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

Code of Ordinances Sec. " That rule targets exactly the apartment and townhouse balcony scenario common along the Telecom Corridor's mixed-use and multifamily developments: a resident on a wood-framed balcony cannot fire up a charcoal or propane grill there, and cannot set one up within 10 feet of the building's combustible siding or overhang either. Three exceptions apply: one- and two-family dwellings that are not townhouses are excluded entirely, buildings, balconies and decks protected by an approved automatic sprinkler system are excluded, and a third exception that formerly existed in the code has since been deleted, tightening the rule rather than loosening it.

2, covers portable open-flame devices fueled by flammable or combustible gases or liquids, such as a portable propane cylinder: those must be enclosed or installed so the flame cannot contact combustible material, with listed exceptions for LP-gas pipe-sweating, cutting/welding, approved torches, and candles or decorative open flames. The Richardson Fire Department's fire prevention division enforces both sections under the administrative authority set out at Sec. 8-29.