Outdoor kitchen masonry in Palm Beach Gardens FL - an island built to fit your grill
Grill stuck on a rolling cart, or an old island that's cracking? We build a solid masonry island sized to the grill you've picked.
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- Outdoor kitchen masonry
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- (561) 268-0530
How can you tell your grill island needs masonry work?
Rust streaks under the grill
Brown streaks running down the face below the grill opening usually mean a steel brace over that opening is rusting and bleeding through the finish. Rust swells as it grows, so if you leave it, it starts cracking the stucco or block around it.
Cracks across the stucco
A crack that runs through the stucco and keeps getting longer usually means the block underneath moved or water is getting in at a joint. The longer it stays open, the more rain gets behind the finish, and a small patch can turn into stripping a whole side.
Counter tilting or pulling away
If the countertop has a tilt, or a gap has opened between the island and the patio, the base under it has usually settled or was never a solid pad to begin with. That movement tends to keep going, and it pulls on the grill, the counter and the lines feeding them.
Is a masonry island right for your grill and yard?
Outdoor kitchen masonry in Palm Beach Gardens means building the island and cabinets around your built-in grill from concrete block, brick or stone, often finished in stucco, so the grill sits in a solid enclosure that won't burn and stays put for years.
Most folks I talk to already have the grill picked out, or at least the brand, and what they're weighing is whether a masonry island suits that grill, their budget and their yard. The price mostly moves with the island's size, how many openings it needs for the grill, drawers or a fridge, what's under the spot you picked and whether the face is stucco, brick or stone. The schedule turns on when the grill and its install guide show up, any permit the job needs, the hookup work and the cure time before a stucco finish can go on. We're licensed and insured, and that's worth asking anyone you call about, since Palm Beach County says by law a person has to be certified to contract in a regulated trade. I'll put your own numbers in a written estimate once I've stood in your yard and seen the spot.
Details to note before an estimate
- The grill model you've picked
- Rough size, layout and any extras
- The spot in the yard you want
- Stucco, brick or stone on the face
How we build outdoor kitchen masonry
Back when I sold building supplies, I watched a lot of people buy the grill first and think about what it sits on later, and that's the order that gets expensive. So we build the island around the grill you've picked, and I like to see its install guide early, because the opening size and what the island has to be made of come from that guide. Next we plan the pad underneath, since a heavy block island on a weak base tends to crack however nice the finish looks. Then we prepare or pour the pad, lay the block up to the grill's opening, set the counter and put on the face you chose. The gas, water and power hookups go to licensed trades, so we leave openings in the block for their lines where the plan puts them and stay out of their way.
Once the island's done, the yard around it usually needs a little work too. If the trip from the back door to the grill means crossing wet grass, our walkway construction gives you a solid path to carry plates on. Some folks also want a low brick wall installation to close in the cooking area or match a brick-faced island.
Work that often goes with an outdoor kitchen
Walkway construction
A grill island at the far end of the yard gets used a lot more when there's a solid, even path from the back door to it.
Brick wall installation
A low brick wall can close in the cooking area, hold back a planting bed or match the face of a brick island.
What happens after you call about an outdoor kitchen?
Call us or send the form
Call (561) 268-0530 or fill out the form, and we'll set up a time for me to come see the spot. If you have the grill's model or install guide, send it along, since that's what the whole island gets planned around.
Walk the yard with me
I come out, look at the spot and what's under it, and talk through the layout and finish with you. You get a written estimate for the island we discussed, so you can hold it up against your budget before deciding anything.
We build and walk it
If the job needs a permit we take care of it first, then our lead mason, the crew and I build the pad and island, clean up and walk the finished job with you. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Questions about outdoor kitchen masonry
Why does a built-in grill need a masonry island?
Many built-in grills are made to sit in an enclosure that doesn't burn, and stone, brick or concrete block is exactly that. One grill brand's install guide says its built-ins need a non-combustible island of stone, brick, stainless steel or concrete block, and a wood-framed island would need fire-rated insulation and liner kits to suit those grills. A masonry island fits them without the extra kits.
Is a masonry outdoor kitchen cheaper than stainless steel cabinets?
Usually, yes. One design firm puts masonry and stucco-finished cabinets at the lower end of outdoor kitchen cost, with marine-grade stainless steel or custom millwork costing significantly more. Your own figure depends on the size, the openings and the face you pick, and it's on the written estimate after I've seen the yard.
Do I need a permit for an outdoor kitchen in Palm Beach Gardens?
The city has permit guides for the electrical, gas and slab work many outdoor kitchens include, but they don't name the masonry island itself, so the city's Building Department is the place to confirm what your plan needs. Palm Beach County says only homeowners and qualified contractors can pull permits. We work in Palm Beach Gardens and a lot of the cities around it, up into Martin County, and when a job needs a permit we pull it with the city or county office that covers your address and set up the inspections.
What is the best way to build a base for an outdoor kitchen?
Start with a solid base or concrete pad, which one outdoor kitchen maker's guide calls essential for the island's stability and how long it lasts. The same guide says to think about the site's soil and climate before digging, so expect the base plan to come before any block goes up.
How long does block need to cure before stucco goes on?
At least 28 days, according to one stucco guide specification, which also wants the block sound and free of coatings before the finish goes on. If you want stucco on your island, plan for that wait between the block work and the finish coats.
Should an outdoor kitchen island use aluminum or steel lintels?
One outdoor kitchen maker recommends aluminum lintels, the short beams that carry the weight over an opening like the grill cutout. Steel can be used, but it can rust over time and sometimes bleed through the face of the island, so it's a fair question to ask any contractor before they build.
Get a written estimate for your grill island
Tell us about your grill and the spot you have in mind, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a time. I'll come out, look it over with you and send a free written estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
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Plan your grill island before you pour
Call CJ Palm Beach Gardens Concrete & Masonry at (561) 268-0530 with your grill model, a rough layout and the spot in the yard, so the pad and the opening get planned around it from the start.