Hello and Location Questions

I'm an extreme amateur, with probably a dozen or less sessions under my belt over the last two years.  That said, it's my opinion that 10' is a little over the top; I'm sure they are basing that on some recommendations by their lawyers :)  I've got mine in a corner of our deck, about 3' from the house, and about a foot or so off of the deck rail (to the rear).  I've checked surrounding surfaces for increased temperatures and found very, very slight warming of the deck rail, and a little more on the deck directly below the burner.  Neither were anything I'm going to worry about. 

Welcome to the board, and be careful!

I see two main hazards: dropping coals onto the wood, and having a big flareup over the gas, like fatty bratwurst or chicken getting out of hand. My sister used to live in Dade County FL and they don't allow grills in multi-story buildings.