Rochester Hills, MI Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

The code has no separate category for a 'smoker'; the closest and controlling provision is Section 307.6.5, Portable Outdoor Fire Places, part of the fire code rewrite adopted under Code Section 58-58(b). It covers any portable, outdoor, solid-fuel burning fireplace made of steel, concrete, clay or other noncombustible material, open in design or fitted with a small hearth and chimney, and use is allowed year-round between 8:00 a.m. and midnight. Unlike a ground-level recreational fire, Section 307.6.5.1 specifically says no annual permit is required. Fuel is restricted to dry seasoned firewood, charcoal or commercial fire logs, and it can be ignited with a small amount of paper, the same rule that applies to recreational fires.

Section 307.6.5.3 otherwise requires 15 feet of clearance from any structure or combustible material and use in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, but it carves out an exception for portable outdoor fireplaces used at one- and two-family dwellings, which removes that 15-foot setback for most homeowners. The general fire-code requirements for these devices still apply: the unit must be constantly attended with a portable extinguisher rated at least 4-A, or equivalent equipment such as a garden hose, on hand until it's out, and the fire department can order it extinguished on a complaint or when the code official decides atmospheric conditions aren't safe for burning.