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Rule 445 is specific to the South Coast Air Basin. It applies to Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. If you're outside this basin, this rule does not apply to you.

What Rule 445 Actually Says

SCAQMD Rule 445, titled "Wood-Burning Fireplaces and Wood-Burning Heaters," was adopted in 2008 and prohibits the installation of new wood-burning fireplaces and wood-burning heaters in new residential construction and specified renovations within the South Coast Air Basin. The rule targets PM2.5 emissions from residential wood burning.

The core prohibition: no person shall install a new wood-burning fireplace or wood-burning heater in any new residential unit within the South Coast Air Basin. For existing structures undergoing renovation, the rule restricts replacement of existing wood-burning devices with new ones under certain conditions.

What Rule 445 is: a construction and installation restriction on new wood-burning fireplaces in new buildings.

What Rule 445 is not: a ban on all outdoor fires, a restriction on existing permitted wood-burning features, or a prohibition on wood-burning cooking appliances.

What Is Exempt from Rule 445

Rule 445 contains explicit exemptions that are critical for homeowners planning outdoor fire features:

  • Existing residences: Rule 445 applies to new construction. Existing homes with existing wood-burning fireplaces are not required to remove them under Rule 445 (they remain subject to Check Before You Burn curtailment rules).
  • EPA-certified inserts: Replacing a wood-burning fireplace with an EPA-certified wood-burning insert may be permitted under specific conditions.
  • Pellet stoves: Pellet-fueled appliances are generally treated separately from Rule 445's wood-burning fireplace prohibition.
  • Outdoor cooking appliances: Rule 445's language targets fireplaces and heaters. Wood-burning pizza ovens used primarily for cooking — not heating — are in a definitional gray zone. SCAQMD has historically treated commercial cooking appliances differently; residential wood-fired cooking ovens occupy uncertain territory.
  • Portable fire features: Rule 445 addresses installation of fixed appliances. Portable fire pits and fire bowls are not "installed" in the same sense.

Rule 445 and Wood-Fired Pizza Ovens — The Critical Question

This is the most practically important issue for Southern California homeowners who want a wood-fired pizza oven. The question: does Rule 445 apply to a built-in masonry wood-burning pizza oven?

SCAQMD's published text focuses on fireplaces and heaters — defined as devices for space heating. A pizza oven is a cooking device, not a space heater or decorative fireplace. This distinction has been used successfully to argue that pizza ovens fall outside Rule 445's prohibition.

However, SCAQMD has discretion in how it applies Rule 445 at the permit-review level, and individual plan reviewers and building inspectors may interpret the rule differently. The consequence: two homeowners in the same city, same year, may get different answers depending on who reviews their application.

The only reliable approach: Before designing or permitting a wood-fired pizza oven in the South Coast Air Basin, contact SCAQMD's Public Advisor's Office (aqmd.gov or 1-800-CUT-SMOG) and request a written determination of whether your specific planned installation is subject to Rule 445. A written determination from SCAQMD protects you from inconsistent enforcement.

Rule 445 vs. Check Before You Burn — Two Different Programs

Many homeowners confuse Rule 445 (an installation restriction) with SCAQMD's Check Before You Burn curtailment program (an operational restriction). They are completely separate:

ProgramWhat It RestrictsWhen It AppliesWho It Affects
Rule 445Installation of new wood-burning fireplaces in new constructionAt time of construction/permittingNew construction and specified renovations
Check Before You BurnOperation (burning) of any wood-burning deviceOn declared no-burn days (Nov–Feb)All wood-burning devices, new and existing

An existing wood-burning fireplace grandfathered under Rule 445 is still fully subject to Check Before You Burn restrictions. Having an existing fireplace does not exempt you from no-burn days.

Rule 445 in New Construction — Practical Implications

If you are building a new home or doing a major renovation that requires permits in the South Coast Air Basin:

  • A new indoor wood-burning fireplace is prohibited under Rule 445
  • A gas fireplace is permitted (Rule 445 does not restrict gas appliances)
  • An outdoor masonry pizza oven may or may not be restricted — get written SCAQMD guidance
  • An outdoor gas fire feature has no Rule 445 issues

The practical outcome for most Southern California homeowners who want the ambiance of fire: gas fire features have become the default in new construction, and wood-fired cooking appliances remain in a navigable gray zone with proper advance planning.

No. Rule 445 does not require existing wood-burning fireplaces to be removed or modified. Your existing fireplace is grandfathered. However, you cannot operate it on Check Before You Burn curtailment days (typically November–February). And if you substantially renovate your fireplace — essentially rebuilding it — you may trigger Rule 445 review for the renovation portion.
Replacing an existing device with an EPA-certified insert may be permitted under Rule 445's exemptions. Contact SCAQMD directly to confirm applicability to your specific situation — the exemption conditions are technical and the answer depends on your existing appliance type and the replacement unit's certification status.
No. Building permit approval and SCAQMD Rule 445 compliance are separate. A city building department may issue a permit without verifying Rule 445 compliance. SCAQMD can independently enforce Rule 445 regardless of what a city building department has approved. For any new wood-burning installation in the South Coast Air Basin, get written Rule 445 guidance from SCAQMD directly before construction.
The South Coast Air Basin covers all of Orange County, all of Los Angeles County except the Antelope Valley, all of San Bernardino County except the desert and mountain areas, and the western Coachella Valley portion of Riverside County. The exact boundary is defined in SCAQMD's regulations and is available on the SCAQMD website. If you are anywhere in the Los Angeles metro area, you are almost certainly within the basin.
Disclaimer: For general informational purposes only. Always verify with your local building department and relevant authorities before constructing or operating any fire feature. Not legal advice.