Annual service · Installation · 6-year and 12-year work · City of Los Angeles
Fire extinguisher service in Los Angeles
About three of every four Los Angeles calls we log are about extinguishers. The questions repeat. Is a tag from March 2020 still good? Should two overdue 10-lb units be recharged or replaced? Will a new extinguisher fit the bracket already on the wall?
The yearly visit answers most of that. A technician checks each unit where it hangs: the gauge reads in the green, the pin and tamper seal are in place, the hose and nozzle are clear, the cylinder has no dents or corrosion, and the class matches the hazard nearby. Then the unit gets a new dated tag. Between visits, the owner or staff should take a quick look every month.
Some units need more than a tag. Stored-pressure dry chemical extinguishers get an internal teardown every 6 years. Hydrostatic testing comes every 12 years for dry chemical and every 5 years for CO2, water and wet chemical (Class K) units. See our pages on hydrostatic testing in Los Angeles and extinguisher refills after a discharge.
One caller had been buying new extinguishers every single year because nobody had told them annual service existed. Ask before you buy.
Fire extinguisher installation in Los Angeles
"How many do I need?" comes up for a 1,000 sq ft warehouse, a fourplex with two units up and two down, and 5-unit and 6-unit apartment buildings. There's no single answer. The count depends on floor area, what could burn, and how far someone has to walk to reach a unit, under NFPA 10 and California Fire Code Section 906, so the technician walks the property and marks where each extinguisher goes.
New 5-lb ABC units we supply come tagged for the first year, with an arrow sign to show where they hang. Commercial kitchens need a Class K unit too (see kitchen fire service in Los Angeles). For extinguishers mounted outdoors at apartment buildings, we recommend a cabinet. It helps deter theft.
Gated property? Tell us how the technician gets in: a lockbox, a gate code, or someone who can open the garage and courtyard where the units are.
What recent Los Angeles quotes looked like
- Annual inspection and certification: $30 to $40 per extinguisher. One recent quote for a single unit included the site visit with no trip charge.
- New 5-lb ABC extinguisher: $80 to $85 plus tax, delivered, mounted and tagged for the first year.
- Extinguisher cabinet: $65.
- 6-year teardown or 12-year hydrostatic test: priced on site, if a unit is due.
Final counts are set by the technician on site.
Expired tags and fire department notices
Some Los Angeles callers reach us after a fire department compliance notice. Others notice their tags run out next week. Inside city limits, business fire code enforcement sits with the LAFD Fire Prevention Bureau. The city's fire code is built on the 2022 California Fire Code, and the city has started work on moving to the 2025 edition, so confirm the edition in force with the Los Angeles Fire Department if a notice cites a section.
Book before the tag date. Not after.
Addresses in East Los Angeles or the City of Commerce are outside the city; our Los Angeles County extinguisher service page covers those areas.
Licensed under Title 19
California requires extinguisher service by a firm and technician licensed by the State Fire Marshal. Our California work is done by Hedrick Fire Protection, which holds C-16 and C-10 contractor licenses and is licensed by the State Fire Marshal under Title 19 for portable extinguisher service.
Staff training is a separate rule. Where an employer provides extinguishers for employees to use, OSHA requires training at hire and at least once a year; see fire extinguisher training in Los Angeles. For the tag itself, read annual extinguisher certification, or start at our Los Angeles fire protection hub.
Nearby: extinguisher service in Orange County and extinguisher service in Riverside County.
To book fire extinguisher service in Los Angeles, call us at (213) 568-0188 or email us at socal@1profire.com
Book extinguisher service in Los Angeles
- Have your unit count and last tag date ready
- Tell us how to get through the gate
- Ask about 6-year and 12-year work
Fire extinguisher questions from Los Angeles
Should I recharge overdue extinguishers or replace them?
If the cylinder is sound, the technician can usually service and re-tag it. We recommend a new one when a unit is over 12 years old or visibly damaged.
Do you need to visit before telling me how many I need?
Usually, yes. The count depends on floor area, hazards and walking distance to each unit, so the technician surveys placement on site.
Does a newly bought extinguisher still need certification?
New units we supply come tagged for the first year. After that, they need annual service like any other.
Is the service done at my building?
Yes, annual service happens on site. If a unit is due for a 6-year teardown or a hydrostatic test, the technician will tell you and price it there.