Grill island
$8k–$18k
- 8 to 10 foot island on a footing
- Built-in stainless gas grill
- Granite or concrete countertop
- Stone veneer or stucco finish
- Gas line run and tested
- Access doors and one GFCI outlet
Outdoor kitchen construction · Licensed & insured
Outdoor kitchen construction, planned around cooking and weather.
A built-in grill island, a full outdoor kitchen with a sink and fridge, or a covered pavilion you can cook under in the rain. We pour the base, run the gas line and outdoor circuits, pull the permit and build it in two to eight weeks, depending on the tier.
Text two photos of your patio or yard and a licensed supervisor answers within five minutes on business days, with a first idea of what fits.
- $8kGrill island from
- 2–8 wksBuild time
- 4.9410 reviews
- 24hWritten estimate
The first text about your outdoor kitchen
Two yard photos and one question about gas. That is how most outdoor kitchens start.
Where the gas meter and the nearest outlet are decides a large part of the price. The supervisor asks for those first, then sets a site visit and an estimate date.
- The gas meter photo tells us if natural gas is realistic
- Distance to the house sets the trenching cost
- Site visit and estimate date agreed in one thread
Hey, we have a paver patio off the back door and we want a grill island with a sink and a small fridge. Is that doable?
Hi Jason, this is Rob, I build the outdoor kitchens at ProBuild Remodeling. Very doable. Can you send a photo of the patio from the back door and one of your gas meter?
Sent. The meter is on the side of the house, maybe 30 feet from the patio.
Good, natural gas at 30 feet is a short trench. A sink needs a drain, so I want to see where the nearest line or a dry well could go. I can come Monday at 5 and send the estimate Wednesday.
Monday works. Will the pavers hold the island?
Sometimes. A stone island is heavy, so I will check the base under the pavers. If it is thin we pour a footing just under the island. See you Monday.
What an outdoor kitchen costs
Outdoor kitchens run $8,000 to $95,000. Utilities and a roof make the biggest jumps.
Prices assume a level yard within 50 feet of the house and mid-range stainless appliances. The Full outdoor kitchen tier is what most of our customers build, because a sink and fridge are what keep them outside.
Full outdoor kitchen
$18k–$45k
- L or U island with bar seating
- Grill plus side burner
- Sink with water and drain
- Outdoor-rated refrigerator
- Stainless doors and drawers
- Dedicated outdoor circuit
Covered kitchen
$45k–$95k+
- Everything in Full outdoor kitchen
- Pavilion or roofed pergola
- Vent hood rated for outdoors
- Ceiling fan and dimmable lights
- Pizza oven or smoker option
- Structural permit and footings
Price your outdoor kitchen in ten seconds
Pick the tier, the size of the island and whether the house is older. The range moves with each choice, based on the outdoor kitchens our crews have built.
A range, not a quote. Your written estimate comes after the visit and does not change once you approve it.
Typical range for your answers
Turn this range into a backyard estimateWhere an outdoor kitchen budget goes
Appliances take the largest share. Getting gas, water and power outside is the part people forget.
Averages from recent full outdoor kitchens. The utility line is where two quotes differ most, because one includes the trench, the gas test and the drain, and the other assumes they are already there.
Get my itemized outdoor kitchen estimate
Masonry island or modular island
A masonry island lasts a lifetime. A modular island goes up faster and costs less.
Masonry islands are built from concrete block on a footing and finished in stone or stucco. Modular islands use a steel or aluminum frame with cement board and arrive partly assembled. At the visit we look at your climate, your patio and your budget and write down which one fits.
| If this is true | We recommend |
|---|---|
| You get hard freezes and thaw cycles every winter | Masonry |
| It will sit on a wood or composite deck | Modular |
| You want a curved bar or a custom shape | Masonry |
| Your budget for the island is under $15,000 | Modular |
| You want it ready within about two weeks | Modular |
| You want a pizza oven or a heavy smoker built in | Masonry |
How long an outdoor kitchen takes
A full outdoor kitchen takes three to five weeks. Most of it happens without you home.
A grill island takes two to three weeks, a covered kitchen five to eight. The crew works from the side yard, so the house stays closed and quiet.
Weeks before
Design and permit
Layout drawn on your patio photo, appliances chosen, gas and electrical permits filed.
Week one
Footing and trench
The island footing is poured and trenches for gas, water and power are dug and inspected.
Weeks two and three
Island and utilities
The block or frame goes up, veneer is set, lines are connected and pressure-tested.
