Santa Clarita, CA Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

57 of the Unified Development Code, not through a stand-alone fire or health ordinance. 060(H) lists which structures may encroach into a required side or rear yard and on what terms; item 6 singles out built-in barbecues, fire pits, detached fireplaces, and built-in entertainment centers, requiring each to stand at least five feet from every property line and to stay under ten feet in height, a limit that expressly includes any smoke stack or chimney attached to the structure. The same subsection treats comparable yard fixtures differently: attached fireplace structures, water heaters, and gas or electric meters need only two and one-half feet of clearance from a lot line under item 1, while detached accessory buildings and patio covers need the same five-foot clearance as barbecues under item 7.

050(E) adds a separate six-foot minimum spacing requirement between accessory buildings on the same lot, a standard the Planning Division applies when a built-in barbecue or outdoor kitchen sits near a shed, casita, or detached garage. Because this is a zoning standard rather than a permit-fee schedule, a resident planning a built-in barbecue, pizza oven, or fire pit should confirm placement against the property survey before construction; a structure sited within five feet of a rear or side lot line, or one whose chimney pushes total height past ten feet, is out of compliance regardless of the materials used or whether it runs on gas or wood. The current version of this setback table was last amended by Ordinance 25-1 on May 27, 2025.