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The Body of Knowledge for Residential Real Estate Appraisal
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Here's what the passages say about smoke detectors: FHA requires that each sleeping area must have a minimum of one approved, listed and labeled smoke detector installed adjacent to the sleeping area, and it may be battery powered when installed in existing or rehabilitated structures, but must receive primary power from building wiring in new construction additions. The passages also note that when an appraiser or inspector documents "smoke detectors present," that observation should not be read as confirming that carbon monoxide alarms are also present, since these are frequently checked and documented as two separate line items even when combination units satisfy both requirements at the same time. The carbon monoxide detector passages also mention smoke detectors in the context of fire safety checklists alongside water heater straps as inexpensive items a seller can handle directly before an appraisal appointment. Straight from HUD/FHA Single Family Handbook 4000.1 and Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements (IRC R315 model code; NV local adoption) — nothing added.
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#1 Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements (IRC R315 model code; NV local adoption) Page 4
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every level of a dwelling regardless of whether the dwelling has an attached garage or fuel-fired appliance at all. Carbon monoxide alarm placement is narrower and…
Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements (IRC R315 model code; NV local adoption)  ·  CO_Detectors_Near_Garages.txt  ·  Page 4
every level of a dwelling regardless of whether the dwelling has an attached garage or fuel-fired appliance at all. Carbon monoxide alarm placement is narrower and condition-triggered: it depends specifically on the presence of a fuel-fired appliance or an attached garage with a communicating opening, and where required is typically placed outside each separate sleeping area rather than inside every individual bedroom. A property inspection or appraisal observation noting "smoke detectors present" should not be read as also confirming carbon monoxide alarms are present, since they are frequently checked and documented as two distinct line items even when combination units satisfy both requirements simultaneously. What this means for real estate agents preparing a listing. A seller with an attached garage, a gas furnace, a gas water heater, a gas range, or a gas fireplace should have working carbon monoxide alarms installed before a buyer's inspection or the appraiser's visit, both because it is very likely required by the local code that actually governs the property and because a missing carbon monoxide alarm is an easy, low-cost item to flag as a potential repair condition that can otherwise slow down or complicate a closing. Unlike some appraisal line items that require a licensed contractor to resolve, installing a listed carbon monoxide alarm is inexpensive and can typically be handled by the seller directly before the appraisal appointment, similar to the water heater strap and smoke detector items already covered in the Garage and Fire Safety section of this library. Practical checklist. Confirm whether the dwelling has a fuel-fired appliance or an attached garage with a communicating opening to the living space, since either condition typically triggers the carbon monoxide alarm requirement under the model code framework. Confirm carbon monoxide alarms are installed, listed to UL 2034, and appear to be interconnected with smoke alarms where the local code requires interconnection. Confirm the alarms have power, whether hardwired with battery backup or a sealed long-life battery unit, and are not past their manufacturer-specified replacement date, since carbon monoxide sensors have a limited useful life unlike a simple electrical device. Confirm the governing code edition and any local amendments with the city or county authority having jurisdiction, rather than assuming a single statewide Nevada rule, since Nevada's own requirement flows through local adoption rather than one standalone state statute, so always confirm with the local jurisdiction rather than assuming one statewide rule applies.
