Allegheny County, PA Outdoor Cooking: Outdoor Kitchen Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required?
- No, for cooking purposes
- Condition
- Must use approved fuel
- Governing agency
- Allegheny County Health Department
- Citation
- Code § 505-48.A(1)(a)
Summary
Allegheny County exempts outdoor cooking fires from its open burning permit requirement, as long as the fire uses approved fuel and follows the size and setback rules for recreational fires.
No person shall conduct, or allow to be conducted, the open burning of any material, except where the Department has issued an open burning permit to such person in accordance with this section or where the open burning is conducted solely for the purpose of preparation of food for human consumption, recreation, light, or ornament, and in a manner which contributes a negligible amount of air contaminants, and which is in accordance with Subsection A(1)(a)[1] through [3] below. [1] No material other than clean wood, propane, or natural gas may be burned except as provided for in this subsection. [a] Charcoal may be used in an outdoor fireplace or grill for the purpose of cooking. [b] Commercially available fire logs, paraffin logs, or wood pellets may be used in outdoor fireplaces. [c] Paper or commercial smokeless fire starters may be used with clean wood to start an allowed fire. [2] Any volume of clean wood being burned shall be no larger than three feet wide by three feet long by two feet high and shall be at least 15 feet from the nearest neighbor's dwelling or inhabited area, any property line, roadway, sidewalk, or public accessway. [3] Open burning using chimineas, firepits, or outdoor fireplaces may only be conducted using materials meeting Subsection A(1)(a)[1] above.
(b) Any open burning shall be tended by a responsible person at all times.
(c)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4857026; v12 updated 2024-06-04; through 06-04-2024).
Full Breakdown
The county's Air Pollution Control chapter requires an open burning permit for most fires, but exempts burning conducted solely for preparing food for human consumption, recreation, light, or ornament, provided it contributes only a negligible amount of air contaminants and follows the fuel, size, and setback conditions elsewhere in § 505-48.A(1)(a). No separate 'outdoor kitchen' permit exists: grills, fireplaces, and firepits used for cooking fall under this exemption rather than the county's general burn-permit process.
Violations & Fines
Using an outdoor cooking fire outside the exemption, non-approved fuel or an oversized fire, forfeits the exemption and requires an open burning permit under § 505-48.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a county permit to install an outdoor kitchen or grill?
What fuels can I use in an outdoor kitchen?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Allegheny County
Compare Allegheny County to another location·View the Pennsylvania outdoor cooking overview
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