Boynton Beach, FL Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)

Section 9-11 of the Fire Code chapter draws a hard line between cooking equipment at ground level and cooking equipment on a balcony. Under subsection (a), charcoal and propane fires contained inside a manufactured hibachi, grill, smoker, or gas grill used for food preparation are excluded from the definition of 'open fire' altogether, so a standard backyard grill is not subject to the burn-permit requirement in subsection (b). Balconies are treated differently. Subsection (c) permits only listed electric, portable, tabletop grills, capped at two hundred (200) square inches of cooking surface, and only when the balcony is not enclosed; the section does not extend that balcony allowance to charcoal or propane units, so residents of condominiums and apartment buildings in Boynton Beach who want to grill on a balcony need an electric unit that fits within the 200-square-inch limit rather than a gas or charcoal grill.

The 'not enclosed' condition matters for any multifamily building where a balcony has been screened in or glassed in: an enclosed balcony takes the space out of subsection (c)'s allowance entirely. Fire Rescue Services enforces Chapter 9 through the Fire and Life Safety Division, and a violation is prosecuted the same way as any other Chapter 9 offense, under Section 9-4's penalty provisions tied to the Florida Fire Prevention Code (NFPA 1) and the City's own Code of Ordinances, which also lets the Fire Marshal order a noncompliant grill removed.