Permits, setbacks, wood-burning bans, HOA restrictions, and city-by-city guidance for fire pits, outdoor fireplaces, and wood-fired pizza ovens across the United States. Plain English. Regularly updated.
Before you call your building department, understand these three layers — they apply in every U.S. jurisdiction.
Everything you need to understand fire feature rules before you build, buy, or light.
City-specific guides covering permit requirements, setbacks, air quality programs, and department contacts.
State fire code baselines, air quality district overviews, and permit process summaries.
Built for homeowners who want straight answers, not contractor upsells.
When a homeowner decides to build an outdoor fireplace or install a wood-fired pizza oven, the permit question hits an information wall: the city website has PDF links to 300-page code documents, forum threads from 2014 conflict with each other, and the building department's phone menu sends you in circles.
FireFeatureRules is a reference hub that compiles, organizes, and plain-languages the rules that actually govern residential outdoor fire features in the U.S. — city by city, air district by air district. Every page is built around a specific question a real homeowner is asking, and every page links directly to the authoritative source so you can verify what you read here.
This site covers fire pits, outdoor fireplaces, masonry ovens, wood-fired pizza ovens, and gas fire features. It does not sell products, accept advertising from contractors, or provide referrals. It is an informational resource — verify everything with your local authority before you build.
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