Old Bridge, NJ Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)

Section F-7005.2 of the Township's local Fire Prevention Code, annexed to § 185-7 as Schedule A, bars barbecue grills from being located or used within or upon any building, or within 10 feet laterally of any building wall or overhang, a rule aimed at keeping open-flame cooking away from combustible siding, overhangs and balconies. The section carves out one exception: one- and two-family dwellings, where residents may grill closer to their own home. That leaves the 10-foot setback binding on multifamily buildings, condominium and apartment complexes, and commercial occupancies, where a resident or tenant grilling on a balcony or breezeway within 10 feet of the building would be out of compliance.

The rule sits within Article 70 of the local Fire Prevention Code's general precautions section, F-7005.0, alongside a companion ban on storage inside mechanical equipment rooms, F-7005.1, and the Township's open-burning restriction on rubbish and combustible waste, F-7005.3.7. Enforcement runs through the Fire Official of the applicable fire district, established under § 185-6, and anyone aggrieved by an enforcement order may appeal to the Township's Construction Board of Appeals under § 185-6, Subsection N. Because Schedule A is adopted as part of the Uniform Fire Safety Act enforcement scheme, a grill placed in violation of the 10-foot setback is punishable the same way as other local Fire Prevention Code violations, under the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code, N.J.A.C. 5:70-12, referenced at § 185-6, Subsection F.