Hartford, CT Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)

Hartford does not have a dedicated municipal ordinance setting backyard-grill setback distances at single-family homes; the city defers to the Connecticut State Fire Safety Code, which the State Fire Marshal adopts under CGS Section 29-291 from the International Fire Code (currently the 2018 IFC with Connecticut amendments, with adoption of the 2021 IFC pending). State Fire Code Section 308.1.4 is the operative provision for multi-family buildings: charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices may not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction; LP-gas containers having a water capacity greater than 1 pound (effectively any standard 20-pound propane tank) are prohibited from being used or stored on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction. Two exceptions: one- and two-family dwellings, and buildings protected throughout by an automatic sprinkler system. The Hartford Fire Department enforces the State Fire Code under CGS Section 29-307 through the local fire marshal's office; complaints route through the Department of Fire. For detached single-family and two-family backyards (which dominate Hartford's housing stock outside the downtown core), the State Fire Code multi-family restriction does not apply, but the Hartford Municipal Code Chapter 19 (Nuisances) and Chapter 23 (Offenses) backstop persistent smoke nuisance enforcement. The Hartford noise ordinance (Municipal Code Chapter 22) applies to amplified music or generators at outdoor gatherings, with quieter standards from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weeknights. Connecticut common-law private nuisance is available in Hartford Superior Court for persistent smoke drift. Best practice: position grills at least 10 feet from the house and any combustible wood deck even at a single-family home, store extra propane tanks away from the active grill, and never operate a grill under a building overhang or attached carport.