Warwick, RI Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)

City Code Sec. 20-12 says no person shall set or maintain a fire or portable barbecue grill of any combustible material within 15 feet of any building containing more than five living units. The rule dates to the 1971 Code (§ 7-18) and sits in Chapter 20, Article I, the general fire prevention article enforced by the city's bureau of fire prevention within the Warwick Fire Department. Because the trigger is building size (more than five units) rather than lot type, single-family homes and small two- or three-unit properties fall outside this specific setback, while larger apartment buildings, condo complexes and mixed-use residential structures are covered.

A charcoal or gas grill with any combustible material qualifies, so propane and charcoal units are treated the same way under the plain text. The 15-foot measurement runs from the building itself, meaning management at larger complexes generally has to designate common cooking areas or courtyard spots set back far enough from the structure, since balconies and small patios immediately against the building wall will not clear the line. The fire prevention bureau, the same office that issues the plan-review and hazardous-materials permits found elsewhere in Chapter 20, is the enforcing authority for on-site inspections tied to this section.

There is no permit or registration process built into Sec. 20-12 itself; it is a flat distance prohibition rather than a licensing scheme, so compliance turns entirely on where the grill or fire is physically placed relative to the building line.