Washington, DC Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

DC does not have a wood-smoke ordinance like Bay Area Air Quality Management District rules in California. Three layers of regulation can apply to backyard smokers: (1) IFC Section 308.1.4 (DCMR 12-G) treats wood, pellet, and charcoal smokers as open-flame cooking devices, so they are prohibited on multi-family balconies and within 10 feet of combustible R-2 construction unless the building is sprinklered; (2) DC public-nuisance law (D.C. Code § 42-3101 et seq.) lets a neighbor pursue a nuisance action when smoke or odor unreasonably interferes with use of property; (3) DOEE air-quality rules at 20 DCMR can address visible-emissions violations, though residential smokers are rarely enforced. Single-family rowhouse use is generally permissive. The narrow lots typical in DC (15 to 20 feet wide) mean smoker plumes often drift into neighboring yards; complaints are common in Capitol Hill, Brookland, Petworth, and similar neighborhoods. Built-in smokers and wood-fired ovens are accessory structures; if attached to the house or larger than allowed thresholds, they require building permits and (in historic districts) HPRB approval. There is no specific time-of-day restriction; the citywide noise ordinance (7 AM to 9 PM weekdays, 9 AM to 9 PM weekends in residential zones) applies only to noise-producing equipment.