Outdoor Pizza Oven in Backyard

Greetings – I plan on building an outdoor pizza oven in my backyard. The backyard is like all the other backyards in Brooklyn: fenced in, surrounding by other yards and other buildings. I do have a free-standing garage and driveway though. My plan is to install a pizza oven enclosed in a brick structure against the rear fence with an appropriate chimney (go to fornobravo.com/forum for pics). Nearest building is probably 10′ away off to the right, except the garage which the brick oven will butt against. I did go to my local fire department station to ask if this was okay. I showed a pic of what I wanted to do and a firefighter there said it looks fine, no permits required. The only thing is that you might get neighbors complaining about smoke. BTW, smoke won’t be a problem. It’s only on startup but once the fire is going there won’t be any. I do remember also going through the NYC code book specifically for outdoor bbqs, and there was something there about open fire/bbqs but don’t recall anything that prevented me from building a free-standing outdoor pizza oven or that I needed a permit to do this. Anybody have any thoughts on this regarding building codes, permitting, fire- and smoke-hazards, etc. Thanks.

bigmaq

in Building Code 10 years and 3 months ago

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gotham | 10 years and 3 months ago

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Get a big egg, that will meet code and make delicious pizza.

tm07 | 10 years and 3 months ago

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Grill the pizza inside in your wood burning fireplace. If you don’t have a fireplace, it will be easier for you to construct one than building a wood burning pizza oven since fire codes probably do cover fireplace and chimney construction. This will save you from whiny neighbors.

nyc_sport | 10 years and 3 months ago

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In deference to CTG, please, everyone, move the grills to the front yard. The issue with the oven is the open wood flame, which is probably a fire code violation. You could do this with charcoal, gas or electric. You might be able to argue that the enclosed oven with a chimney does not qualify as “open,” which the code defines as: “The burning of materials wherein products of combustion are emitted directly into the ambient air without passing through a stack or chimney from an enclosed chamber. For the purpose of this definition, a chamber shall be regarded as enclosed when, during the time combustion occurs, only apertures, ducts, stacks, flues or chimneys necessary to provide combustion air and permit the escape of exhaust gas are open.”

anonlurker | 10 years and 3 months ago

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LOL CTG

CTG | 10 years and 3 months ago

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People who use grills in their backyards are JERK neighbors. The smoke / propane / lighter fluid smells travel into adjacent homes. It is so invasive, inconsiderate and noxious! Just order the damn pizza.

brucef | 10 years and 3 months ago

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You are not allowed to do this in NYC. We had firemen break down our next door neighbors door responding to complaint. All it took was mother with asthmatic kid calling in. Wood is the problem, propane might be ok.

thetinkerswagon | 10 years and 3 months ago

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this is NYC. if they can find a way to make your life unhappy or find a way to rake your pockets, they will. I checked the BBQ code some time back myself and know that 10′ off the line is required. they also require the burning of coals or gas; not wood (checked that because for some reason I have an abundance of scrap wood around and I wanted to find a use for it). I also had a conversation with a NYC fire marshal who does blacksmithing on the side and we were talking about the practicality of installing a forge in a backyard. He said that was a no go. the only reason you are not finding anything about the pizza oven is because no one has asked before. and of course, they will all tell you it is ok until one of your neighbors drops a dime and then they will make a law against it if there is none. Maybe if you do do it legally you can claim you are grandfathered when they start writing new codes. Sorry to be so cynical. that is what happens after living here for 20 years. and on a note about the bbq and the lot line, I have been barbecuing all sorts of things for years now and last year my neighbor put a new vinyl fence up and guess what – my bbq will melt it; it is my problem as the law says my bbq must be 10′ from the line. Steve

bigmaq | 10 years and 3 months ago

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If you use dry, aged firewood you will not get smoke. In the beginning at startup when the oven temp is low there will be some, but when it comes up to temp and if the wood is dry then there won’t be any smoke.

boredatwork | 10 years and 3 months ago

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Can you explain to me how you will keep a fire burning but there will be no smoke but for at start up? That seems to defy the laws of combustion.