Fort Worth, TX Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Grills barred from
- combustible balconies and decks
- Minimum clearance from combustible construction
- 10 feet
- Exempt
- one- and two-family dwellings
- Exempt
- sprinklered balconies/decks
- Mini-grill exception
- LP-gas container of 2.5 lbs water capacity or less
- Penalty
- up to $2,000 per offense, life-safety violation
Summary
Fort Worth bars charcoal and propane grills from combustible balconies and decks, and requires ten feet of clearance from combustible construction, under Fire Code § 308.1.4 as amended by City Code § 13-2. One- and two-family homes are exempt, as are sprinklered balconies and mini LP-gas grills using containers of 2.5 pounds water capacity or less.
Section 308.1.4 - Change to read as follows: 308.1.4 Open-flame cooking devices. Open-flame cooking devices, such as charcoal and propane grills and other similar devices used for cooking shall not be stored, located or used on combustible balconies, decks, or within ten (10) feet (3048 mm) of combustible construction. Exceptions: 1. One- and two-family dwellings. 2. Where buildings, balconies and decks are protected by an automatic sprinkler system. 3. LP-gas cooking devices having LP-gas container with a water capacity not greater than 2-1/2 pounds [nominal 1 pound (0.454 kg) LP-gas capacity].
Full Breakdown
Section 308.1.4, rewritten locally, bars open-flame cooking devices, specifically naming charcoal and propane grills, from being stored, located or used on combustible balconies or decks, or within 10 feet (3048 mm) of combustible construction anywhere on the property. Three exceptions apply: one- and two-family dwellings are excluded entirely; buildings, balconies and decks protected by an automatic sprinkler system are excluded; and small LP-gas cooking devices are excluded if the LP-gas container has a water capacity no greater than 2.5 pounds, which the code notes is a nominal 1-pound LP-gas cylinder, the kind used on portable tabletop grills. The rule sits in Section 308, "Open Flames," alongside the city's separate ban on releasing sky lanterns under § 308.1.6.3 and candle-flame enclosure standards under § 308.3.1, all enforced together as part of the 2021 International Fire Code as locally amended.
Violations & Fines
Enforcement runs through § 13-4: a grill kept or used in violation of § 308.1.4 is a life-safety fire code violation, fined up to $2,000 per offense under § 1-6(c), with each day the violation continues treated as a separate offense; the fire department can also order removal of a hazardous open flame under the general extinguishment authority in § 307.3.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a propane grill on my Fort Worth apartment balcony?
Does the balcony grill ban apply to houses?
What if my apartment building has sprinklers?
How close to my building can I grill if the exceptions don't apply?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Worth
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