Final week
Tops and appliances
Counters set, grill and fridge installed, gas tested, and we cook the first burger with you.
Backyards before and after
Three backyards, bare patios turned into kitchens.
What your outdoor kitchen is made of
Every appliance and finish in your estimate is named, because outside the cheap ones fail first.
Sun, rain and freezing nights are hard on outdoor kitchens. The estimate lists the grade of stainless, the countertop and the island build, which is where a cheap quote saves money now and costs it later.
Built-in grills
Stainless grills from Blaze, Lynx or Napoleon, in 304-grade steel that resists rust. Sized from 32 to 42 inches to match how many you cook for.
Outdoor refrigerators
UL-rated outdoor fridges from brands like Summerset or True that keep drinks cold in summer heat, unlike an indoor fridge that burns out outside.
Stone veneer
Natural or manufactured stone such as Eldorado Stone set on the island walls. It hides the block and takes weather, sun and splashes well.
Countertops
Granite, sealed concrete or porcelain slab. Quartz is avoided outside because direct sun can fade the resin in it over several summers.
Access doors
Stainless doors and drawers that close off the grill tank, gas valve and storage, with vents so no gas can collect inside the island.
Pavilion roofs
Cedar or aluminum pergolas, or a shingled pavilion roof matched to the house, with a rated outdoor vent hood above the grill.
Written into every contract
Six promises you can hold us to.
The approved price is the final price. Change orders only with your written approval.
A credit for every working day of delay we cause. Weather and inspections excepted, in writing.
Dust barriers, floor protection and a clean-up before we leave. Your home stays livable.
A text or email every working day with photos and tomorrow's plan, or the day is free.
Workmanship warranty in writing, transferable to the next owner, backed by a fixed address.
A small deposit, then you pay only for work that is already completed, inspected and photographed.
Who builds your outdoor kitchen
A supervisor, a mason and a utility tech, the same three every day.
Gas and electrical outside the house are licensed trades, so they are done by licensed people. Everyone is background-checked and introduced by name before the first dig.
Outdoor kitchen supervisor
Designs the layout, files permits and texts you daily.
Lead mason
Pours the footing, builds the island and sets the stone.
Gas and electrical tech
Runs and tests the gas line and wires the GFCI circuits.
Recent outdoor kitchens, with the real numbers
Three backyards, three budgets, three first cookouts on time.
Grill island on pavers
- Final price
- $14,300
- Duration
- 2 weeks
- Location
- City, ST
L-shaped kitchen with sink
- Final price
- $32,600
- Duration
- 4 weeks
- Location
- City, ST
Pavilion kitchen with oven
- Final price
- $78,900
- Duration
- 7 weeks
- Location
- City, ST
Your backyard is not average
Your yard and climate are your own. Here is how they change the outdoor kitchen price.
Every outdoor kitchen estimate starts from the three tiers above. These are the conditions that move it most, and in which direction.
Cold winters
Freeze and thaw cycles crack thin concrete and split water lines. We set footings below the frost line, add a shutoff and drain valve for the sink, and choose stone and counters that handle winter well.
Price a kitchen for cold wintersHot, sunny summers
Full afternoon sun heats dark stone and fades some materials. We suggest light granite or porcelain, a pergola or shade over the grill, and an outdoor fridge rated for high heat so drinks stay cold at noon.
Price a kitchen for hot summersNear the coast
Salt air rusts cheap stainless in a season or two. On coastal jobs we specify 316 marine-grade steel for doors and hardware and rinse-friendly finishes, which adds about ten percent to the appliance line.
Price a coastal outdoor kitchenA careful budget
A modular island with a quality grill, a concrete counter and propane instead of a new gas line can land under $12,000 installed. At the visit we show you which parts to buy well now and which to add in a later season.
Get my budget outdoor kitchen priceBuilt for entertaining
Pizza oven, kamado or smoker, beverage center, ice maker, TV-ready wall and a roof with heaters. Each piece is priced on its own line, so you decide which ones you would actually use on a Saturday night.
Price my entertaining kitchenHOA or strict permit rules
Some HOAs limit structures, colors or setbacks from the lot line. We read the rules before we draw, submit the plan to the board with you and file building, gas and electrical permits under our license.
Price my kitchen with HOA approvalBuilt over two seasons
Island, grill and utilities this year, roof or pavilion next year. We size the footing and leave conduit and gas stubs for the later phase, so nothing already built has to be torn out when the roof is added.
