Smoke Alarm Installation & QLD Compliance in Brisbane & Logan
Licensed installation of interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms for QLD compliance, with hardwired certification for Brisbane and Logan homes.
QLD law has already changed for most homes
Sold your home since 1 January 2022? Rented it out under a new or renewed lease since then? If so, the law already required compliant smoke alarms before that transaction went ahead. The last stage lands on 1 January 2027 for owner-occupied homes not yet caught by a sale or lease. That date is closer than it feels.
The wrong alarm will not pass. QLD law wants photoelectric-only alarms certified to AS 3786-2014. Ionisation alarms are banned. So are combination alarms. A single alarm sitting in the hallway, not talking to any others, does not cut it either. Every alarm in the house has to be interconnected, so when one smells smoke, the lot sound together and wake everyone.
Confirm the current rules straight from the source at fire.qld.gov.au.
What we do
We supply and install interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms across Brisbane and Logan. On hardwired jobs we run the alarms back to the switchboard, interconnect them, and hand you a Certificate of Testing and Compliance, which you need if you are selling.
Wireless battery alarms are a legal alternative for existing homes: 10-year non-removable battery, photoelectric, wirelessly interconnected. You can fit those yourself if you are handy and comfortable up a ladder. Plenty of people would rather a sparky handle the placement and commissioning, so we do those too.
New builds and major renovations are different. They need hardwired 240V alarms. No way around it.
Where alarms must go
- Inside every bedroom
- In every hallway that connects bedrooms to the rest of the house
- On every storey of the home
Who is responsible
Selling: the seller declares on Form 24. A hardwired install needs a Certificate of Testing and Compliance from a licensed electrician.
Renting: the landlord, not the tenant. Alarms have to be in place before a new or renewed lease starts.
Owner-occupier: your deadline is 1 January 2027 if you have not already upgraded through a sale or lease.
Signs you need to act now
- Your existing alarms are ionisation type (look for the radioactive symbol on the base)
- The alarms are not interconnected
- One or more bedrooms has no alarm
- You are about to sell and want the certificate sorted before it lists
- The alarms are over 10 years old
What the job involves
First we check alarm locations against the QLD requirements. Then we supply photoelectric AS 3786-2014 alarms, run cable for hardwired interconnection or commission the wireless units, and test every alarm to confirm they all trigger together. You get the documentation at the end. A standard house usually runs two to four hours for a hardwired job.
Honest cost factors
A hardwired interconnected install on a three-to-four bedroom home typically lands between $400 and $900. What moves the price: ceiling construction, how many alarms, cable run distances and switchboard access. Wireless battery installs cost less in labour because there is no cabling. Either way you get a fixed quote before anyone starts.
Why PQ Electrical
QLD electrical licence 1513082. We issue the Certificate of Testing and Compliance that property sales require. No call centre. You deal with the sparky who does the work. $0 call-out fee, a fixed quote, and a five-year written workmanship guarantee. We cover Brisbane and Logan, including the Centenary corridor, Kenmore, Jindalee, Middle Park and the suburbs around them.
Want the full background on the law and what each alarm type means? Read our QLD smoke alarm laws guide.
FAQs
Can I install my own smoke alarms? For wireless battery-powered photoelectric alarms in an existing home, yes, that is legal to DIY. Anything hardwired still needs a licensed electrician. And if you are selling, a hardwired install needs a certificate that only a licensed electrician can issue.
Do I need hardwired alarms? Only if you are building new or doing a major renovation. Existing homes can legally run wireless battery photoelectric alarms. Some owners go hardwired anyway, for reliability and to keep the sale paperwork simple.
What is a Certificate of Testing and Compliance? A document from a licensed electrician confirming the hardwired alarm system meets QLD requirements. You need it when you sell. We provide it as part of every hardwired job.
Ready to get compliant before the deadline? Book a quote online or call us on 07 3186 2450.