Propane vs. Natural Gas Grills

Propane wins decisively. A propane grill works the day you bring it home — buy a $30 tank from any hardware store, hook it up, cook. Natural gas requires a licensed plumber to run a dedicated 1/2-inch black iron line from your home's gas meter to a quick-connect fitting on the patio, which runs $200-$600 depending on distance and whether the trench needs to cross concrete. If you don't already have a stub-out near your patio, factor that into the price difference between propane and natural gas grills.

Natural gas wins decisively. A 20 lb propane tank costs $20-25 to refill and lasts roughly 18-20 hours of grilling, working out to about $1.20-$1.40 per hour. Natural gas at typical US residential rates ($1.20 per therm) costs about $0.30-$0.40 per hour for the same heat output — roughly one-third the cost. If you grill twice a week year-round, natural gas saves $200-$300 per year, which means a $400 install pays back in about 18 months.

Tie. This is the one where the marketing fluff is wrong: propane and natural gas cook identically at the grate. Propane packs more energy per cubic foot (2,500 BTU vs 1,000 BTU for natural gas) but NG grill orifices are drilled larger to deliver the same total BTU output. A Weber Genesis E-325s LP and the same grill in NG both push 39,000 BTU and reach 600°F+. Side-by-side burgers, steaks, and chicken come off indistinguishable.

Natural gas wins. The single biggest quality-of-life upgrade with NG is never running out of fuel mid-cook. No tank gauges, no Saturday afternoon Home Depot run, no half-cooked chicken because the burner died at 165°F. Propane requires a backup tank as standard equipment — most experienced grillers keep two and swap as one empties. With NG you turn the valve and cook.

Propane wins decisively. Propane grills move with you — across the patio, to a new house, to a tailgate with a portable tank. Natural gas grills are tethered to a fixed quick-connect on a fixed location. If you rent, plan to move within five years, want the option to roll the grill into the garage for winter, or might rearrange the patio, propane is the only practical choice.

Natural gas wins. Propane is stored as a liquid that vaporizes to gas at the regulator. Below 0°F the vaporization rate slows and tank pressure drops, which can starve the burners and reduce max temperature on a cold-weather brisket cook. Natural gas comes out of the line at the same pressure regardless of ambient temperature. In a Minnesota January, the NG Genesis hit full searing temp in 12 minutes; the LP version took 18 and topped out 50°F lower.

Roughly equivalent, with different failure modes. Propane is heavier than air and pools at ground level if it leaks — outdoor use only, never in a garage with the tank attached. Natural gas is lighter than air and dissipates upward, but a leak in a permanent line is a bigger problem because you can't just unscrew the tank. Both fuels are extremely safe with manufacturer-spec hoses, regulators, and quick-connect fittings. Inspect hoses annually for cracks regardless of fuel type.

Possible on most premium grills with a manufacturer kit ($60-$150) — the kit swaps the burner orifices and the regulator. Weber, Napoleon, and Broil King officially support conversion on most current models; Pit Boss and many budget brands do not. Never DIY a conversion with aftermarket parts: undersized orifices for the wrong fuel cause incomplete combustion, soot, and carbon monoxide. If you might switch fuels later, buy a brand that publishes an official conversion kit for your model.

Natural gas wins narrowly. A built-in NG grill or a permanent gas stub-out on the patio reads as a permanent home upgrade and tends to add modest resale value, especially in suburban markets where outdoor kitchens are aspirational. A propane grill is personal property that goes with you. Neither is a major resale factor, but if you're already running a gas line for a future outdoor kitchen, NG is the smart long play.