show you how to silence a nuisance alarm and when the units will need replacing.
What is included
Every smoke & CO detectors job from Magnify Electric includes the same standards, start to finish.
- A walkthrough that checks the age and placement of every existing alarm.
- Hardwired units with sealed battery backup that ride through outages.
- Interconnection so one alarm sounds them all.
- CO detection placed near gas furnaces, gas water heaters and attached garages.
- Placement to code in bedrooms, outside sleeping areas and on each level.
- A complimentary 54-point safety inspection covering your alarms and their circuits.
- A full test of every unit and the interconnect before we leave.
Cost factors
We give you a flat-rate price after we see the job. These are the things that move that number up or down.
Number and type of units
A larger home with more bedrooms needs more alarms, and combination smoke/CO units cost more than a basic smoke alarm. We count the locations your home actually requires and price from there.
Adding locations and interconnect wiring
If alarms are missing from bedrooms or a level, or the existing units were never interconnected, running power and the interconnect conductor adds to the scope. We inspect the routing before we quote.
Access and finishes
Reaching alarms on high ceilings or in finished areas with no attic access above takes more time, and that affects the price. We check access during the walkthrough so there are no surprises.
We see a lot of older 1970s and 1980s homes around Lakeway, Westlake and Bee Cave that still run battery-only smoke alarms with no carbon monoxide detection at all, and newer builds in Leander and Liberty Hill where owners want combination units added. Homes across the Hill Country and the Lake Travis communities with gas furnaces, gas water heaters and attached garages are the ones that most need CO alarms placed near those sources.
Rated by Central Texas homeowners
Real reviews from our Google Business Profile, in our customers' own words.
Chris and Caden did an amazing job installing my EV charger and helped assist me with other electrical questions I had around my house!! Very professional and kind. I highly recommend them!
Chris and Caden did a great job of installing a dedicated circuit and outlet for us. They were very thorough in checking out the existing circuit outlets and also patient with explaining everything before starting. I appreciated especially the quality of their work, their professionalism, and their willingness to throw in extra work where they saw fit at no charge. In short, I couldn’t be happier about the job they did.
Chris and Caden were awesome - they installed an entire new main panel and a new subpanel very effectively. We knew exactly what to expect at every step in the process, and now everything is up to code! If we need any additional electrical work, we will absolutely call Magnify Electric.
Trayvon is such a professional. He answers any and all questions. Does an amazing job in whatever is needed, and you’d never even know he had been here as he tidies up impeccably. He is our family’s electrician. I’d give 10 stars if able!
Felt lucky to have found Magnify Electric. Christian fixed the issue we were having with our hardwired smoke alarms, installed a whole-house surge protector, and fixed a longstanding light switch issue. He did everything with excellence and efficiency. He did a great job of communicating throughout the process. Thanks so much!
Showed as scheduled. Had to coordinate with PEC and everything went very smoothly. Christian was very professional and completed the job quickly. Very satisfied with the results. I would recommend them to do any electrical work in my home.
Smoke & CO detectors questions, answered
My carbon monoxide alarm is going off. What should I do right now?
Get everyone, including pets, outside to fresh air immediately. From outside, call 911 or your gas utility, and do not go back inside until the fire department or utility has checked the home and told you it is safe. Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, so treat the alarm as real even if no one feels sick.
Why do the alarms need to be interconnected?
When alarms are interconnected, a trip on any one unit sounds every unit in the home at the same time. That matters because a fire or carbon monoxide leak that starts in the garage or a far room needs to wake someone sleeping on the other side of the house. A single standalone alarm often cannot be heard through closed doors.
Where does code require smoke and CO alarms in my home?
Smoke alarms are required inside each bedroom, outside every separate sleeping area, and on each level of the home including a basement. Carbon monoxide alarms belong outside sleeping areas and near sources like gas furnaces, gas water heaters and attached garages. We map your home during the walkthrough and tell you exactly what is required.
How often do smoke and carbon monoxide alarms need to be replaced?
The units are rated for about 10 years from the manufacture date printed on the back, after which the sensors can no longer be trusted. If yours have no date or are past that mark, they should be replaced rather than just given a new battery. We check the age of every alarm when we come out.
Do I need a CO alarm if my home is all electric?
Carbon monoxide comes from burning fuel, so the main sources are gas furnaces, gas water heaters, fireplaces and engines. An attached garage is the big one to watch, since a vehicle running inside can push CO into the living space even in an all-electric home. We help you decide where CO detection makes sense for your setup.
Can you install combination smoke and CO units instead of separate alarms?
Yes. In many locations a combination unit covers both smoke and carbon monoxide in a single device, which keeps the ceiling cleaner and simplifies replacement later. We use combination units where they fit and dedicated CO alarms near gas appliances and garages where that coverage is most important.
Will my power going out disable the alarms?
No. The hardwired alarms we install carry a sealed battery backup, so they keep protecting your home through an outage, which matters during Central Texas storms. When power returns the units go back to running on house power automatically.
How much does it cost to install smoke and CO detectors?
It depends on how many alarms your home needs, whether you want combination smoke and CO units, and whether locations and interconnect wiring have to be added. We give you a flat-rate price after the walkthrough, and you approve it before we start.
Licensed, local and upfront
Upfront
Flat-rate repair pricing you approve
Licensed
TECL 29321, Master 269417
Local
Family-owned in Spicewood since 2012
Backed
Work guaranteed and done to code
Serving Austin and the Hill Country
We are based in Spicewood and cover the lake communities, the Hill Country and greater Austin. Find your town below for local details.
Headquarters: 22503 State Highway 71 W, Spicewood, TX 78669
Related services
Wiring and rewiring
New power and interconnect runs to alarm locations are part of our wiring work.
Learn more →Panel upgrades and repairs
Alarm circuits land in the panel, which we can inspect or upgrade at the same time.
Learn more →Whole-home surge protection
A surge device helps protect hardwired alarms and other electronics from storm spikes.
Learn more →Troubleshooting and repair
If an alarm chirps or false-trips, we trace the real cause instead of guessing.
Learn more →Ready for smoke & CO detectors?
Tell us what you need and we will get back to you within one business day. For anything urgent, call us now and talk to a real person.