Lakeville, MN Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)

City Code section 8-4-4, Fires Or Barbecues On Balconies Or Patios, targets multifamily buildings. It applies to any structure with three or more dwelling units that share a common hallway or a shared means of egress, the kind of construction typical of Lakeville's apartment and condominium buildings. In those buildings, subsection A bars kindling, maintaining, or causing any fire or open flame on a balcony above ground level, or on a ground-floor patio within 15 feet of the structure. Subsection B goes further and bars storing or using any fuel, barbecue, torch, or similar heating or lighting chemical or device in those same locations, so even an unlit propane tank or charcoal bag kept on a balcony violates the section.

Subsection C carves out one exception: a listed electric or gas-fired barbecue grill that is permanently mounted and wired or plumbed into the building's gas or electrical system, maintaining an 18-inch clearance on all sides (or a lesser listed clearance), may be installed on a balcony or patio, but only with the Fire Chief's approval. A portable propane or charcoal grill, even a small one, does not qualify for that exception and cannot be stored or used on a balcony or within 15 feet of a ground-floor patio in a qualifying building. The rule sits in the Fire Prevention Code, chapter 4, alongside the City's open burning and recreational fire provisions.