Plano, TX Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)

Under City of Plano Code of Ordinances § 8-17, which adopts the International Fire Code, Section 4104, captioned "Portable Fuel-Fired Cooking Appliances", governs where charcoal grills and similar outdoor cooking devices may be used. Sec. 2 states that charcoal grills and other similar devices used for cooking shall not be located or used on combustible balconies, decks, or within 10 feet of combustible construction. This restriction targets multifamily buildings where a grill fire on a wood balcony can spread quickly between units; the rule exempts one- and two-family dwellings outright under exception 1, and exempts any building whose balconies and decks are protected by an approved automatic sprinkler system under exception 2.

In practice, apartment and condominium residents in Plano cannot keep a charcoal or similarly fueled grill on a wood balcony or deck, or set one up within 10 feet of a combustible wall, unless the structure has sprinklers covering those areas; homeowners in detached single-family or duplex housing are not subject to the 10-foot or balcony restriction under this section. The provision sits within the same fire code article enforced under § 8-16, so property managers at multifamily complexes are the typical parties responsible for posting and enforcing no-grill-on-balcony rules to keep residents compliant.