Fort Worth, TX Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

Wood smokers, pellet smokers, charcoal smokers, ceramic kamados, and offset smokers are all 'open-flame cooking devices' subject to IFC 308.1.4 as adopted under Fort Worth City Code Chapter 10. On apartment, condo, or townhome balconies, these units must be at least 10 feet from any combustible construction unless the building is fully sprinklered. Single-family lots have no fire-code setback. Smoke nuisance complaints fall under Fort Worth City Code Chapter 6 (Animal and Public Nuisance) and Texas Health and Safety Code Section 382.085 (Clean Air Act prohibition on nuisance air contaminants). Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Rule 30 TAC 101.4 prohibits any air emission that creates a nuisance to a person of ordinary sensibility. Smoke from BBQ smokers is generally exempt from TCEQ permitting under 30 TAC 106.4 (de minimis cooking activities), but persistent smoke that drifts onto neighboring property and creates discomfort can be cited under the nuisance provisions. Smokers must not be operated under combustible overhangs, awnings, or carports (IFC 308.1.6). Burning treated lumber, painted wood, or trash is illegal under Tex. H&S Code 382.018 (outdoor burning rules) and Fort Worth Ord. Ch. 10 (Outdoor Burning Section 10-83), even in a smoker.