This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Grilling On The Deck In Boston? Here Are All The Rules

With the dog days of summer upon us, there's nothing better than hanging with friends and family on the deck. If you're grilling, here's everything you need to know in order to stay legal and safe.

With the dog days of summer upon us, there’s nothing better than to hang out with friends and family on the deck, balcony, or patio. As urban dwellers, we put a high value on maximizing our use of outside spaces. And cooking up dinner and having a cocktail is one of the best ways to enjoy the summer.

However, if you are going to be cooking on your deck or patio in the City of Boston, you need to know the rules. It’s not just a matter of legality and safety (as if that weren’t enough). If you need additional reasons, it’s a matter of legal and financial liability, too.

So here are the rules for outside grills, simplified (Here are the regs in full):

Plumbed gas grills are not prohibited on any building level. The gas line must be installed by licensed plumber who must pull the appropriate permits.

Electric grills are not prohibited on any building level. Once again, the line you are using must be installed by a licensed electrician, permitted, and up to code.

Charcoal grills: Not permissible at all on or within a building structure, including roof or rear decks. Regulations do not specify whether they are permissible on an outside patio, but the regulations highly discourage them, and you may be legally and financially liable for any damage or injury.

Liquid propane (LP) grills: Permitted except for inside the building or on balconies above the first floor of any building or structure used for habitation.

If you have any questions about this or any other real estate matter please call me at (617) 584-9790. If you’d like to find a beautiful new home in Boston that has a deck upon which to grill the food of your choice, definitely call me.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from South End