Question:
The local city inspector has insisted that I install seven wired smoke detectors in a new house. He says its a new requirement in many codes because of maintenance problems with battery units and fires which aren't discovered until they get too hot. The detectors are required in each bedroom, the stairway, utility area and garage. They have to be on a dedicated circuit. Unfortunately, the architect didn't know about the requirement and the omission wasn't caught by the city when they did the plan review, so I'm stuck with a $500 change order. To top it off, the circuit has to be protected by an "arc-fault" circuit breaker which is more expensive than the standard type.

The rationale sounds reasonable, but seven detectors sounds like more than necessary for 2700 sq. ft. My insurance company doesn't seem to care about smoke detectors, but they gave a hefty discount for a security system.

Anyone run into a similar situation?

Answer: Q: The local city inspector has insisted that I install seven wired smoke detectors in a new house. He says its a new requirement in many codes because of maintenance problems with battery units and fires which aren't discovered until they get too hot.

A: Not to mention that when one detector goes off, all seven go off. If a fire starts upstairs and you're downstairs, this alerts you to the problem before the ceiling collapses on you. It's A Good Thing. The city inspector is correct, that's what the new codes say in many cities. All new homes built here in the Phoenix area must have the wired smoke detector system.

As for the cost of the change order, who is charging you for the change order? If it's the contractor, what does your contract say about changes required by city inspectors? Note that in some states, city or state contractor licensing boards require contractors to build everything to code, and don't allow contractors to charge extra (beyond actual costs) for changes needed to make their jobs meet code. Since we don't know what state you're in, that's all I can say.