Plan my outdoor kitchen in phasesOn an existing deck
A deck can carry a modular island if the framing underneath is checked and often reinforced below it. We inspect the joists, add blocking or posts where needed and keep grill heat clear of the deck boards.
Price an outdoor kitchen on my deckWhat this service is
Outdoor kitchen construction, defined the way we build it.
Outdoor kitchen construction is the building of a permanent cooking area outside the house: a masonry or framed island on a footing, a built-in grill and other appliances, countertops, and the gas, water and electrical lines that serve them. ProBuild Remodeling builds it as a licensed general contractor, with licensed gas and electrical work and one supervisor.
The service covers design, permits, footings, trenching, gas piping and pressure tests, outdoor GFCI circuits, sink supply and drain where allowed, the island, veneer, counters, appliances and an optional pergola or pavilion roof. It does not include new patios, decks or landscaping, which are quoted separately if you need them.
It is for homeowners who cook outside often and want something permanent, and for families who host in the warm months. It is not for renters, or for anyone who only grills a few times a year, where a good freestanding grill is the smarter purchase.
Outdoor kitchen words on your estimate
- Footing
- A concrete pad poured below the island so its weight does not crack the patio or settle unevenly over time.
- Frost line
- The depth to which ground freezes in winter. Footings below it do not heave when the ground freezes and thaws.
- Gas pressure test
- A test of the new gas line, held under pressure and signed off by the inspector before the grill is connected.
- GFCI outlet
- An outlet that cuts power in a fraction of a second if it senses a fault. Required outdoors and near sinks.
- 304 stainless
- The standard grade of steel for quality grills and doors. Grade 316 resists salt air better near the coast.
- Stone veneer
- Thin natural or manufactured stone set on the island walls. Looks like solid stone at a fraction of the weight.
- Dry well
- A buried gravel pit that lets sink water soak into the ground where there is no drain line nearby and code allows it.
- Vent panel
- An opening in the island wall that lets any leaked gas escape instead of collecting inside the cabinet.
Outdoor kitchen questions
Eight outdoor kitchen questions we answer at every site visit.
How much does an outdoor kitchen cost?
A built-in grill island costs about $8,000 to $18,000. A full outdoor kitchen with a sink, fridge and storage runs $18,000 to $45,000, and a covered kitchen under a pavilion $45,000 to $95,000 or more. The distance to the gas meter and the house changes the utility line most.
How long does it take to build an outdoor kitchen?
A grill island takes two to three weeks, a full outdoor kitchen three to five weeks and a covered kitchen five to eight weeks, after permits. Concrete needs dry weather to cure, so a rainy week can move the finish by a few days.
Do I need a permit for an outdoor kitchen?
Usually yes for the gas line and electrical work, and for any roof or pavilion. A simple island with a propane grill may not need one in some towns. We check your local rules at the visit and file every permit under our license.
Should my outdoor kitchen use natural gas or propane?
Natural gas is cheaper to run and never runs out, but needs a line from the meter. Propane needs no trench, which saves money up front, but tanks must be refilled. If the meter is within about 50 feet, natural gas usually pays off.
Can I put an outdoor kitchen on my deck?
Yes, with a lighter modular island and a check of the framing underneath. We often add blocking or posts below the island, keep grill heat clear of the boards and use a heat shield where needed.
What countertop is best for an outdoor kitchen?
Granite is the most common choice because it handles sun, heat and cold well. Sealed concrete and porcelain slab also work. We avoid quartz outdoors, since strong sun can fade and yellow the resin over a few summers.
Does an outdoor kitchen need a sink?
It does not have to, but a sink keeps you from walking into the house every few minutes. It needs a water line and a drain or dry well. If a drain is not practical, an island with a large prep counter is a good alternative.
How do I protect an outdoor kitchen in winter?
Shut off and drain the sink line, cover the grill and leave the doors closed. Built-in fridges rated for outdoors can stay in place. In cold areas we add a drain valve so winterizing takes a few minutes.
Outdoor kitchen builders near you
Your remodeling address, within our service area.
Outdoor kitchens are built by local crews under the license of your state, with gas and electrical work by licensed technicians. The license list is below.
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Connecticut
- New York
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Delaware
- Maryland
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Georgia
- Florida
- Check your remodeling address
Free outdoor kitchen estimate
Send your answers and two yard photos. Get three tiers priced in writing.
An outdoor kitchen supervisor reads your answers, texts you within five minutes on business days and sets the site visit.