Backyard smokers and pellet or charcoal cookers are treated as cooking devices in Greenville County, so their smoke is exempt from open-burning rules as food preparation. There is no county permit for a residential smoker, though excessive smoke drifting onto neighbors can be treated as a nuisance and apartment use
Using a smoker to cook food falls under SC Regulation 61-62.2's exemption for 'preparation of food for immediate consumption,' so a residential smoker is not regulated as prohibited open burning. Greenville County requires no permit for a homeowner's backyard smoker or barbecue pit. However, the adopted SC Fire Code restricts charcoal and other open-flame cooking devices on balconies and near combustible construction in multifamily buildings, so apartment residents may be barred from using a smoker on a balcony. Persistent heavy smoke drifting onto neighboring property can be addressed under county nuisance provisions. Keep the smoker outdoors, clear of the house and fences, and never operate it in a garage or enclosed space.
Using a smoker on a restricted apartment balcony is a fire-code violation; chronic smoke that unreasonably interferes with a neighbor's use of their property can draw a county nuisance complaint and abatement order.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Greenville County, SC
Greenville County zoning does not dictate fence materials for ordinary residential lots, so wood, vinyl, aluminum, masonry, and chain-link are all allowed. C...
Greenville County, SC
Greenville County Code § 4-11 defines animal hoarding and § 4-19 makes hoarding or collecting animals a form of cruelty. Collecting animals without humane ca...
Greenville County, SC
Greenville County's code has no blanket ban on feeding wild animals like deer or birds. It does bar keeping wild animals as pets without a § 4-20 permit, and...
Greenville County, SC
Cats in unincorporated Greenville County must be vaccinated against rabies and carry proof; County Code § 4-14 requires a rabies certificate and tag for ever...
Greenville County, SC
Greenville County's animal code sets no numeric cap on the number of dogs or cats a household may keep. There is no per-home pet limit in Chapter 4; instead,...
Greenville County, SC
Livestock and horses are limited by zoning. In R-15, R-20, and ESD-PM districts, horses need at least 1.5 acres with one head per half-acre; in the R-20A dis...
See how Greenville County's smoker rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.