--- title: "Installation and setup — Grill Guides" description: "Keeping a grill clear of walls, eaves and railings, converting it between propane and natural gas the way the maker allows, and what balconies, decks and…" url: "https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/installation-and-setup/" --- Clearances, gas type and where it may stand # Installation and setup guides. Keeping a grill clear of walls, eaves and railings, converting it between propane and natural gas the way the maker allows, and what balconies, decks and rooftops permit. ## Installation and setup, guide by guide. Where a grill stands and what fuel feeds it are settled once, usually on the day it arrives, and they shape everything after. A cart grill tucked under the eaves or against vinyl siding, a built-in head dropped into a wooden island without the maker's insulated jacket, or a propane grill that someone tried to run on the house gas line will cause trouble no repair visit can fully undo. [All 18 guides](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/) 5-minute read ### [Clearances Around a Grill: Siding, Eaves, Railings and the Built-In Cutout](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/clearances-around-a-grill/) The makers' distances to combustibles for cart grills and built-in heads, USFA's 3 feet and CPSC's 10 feet, covered patios, pergolas and wind. 5-minute read ### [Converting a Grill From Propane to Natural Gas: The Maker's Kit and the Gas Technician](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/converting-propane-to-natural-gas/) Why each grill is set for one gas, which makers sell a conversion kit and which rule it out, what the technician changes, and the gas line that comes with it. 5-minute read ### [Grills on Balconies and Decks: Fire Codes, Building Rules and Clearances](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/grills-on-balconies-and-decks/) Who decides whether a grill may stand on a balcony, how a typical fire code reads, 1-pound cylinders and electric grills, and a grill on a house deck. ## Clearances, gas type and where it may stand. The guides in this section follow the makers' installation manuals and the safety agencies, and they say which of them each number comes from: the clearance a particular grill needs from anything that burns, the room a built-in head needs behind it for its lid, the distances USFA and CPSC recommend from a house, and what a fire code may say about balconies. They also describe what the installer and the gas technician do, so you know what to expect and what to ask for. Converting a grill between propane and natural gas, cutting an island opening, running a gas line and fitting a shutoff valve are their jobs, done with the maker's own parts and finished with a leak test, and the guides say so plainly rather than turning those jobs into home projects. Read them before buying a grill, before moving one, before a remodel of the patio or deck, and before carrying a grill up to an apartment balcony. The owner's part is measuring, reading the rating plate and the manual, checking the local rules and choosing the spot; the rest is booked. [Not sure where to start?](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/#start-here) ### The short answer Clearances Around a Grill: Siding, Eaves, Railings and the Built-In Cutout Grill clearance from the house and anything that burns is set by the maker's manual and the safety agencies: Weber keeps a cart grill 24 inches from combustibles, Lynx and Blaze keep built-in heads 18 inches from combustible construction, USFA asks for at least 3 feet from siding, deck rails and eaves, and CPSC advises 10 feet from any building. ### The short answer Converting a Grill From Propane to Natural Gas: The Maker's Kit and the Gas Technician Whether you can convert a propane grill to natural gas depends on the maker: Lynx and Blaze sell conversion parts that a qualified gas technician installs, while Weber calls converting its Spirit grills unsafe. ### The short answer Grills on Balconies and Decks: Fire Codes, Building Rules and Clearances A grill on a balcony is governed by the local fire code, the building's own rules and the maker's manual. ## When reading is not enough. If the checks in these guides did not settle it, the visit picks up from there, stop by stop. [What repairs cost](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/cost/) 1. 01 The gas and the grill, checked first 2. 02 What failed, and what it costs 3. 03 Parts on the truck 4. 