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A tape measure along the space between a grill and a house wall.

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.

(844) 660-6426

Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm

  • Three guides
  • Read before you book
  • Says where to stop

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or call (844) 660-6426

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
A stainless cart grill with its lid closed standing on a paver patio well out from a painted house wall and clear of the eaves above, open lawn and a low hedge beyond, a second grill, a built-in grill head, set into a stone counter further along the patio with open sky over it.
5-minute read

Clearances Around a Grill: Siding, Eaves, Railings and the Built-In Cutout

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.

The back of a stainless grill on a paver patio, the grill's lid closed, a yellow flexible gas hose running from the grill to a capped quick-disconnect fitting on a low brick wall, a closed propane tank set well aside on the paving, open sky.
5-minute read

Converting a Grill From Propane to Natural Gas: The Maker's Kit and the Gas Technician

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.

A black cart grill with its lid closed standing on a wide wooden deck of a single-family house, the grill set well out from the house wall and several feet clear of the deck railing with open sky above, a plain round patio table beyond.
5-minute read

Grills on Balconies and Decks: Fire Codes, Building Rules and Clearances

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?

The short answerClearances 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 answerConverting 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 answerGrills 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
  1. 01The gas and the grill, checked first
  2. 02What failed, and what it costs
  3. 03Parts on the truck
  4. 04Lit 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
Low view of the stainless control panel of a gas grill, a short tongue of orange flame showing in the dark gap below the row of knobs, one knob at the end softened and warped, the cabinet doors below closed. Gas or fire at the grill

Grill Flashback: Flames Behind the Knobs or Under the Panel

6 causes, cheapest first

 A stainless cart grill on a breezy patio with its lid raised, burners lit low and blue under the grates, a pale raw steak lying on the grates without sear marks. Problem

Grill Not Getting Hot Enough to Sear

6 causes, cheapest first

 A freestanding stainless gas grill standing alone on a stone patio, tall orange flame and dark smoke rising from under its half-open lid, the cabinet door below closed, a wide clear space of paving all around and nobody near it. Gas or fire at the grill

Grease Fire in the Grill That Won't Die Down

6 causes, cheapest first

 Close view along a stainless gas grill burner in use, a thin short row of small blue flames barely rising from its ports under a lifted grate, the next burner off and dark, evening light on the steel. Problem

Grill Low Flame: Burners Stuck at a Weak Blue Line

6 causes, cheapest first
A family gathered around a grill on a sunny patio.
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
A grill burner with half its ports dark, the flame uneven, seen close.
What the flame is telling you

Common problems

A hand closing the valve of a propane tank under a cart grill.
Safe checks with the gas closed

Troubleshooting

A soft brush clearing the ports of a burner removed from a grill.
Habits that keep a grill lighting clean

Maintenance and prevention

A meat thermometer in a steak resting on the side shelf of a grill.
Gas, flame, grease and safe temperatures

Gas, fire and food at the grill

A built-in grill and a cart grill on the same patio.
Built-in or cart, infrared or tube, fix or retire

Choosing and comparing

Not sure which section?

Start from your question

The four questions most visits start with, each with the guide that answers it.

18 guidesWhere to start Where to start

Back to your everyday

Let’s get your grill working again.

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(844) 660-6426 Schedule a repair