Is Your BBQ Pit Legal?

Is Your BBQ Pit Legal?
By Ralph Beuc (Copyright © Ralph Beuc, 2009)

There has been brought into question the legality of some of the BBQ pits around Sierra Pointe, as some seem to be illegal, and others are considered fine. To find specifically the truth of the matter, e-Pointe! has researched and found out about the fire codes and Colorado Springs laws.

According to the 2003 International Fire Code, Section 308.3.1:

“Open-flame cooking devices. Charcoal burners and other open flame cooking devices shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction. Exceptions include one and two family dwellings, and deck protected by an automatic sprinkler system.”

The next section went on to further restrict other types of BBQ pits allowed, but more recent code revisions made this requirement more lenient.

According to the 2005 International Fire Code, final revision, BQ. Section 308.3.1.1:

“Amend Section 308.3.1.1 to read as follows: “308.3.1.1 Liquefied-petroleum-gas-fired cooking devices. LP-gas burners having an LP-gas container with a water capacity greater than 20 pounds shall not be located on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction. Spare LP-gas cylinders shall not be stored on combustible balconies or within structures.””

So what does this all mean? I realize that the legal speak of the code can be quite confusing, so allow me to translate.

The typical gas operated BBQ grills that most people use are propane. The gas containers that are found at most grocery stores and service stations are what power these. The containers are just a couple feet tall, and can be a bit heavy. For the most part, propane BBQ grills are legal to have at Sierra Pointe.

HOWEVER, there are limits to what is legal! First off, the grill can only operate on one of these typical size canisters. If you have a Burnmaster 5000 or some other large super grill that uses 2 canisters or a larger size canister, those grills are illegal! Though I know you are proud of your very expensive grill, you cannot have one of those until you move into a duplex, or a single family house. Or, as the law states, you move the grill out into the middle of your courtyard.

Also, you are only allowed to use ONE gas grill! Sorry folks. The law states you can only have one gas canister. This also means, unfortunately, no spare tanks are allowed. You can’t store the spare in the closet, or even inside. The only possible loophole is you can have 2 or more grills, but you will have to move the gas canister from grill to grill as you use them. So, only one grill can be in operation at any one time. Unless of course, you manage to hook up a duplex valve to the gas canister. But please, please know your stuff well before you try that! It can get dangerous, very fast.

So, with these facts in hand, you are now informed as to what is and is not allowed here at Sierra Pointe. For documentation, the code stated earlier can be found at the e-Pointe! Web site under the “Governing Documents” page, or you can load the documents directly from this link: http://www.epointeweb.com/BBQ%20Grill%20Rules.pdf

Happy grilling!