Mountain View Municipal Code Div. 2 Wood-Burning Appliances

For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall have the meaning set forth herein:

"Bay Area Air Quality Management District," or BAAQMD, means the air quality agency for the San Francisco Bay Area established pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 40200.

"EPA" means the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

"EPA-certified" means any wood-burning device that meets the standards in Title 40, Part 60, Subpart AAA, of the Code of Federal Regulations, or such successor regulation, in effect at the time of installation, and is certified and labeled pursuant to those regulations or as amended.

"Fireplace" means any permanently installed masonry or factory-built wood-burning appliance, except a pellet-fueled wood heater, designed to be used with an air-to-fuel ratio greater than or equal to thirty-five (35) to one (1).

"Gas fireplace" means any device designed to burn natural gas exclusively in a manner that cannot burn solid fuel at any point during its construction or simulates the appearance of a wood-burning fireplace.

"Pellet-fueled wood heater" means any wood-burning appliance that operates exclusively on wood pellets.

"Solid fuel" means wood or any other nongaseous or nonliquid fuel.

"Wood-burning appliance" means fireplace, wood heater or pellet-fired wood heater or any similar device burning any solid fuel used for aesthetic or space-heating purposes.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 6(Exh. B), 9/9/25.)

All wood-burning appliances installed in existing or new residential units or wood-burning appliances being added to or replacing wood-burning appliances in existing residential units after April 1, 2002 shall comply with the provisions of this Division.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 6(Exh. B), 9/9/25.)

All wood-burning appliances installed in existing or new commercial buildings or wood-burning appliances being added to or replacing wood-burning appliance in existing commercial buildings after April 1, 2002 shall comply with this Division. Commercial buildings shall include, but not be limited to, live-work units, offices, hotels, motels and restaurants.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 6(Exh. B), 9/9/25.)

A wood-burning appliance shall comply with this Division if:

a. The wood-burning appliance is reconstructed;

b. There are any additions, alterations or repairs to the wood-burning appliance exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000.00);

The chief building official shall have the final authority to determine whether an addition, repair or alteration must comply with this Division.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 6(Exh. B), 9/9/25.)

Gas fireplaces shall be exempt from this Division. However, the conversion of a gas fireplace to burn wood shall constitute the installation of a wood-burning appliance and shall be subject to the requirements of Article XII, Division 2 of this Chapter.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 6(Exh. B), 9/9/25.)

a. No person shall install a wood-burning appliance unless it is one (1) of the following:

1. A pellet-fueled wood heater;

2. An EPA-certified wood heater; or

3. A fireplace or emission reduction device certified by the EPA or a fireplace or emission reduction device certified by an EPA-accredited laboratory as being compliant with the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District standards for fireplaces, using that district's testing protocol for fireplaces.

b. The following additions, alterations and repairs shall be exempt from complying with this section:

1. Minor repairs such as damper repairs, firebox repairs, seismic bracing and/or flue liner replacement.

2. All repairs to a masonry fireplace that do not include repair or replacement of the fireplace footing.

3. Wood-burning appliances installed in restaurants and commercial kitchens for cooking purposes.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 6(Exh. B), 9/9/25.)

Any person who plans to install a wood-burning appliance must submit documentation to the community development department with a building permit application demonstrating that the appliance is a pellet-fueled wood heater, EPA-certified wood heater, or certified by an EPA-accredited laboratory in compliance with the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District standards for fireplaces.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 6(Exh. B), 9/9/25.)