Apple Valley, MN Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)

Section 93.06 of the Apple Valley Code of Ordinances is aimed at multifamily buildings. It applies to any structure with two or more dwelling units on more than one level. In those buildings, no person can kindle, maintain or cause any fire or open flame on any balcony, above ground level, or on any ground floor patio within 15 feet of the structure. Division (B) goes further than flame: no person can store or use any fuel, barbecue, torch or similar heating or lighting chemical or device in those same locations, which puts propane cylinders and portable charcoal or gas grills off the balcony entirely.

The ban does not reach buildings in which each separate dwelling unit has its own private means of ingress and egress, so townhome-style units with their own entrances fall outside § 93.06(A). It also does not reach a ground floor patio farther than 15 feet from the structure.

There is one exception, written narrowly in § 93.06(C). Listed electric or gas-fired barbecue grills that are permanently mounted, wired or plumbed to the building's gas supply or electrical system, and that maintain a minimum clearance of 18 inches on all sides unless listed for lesser clearances, can be installed on balconies and patios when the Fire Chief approves. A freestanding grill fed from a portable cylinder does not fit that description.

The Fire Department enforces the section. Under § 93.03(A), the Fire Chief and Fire Marshal can issue a citation in lieu of arrest or continued detention. The Minnesota State Fire Code is also adopted in § 93.21 and enforced by the Bureau of Fire Prevention within the Apple Valley Fire Department under § 93.22.