West Des Moines, IA Fire Regulations: Propane Storage (2026)

City Code § 4-3-4 amends International Fire Code section 308.1.11 to cap residential propane storage for multifamily housing. The text limits each living unit in an apartment building or condominium to a maximum of one 20-pound propane cylinder attached to the cooking device, meaning a resident cannot keep a spare or backup tank connected or staged alongside the grill. The ordinance carries an express exception for one and two-family dwellings and townhouses, so the one-cylinder cap applies only to stacked multifamily housing, not to a detached single-family backyard.

The same amended section works alongside two related clauses in 308.1.11: cooking devices and propane cylinders cannot be stored inside the living unit at all, pushing the single allowed cylinder onto a balcony or patio, and no ash- or ember-producing grill may be operated or stored within 20 feet of the multi-story building. Read together, the three clauses mean a multifamily resident may keep exactly one 20-pound cylinder, it must stay outside the unit, and the grill it feeds must stay at least 20 feet from the building itself when in use or storage.

The West Des Moines Fire Prevention Bureau enforces this cap as part of the amended Fire Code under City Code § 4-3-2, typically discovered during multifamily property inspections.