Outdoor Cooking in Austin, TX (2026)
1 verified outdoor cooking rules for Austin, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Smoker Rules
Austin's Fire Code lets any detached one- or two-family home run a charcoal, wood or gas smoker, hibachi or barbecue pit anywhere on the lot, but every other residence, including apartments and condos, must keep them off balconies and at least five feet from a combustible building wall, or fifteen feet if the pit sits below a combustible structure, under Sec. 4104.2.
Austin Backyard Smoker and Barbecue Pit Rules
Some RestrictionsAustin City Code Sec. 25-12-173 (2024 Int'l Fire Code Sec. 4104.2)
4104.2 Residential Barbecue Pits and Incinerators. No person may construct, erect, install, maintain or use any incinerator or barbecue pit or burn any combustible material to constitute a fire hazard by the use or burning or to endanger the life or property of any person. Residential barbecue pits, hibachis or other cooking appliances utilizing charcoal, wood or gas as a fuel may not be stored...
Looking for Travis County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Austin city rules.
Outdoor Cooking in Travis County →