Outdoor Cooking in Reading, PA (2026)

BBQ & Propane Rules

Pennsylvania has adopted the International Fire Code through the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (34 Pa Code Ch. 403). IFC §308.1.4 prohibits open-flame cooking devices (including charcoal grills and most propane grills) on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction in buildings other than one- and two-family dwellings (i.e., apartments and multi-family). Exceptions allow LP-gas devices with limited cylinder size on balconies where served by automatic sprinklers, and electric grills are not restricted. For single-family Reading homes (a large portion of Reading's housing stock is attached rowhouses, which may be classified as single-family attached or as townhouses depending on configuration), the IFC restriction does not directly apply, but local property-maintenance and fire-prevention rules still govern safe storage of LP-gas cylinders.