04 Lit before we leave ## The problems these answer. Each has a page of its own, with the causes in the order worth checking. [All 17 problems](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/problems/) Gas or fire at the grill ### Grill Flashback: Flames Behind the Knobs or Under the Panel 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Grill Not Getting Hot Enough to Sear 6 causes, cheapest first Gas or fire at the grill ### Grease Fire in the Grill That Won't Die Down 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Grill Low Flame: Burners Stuck at a Weak Blue Line 6 causes, cheapest first For the heart of your home. ## Questions about installation and setup. ### How far should a grill be from the house? At least as far as its manual says, and farther where you can. Weber keeps its cart grills 24 inches from combustibles, USFA asks for 3 feet from siding, deck rails and eaves, and CPSC advises 10 feet from any building. ### Can a propane grill be switched to natural gas? Only if the maker offers a conversion kit for that model, and then a qualified gas technician installs it. Some makers, Weber on its Spirit grills among them, rule conversion out. ### Who decides whether a grill is allowed on my balcony? The local fire code, then your lease or association rules, which can be stricter. Many codes limit open-flame grills on the balconies of apartment buildings. ### Which setup jobs can a grill owner do alone? Measuring clearances, moving a cart grill, reading the rating plate and the manual, and connecting a portable propane tank the way the manual describes. Gas lines, conversions, island cutouts and shutoff valves are not owner jobs. ## The other sections. Split by what you are trying to find out rather than by which part of the appliance it concerns. [All guides](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/) What the flame is telling you ### [Common problems](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/common-problems/) - [Grill won't light? Silent igniter, dry burner or a tank that never opened](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/why-a-grill-will-not-light/) - [Yellow flames on a gas grill, and low ones: air, webs and a throttled regulator](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/why-the-flame-burns-low-or-yellow/) - [A grill heating unevenly: one cold stripe, a weak burner or a tilted cart](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/why-one-side-runs-cold/) Safe checks with the gas closed ### [Troubleshooting](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/troubleshooting/) - [Grill troubleshooting in fifteen minutes, with every knob at off](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/grill-checks-before-booking/) - [How to reset the propane regulator when the grill stays lukewarm](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/resetting-the-propane-regulator/) - [The grill rating label: under the drip tray, inside the cart or behind the knobs](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/find-the-grill-rating-label/) Habits that keep a grill lighting clean ### [Maintenance and prevention](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/maintenance-and-prevention/) - [Cleaning Grill Burners and Venturi Tubes with the Gas Off and the Grill Cold](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/cleaning-burners-and-venturi-tubes/) - [Heat Shields, Flavorizer Bars and Briquettes: Cleaning Them and Knowing When They Are Done](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/heat-shields-flavorizer-bars-and-briquettes/) - [Caring for a Pellet Grill: Dry Pellets, a Clear Firepot and a Full Cooldown](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/caring-for-a-pellet-grill/) Gas, flame, grease and safe temperatures ### [Gas, fire and food at the grill](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/safety-and-food/) - [A Grease Fire in the Grill: Burners Off, Gas Closed, Lid Down If It Is Safe, Never Water](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/a-grease-fire-in-the-grill/) - [Flashback Behind the Grill Knobs: Flame at the Wrong End of the Burner](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/flashback-behind-the-knobs/) - [Safe Temperatures for Grilled Food: 145°F, 160°F, 165°F and a Food Thermometer](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/safe-temperatures-for-grilled-food/) Built-in or cart, infrared or tube, fix or retire ### [Choosing and comparing](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/choosing-and-comparing/) - [Built-In or Cart Grill: The Island, the Patio and the Day It Needs Service](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/built-in-or-cart-grill/) - [Infrared or Standard Grill Burners: Searing Heat, Preheat and Care](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/infrared-or-standard-burners/) - [Repair or Replace a Grill: Firebox, Manifold and the Parts Still Worth Buying](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/repair-or-replace-a-grill/) Not sure which section? ### Start from your question The four questions most visits start with, each with the guide that answers it. 18 guides Where to start Where to start --- **[Read on the site: Installation and setup — Grill Guides](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/guides/installation-and-setup/)** **[Book a visit with BBQGrillRepair.center](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/schedule/)**