A coupled thermomechanical analysis of composite structures in pyrolysis and ablation environments is performed. The pyrolysis and ablation models include the effects of mass loss, pore gas diffusion, endothermic reaction energy, surface recession, etc. The thermal and structural analysis interface is based upon a staggered coupling algorithm by using a commercial finite element code. The characteristics of the proposed method are investigated through numerical experiments with carbon/phenolic composites. The numerical studies are carried out to examine the surface recession rate by chemical and mechanical ablation. In addition, the effects of shrinkage or intumescence during the pyrolysis process are shown.