Joliet, IL Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

An outdoor smoker — whether a vertical water smoker, an offset stick burner, a wood-pellet smoker, or a kamado-style charcoal cooker — is regulated identically to a BBQ grill under the Illinois Fire Code (NFPA 1 Section 10.11 / IFC 308.1.4). The 10-foot setback from combustible construction on a combustible balcony applies, with exemptions for sprinklered buildings, one- and two-family dwellings, and LP-gas containers of 2.5-pound water capacity or less. Pellet smokers that use a wall outlet still meet the 'open-flame cooking device' definition because the pellet auger feeds an open-fire burn pot. Joliet has not adopted a smoker-specific ordinance beyond this fire-code framework. Smoke nuisance complaints arise more commonly with long-cook smokers: under Joliet Code Chapter 17 (Nuisances and Offenses) and the general nuisance doctrine in Illinois common law, persistent, dense smoke that interferes substantially with a neighbor's use and enjoyment of property may be actionable. The Will County Health Department may also respond to severe and prolonged smoke complaints. Open burning of yard waste, leaves, or refuse is a separate matter regulated by the Illinois Environmental Protection Act (415 ILCS 5/9 et seq.) and Joliet ordinances; cooking food is not open burning. Single-family homeowners running smokers in their yards should keep equipment on non-combustible surfaces, store pellets and fuel dry, and avoid extended overnight cooks that may generate complaints.