Lee County, FL Fire Regulations: Propane Storage (2026)

Lee County generally requires a development order before any land development activity, including a building permit, moves forward under Section 10-101(a). The county carved out a specific exemption for propane and LNG storage: Section 10-101(a)(3) exempts the installation of propane or LNG tanks incidental to the permitted use on a parcel up to a maximum capacity of 2,001 gallons, but only if the County Fire Official has approved the installation. That approval requirement means a homeowner or business cannot simply install a tank at that size and skip county review entirely; the Fire Official still signs off on placement before the exemption applies.

The exemption sits alongside similar carve-outs for a single-family or duplex home on one buildable lot, agricultural use, permitted signs, and temporary construction trailers, all listed in the same subsection as activities the county does not require a development order to pursue. Anything beyond 2,001 gallons, or a tank that is not incidental to an already-permitted use on the property, falls back under the general development order requirement of Section 10-101(a) and the underlying land development standards in Chapter 10, which condition every development order and building permit on compliance with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and all applicable county ordinances under Section 10-7(b).

Because propane installations also intersect the Florida Building Code's fuel-gas provisions, adopted through Section 6-111, and NFPA standards referenced in the county's Uniform Fire Code, a Fire Official review typically also checks tank setbacks from structures, property lines and ignition sources before signing off.