Chatham County, GA Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

A charcoal, wood or pellet smoker used to cook food is covered by the Sec. 21-306(2)(e) exception for cooking food for immediate human consumption, so it is legal at single-family homes, provided it burns only your own fuel and is safely contained. Under Georgia's adopted International Fire Code Section 308, charcoal and other open-flame or solid-fuel cooking devices may not be used or kept on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction at apartment or condo (Group R) buildings, except one- and two-family dwellings or sprinklered buildings. Chatham has no ordinance specifically regulating drifting smoke or odor, though a persistent nuisance could be addressed under the county nuisance-abatement code (Chapter 21, Article VII).