Issaquah, WA Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)

IMC 16.06.050 amends Section 307 of the 2021 International Fire Code, and two of its subsections speak directly to barbecues. Section 307.2 requires a permit from the fire code official before open burning, then adds a single sentence: a permit is not required for a BBQ. A household grill therefore needs no Issaquah fire permit.

Section 307.7, titled LPG containers, sets the only numeric cap. Portable outdoor barbecues used on occupied roofs of Group R-2 occupancies shall be limited to portable outdoor barbecues designed for use with LPG containers with a maximum capacity of 16.4 ounces (0.465 kg). That is the size range of a small disposable propane cylinder, and the section rules out larger refillable tanks for rooftop grills in those buildings. The section speaks to occupied roofs, not balconies, and IMC 16.06.050 prints no separate balcony rule.

Section 307.7.1, Cleaning, applies to all portable outdoor barbecues: they shall be periodically cleaned by removing grease or fat accumulations from grills and in trays below the grill. The 15-foot distance in Section 307.5.3 is written for portable outdoor fireplaces, and Section 307 prints no separate distance for barbecues.

Propane storage and handling beyond the rooftop cap falls under the adopted LPG code. IMC 16.04.060 adopts by reference the 2020 Edition of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code (NFPA 58), as adopted and amended by the State Building Code Council in Chapter 51-52 WAC, and applies the Construction Administrative Code to its administration. Issaquah once had a separate section on open-flame cooking devices, IMC 16.06.051, but it is repealed by Ordinance 3059.