#2 HUD/FHA Single Family Handbook 4000.1 Page 553
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A. Title II Insured Housing Programs Forward Mortgages 9. 203(k) Consultant Requirements Handbook 4000.1 528 Last Revised: 8/12/2026 Required Work Item: When feasible, connect to…
HUD/FHA Single Family Handbook 4000.1  ·  HUD_FHA_4000.1.pdf  ·  Page 553  ·  View at official source (HUD.gov — SFH Handbook 4000.1) →
A. Title II Insured Housing Programs Forward Mortgages 9. 203(k) Consultant Requirements Handbook 4000.1 528 Last Revised: 8/12/2026 Required Work Item: When feasible, connect to public sewer system where available. 28. Electrical. Describe electrical work to be performed, such as: install 100 amp service; replace frayed exterior wire from service to main and into exterior panel box; install new ceiling light wall switches; install new lighting fixtures at (____); install new exterior lighting; replace wall receptacles; install three-way switch; install smoke detectors; install exterior wall exhaust fan(s); etc. Most estimates must be based on per unit and lump sum projections. Required Work Items: The amp service must be upgraded to the greater of 100 amp or local code. Each sleeping area must be provided with a minimum of one approved, listed and labeled smoke detector installed adjacent to the sleeping area. Smoke detectors may be battery powered when installed in existing or rehabilitated Structures. However, where new construction is being added to an existing building, the smoke detector must receive its primary power from the building wiring, in conformance to local codes and ordinances. 29. Heating. Describe heating and air conditioning work to be performed, such as: install new forced warm air heater; install new hot water boiler; install automatic flow control valve; install temp control valve at boiler; install heat supply outlet in each room; install high performance items such as geothermal heating and cooling, wind energy systems or photovoltaic systems; etc. Most estimates must be based on per unit and lump sum projections. Required Work Items: If a new heating/cooling system is proposed, the Consultant must ensure that the contractor properly sizes the system. New heating systems, burners and air conditioning systems must be no greater than 15 percent oversized, except to satisfy the manufacturer’s next closest nominal size. 30. Insulation. Describe insulation work to be performed, such as: install insulation in crawl space, (R-_____); install insulation batts in attic, (R- _____); install insulation batts in exterior walls, (R-____); etc. Most estimates must be based on square footage projections. Required improvements: • Insulate all openings in exterior walls where the cavity has been exposed as a result of the rehabilitation. • Insulate ceiling areas where necessary. • Replacement heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems supply and return pipes and ducts must be insulated whenever they run through unconditioned spaces. 31. Cabinetry. Describe cabinetry work to be performed, such
#3 Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements (IRC R315 model code; NV local adoption) Page 1
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SOURCE: Chief Appraiser Knowledge Base — Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements Near Attached Garages and Fuel-Burning Appliances Compiled from: 2024 International Residential Code…
Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements (IRC R315 model code; NV local adoption)  ·  CO_Detectors_Near_Garages.txt  ·  Page 1
SOURCE: Chief Appraiser Knowledge Base — Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements Near Attached Garages and Fuel-Burning Appliances Compiled from: 2024 International Residential Code Section R315 (model code); Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 477 (State Fire Marshal authority); Nevada Administrative Code Chapter 477; local jurisdiction fire code amendments (e.g. Southern Nevada Amendments to the International Fire Code); UL 2034 (carbon monoxide alarm listing standard); HUD Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1 (appraiser verification standard) Last reviewed: August 2026 ===================================================================== Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements Near Attached Garages Carbon monoxide poisoning is a genuine, recurring cause of injury and death in homes with an attached garage or a fuel-fired appliance, which is why carbon monoxide alarms are one of the more consistently enforced life-safety items in modern residential construction. Unlike smoke detectors, which have a single long-standing national model code history, carbon monoxide alarm requirements are newer and are primarily driven by model building codes that individual states and local jurisdictions choose to adopt, rather than by a single nationwide federal statute. The model code standard: International Residential Code Section R315. The 2024 International Residential Code, Section R315, is the model code provision most states and local jurisdictions use as the basis for their own carbon monoxide alarm requirements. Under this model code framework, a dwelling unit is required to have carbon monoxide alarms where either or both of two conditions exist: the dwelling unit contains a fuel-fired appliance, such as a gas furnace, gas water heater, gas range, gas fireplace, or wood stove, or the dwelling unit has an attached garage with an opening that communicates with the dwelling unit, meaning a door, duct, or other opening that connects the garage to the living space rather than a garage that is fully separated with no connecting opening at all. Where alterations, repairs, or additions requiring a permit occur to an existing dwelling, the model code framework generally requires the dwelling to be brought up to the same carbon monoxide alarm standard as new construction, not just the specific room or system being altered. Carbon monoxide alarms under this framework are typically required to be interconnected with the dwelling's smoke alarms, to receive their primary power from the building wiring, and to have battery backup so they continue to function during a power outage. The actual alarm devices themselves are expected to be listed to UL 2034, the Underwriters Laboratories standard for carbon monoxide alarms,
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