Chino Hills, CA Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

180 defines "Fire pit" and "Fireplace" identically as any permanent or portable structure or appliance intended to contain fire, excluding a barbecue or pizza oven, and specifies that both shall be non-wood burning. 070 then sets where a non-wood-burning fireplace or fire pit can sit on a residentially zoned lot: it is not permitted in the front setback at all, and must be at least five feet from the rear, interior side, and street-side property lines, with a maximum height of six feet within the setback.

A built-in barbecue structure, countertop, or pizza oven gets the same five-foot side/rear/street clearance and is likewise barred from the front setback. 070 requires a building permit, two sets of structural calculations and site plans for plan review, a minimum ten-foot separation from any structure not counting fences, walls or hedges, and a chimney termination at least two feet above anything within ten feet of the fireplace; it may only encroach into a setback as allowed under Table 10-1. A non-wood-burning, decorative-only fireplace still needs a permit and a valid ICC legacy report for any pre-fabricated unit, installation per the manufacturer's specification, and two copies of site plans, and it cannot sit closer than five feet to any property line or rise above six feet within the setback.

These are the operative Chino Hills standards for a backyard fire pit, fireplace, or built-in barbecue; a portable propane or charcoal grill that is not a built-in structure falls outside this setback table.