Outdoor Cooking in Madison, WI (2026)
1 verified outdoor cooking rules for Madison, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Outdoor Kitchen Permits
Madison zoning treats outdoor grilling or smoking as an "Outdoor Cooking Operation" only when it's an accessory use of a restaurant, grocery store, catering business or similar food-service use, not a backyard-kitchen permit for homeowners. Sec. 28.151, MGO allows it by right if it sits more than 200 feet from residential property; closer than that, it needs Plan Commission conditional-use approval.
Madison Outdoor Cooking Operation Standards
Some RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 28.151 (Outdoor Cooking Operation)
Outdoor Cooking Operation. Outdoor preparation of food, including by grilling or smoking, as an accessory use of a restaurant, grocery store, catering business, or other use that prepares food for consumption by the public.(a)An outdoor cooking operation is a permitted use if it is not located within two hundred (200) feet from the property line of a lot with a residential use.(b)An outdoor coo...
Looking for Dane County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Madison city rules.
Outdoor Cooking in Dane County →