Cedar Rapids, IA Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)

Cedar Rapids added Section 308.1.9, Liquefied-Petroleum-Gas Container, to its local Fire Code as Cedar Rapids Municipal Code § 37.11: LP gas containers with a water capacity greater than 2.5 pounds (1.14 kg) [nominal 1 pound (0.454 kg) LP-gas capacity] shall not be located on balconies above grade in multi-family complexes. In practical terms, that threshold sits just above the size of a small camping-stove canister, so a resident of an apartment, condominium, or townhouse can keep a compact 1-pound propane cylinder on a balcony but cannot keep a standard 20-pound tank, the kind used with most gas grills, there. The rule applies specifically to balconies above grade in multi-family complexes; it does not by its terms reach ground-level patios or single-family lots.

The same 2024 Fire Code amendment package that added § 37.11 also adds a Charcoal Grill definition at § 37.09 (Fire Code § 202): an outdoor cooking device using solid fuels such as charcoal, wood, wood chips, coal, or coke as a heat source, a category the Code keeps distinct from LP-gas containers. Fees for any fire-related permit are set by City Council resolution under § 37.06, and the Council may also charge fees for other Fire Department services. Anyone who disagrees with a Fire Marshal or fire code official's interpretation of these rules can appeal to the seven-member joint Board of Appeals for the Fire and Building Codes created by § 37.07, appointed by the mayor, which cannot waive Fire Code or Building Code requirements.