Outdoor kitchen masonry in Wake Forest, NC - a base built around your appliances
Planning an outdoor kitchen and not sure where to start? We build the block base and stone face around your appliances, in the right order.
How do I plan an outdoor kitchen in Wake Forest?
Outdoor kitchen masonry in Wake Forest is the concrete block base that holds your grill, fridge and counter. It's most often finished with stone veneer, which is thin stone set in mortar over the block. Built in the right order, it gives you a solid cooking station sized to the appliances you picked.
Most people call us with a spot on the patio in mind and a grill they've been eyeing, and what they want to know is what has to happen first. The price moves with the size and shape of the kitchen, how many appliance openings it needs, the finish you choose and the slab it sits on. The schedule moves mostly with things around the masonry, like when your appliances are chosen, when your other trades can come in and how long the countertop takes to make. When I walk the job with you, I'll point out what I see and put in writing what we'd do and why.
How we build outdoor kitchen masonry, step by step
The work starts before any block goes down. I ask for your appliance list and sizes first, because an opening laid short means tearing out block and starting over. Our masons then lay the concrete block base to those sizes, with an opening for each appliance. Once the block is up, we leave a clear gap between the block and the stone so your other trades can run their lines before anything covers them. After that we fasten metal lath to the block, trowel on a scratch coat, a rough first layer of mortar the stone grips, and set the stone in mortar. Your countertop goes on last.
An outdoor kitchen rarely stands alone in the yard. If you'll be walking out from the back door with plates, a new walkway can tie the kitchen to the house in matching stone or brick. If you want a backdrop, a windbreak or seating around the counter, brick wall installation fits the same plan, so the whole space gets laid out once instead of pieced together later.
Why Wake Forest homeowners call Premier Wake Forest Concrete & Masonry for an outdoor kitchen
I walk your yard myself
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, and I check in while our own masons build it. You talk to the person who planned your kitchen, not someone reading it off a sheet.
Based in Wake Forest since 2020
I started this business here in 2020, and we work the cities around it, from Raleigh and Durham up to Oxford and Henderson. If your city isn't on our pages, call and ask.
Licensed and fully insured, every job
We're licensed and fully insured. You shouldn't have to wonder about either while a crew is stacking block beside your house.
Your slab checked against local limits
The Town of Wake Forest looks at limits on hard surfaces that rain can't soak through when you add area, and those limits can be tight in a watershed protection area. Since a kitchen sits on a slab, we look at that with you before we size it, so the plan doesn't stall halfway.
On an outdoor kitchen, the appliance list decides almost everything else, so have yours ready with sizes when you call (984) 237-6028 or send us a message.
Get a written plan for your outdoor kitchen
We reply to every message within one business day to set a time. The estimate is free, done at your property and comes with no obligation, and I'll walk the yard with you and put in writing what we'd build and why. Send your appliance list and a few photos ahead if you can, so I come prepared.
Outdoor kitchen masonry ideas
Common questions about outdoor kitchen masonry
How long does it take to build an outdoor kitchen?
One national pricing guide puts the masonry on a standard L-shaped outdoor kitchen at 7 to 12 working days, but the whole project runs longer than that. The countertop usually has a 2 to 3 week lead time to be made, and your other trades need their own window, so plan beyond the masonry days alone. We go over the order with you at the estimate so you know who's waiting on whom.
How much does outdoor kitchen masonry cost in Wake Forest?
The cost comes down to the size and shape of the kitchen, the finish and the work under it, so I give you a figure after walking your yard. A long run or an L-shape takes more block and more stone, each appliance opening adds layout and bracing, and a stone face takes more labor than a plainer finish. The slab, the grade of the yard and how easily we can get materials to the spot move the number too.
Do I need a permit to build an outdoor kitchen in Wake Forest?
Where Wake Forest has jurisdiction, permits come from Wake Forest's Inspections Department, and any structure larger than 12 ft by 12 ft needs a building permit. Other building permits may also be needed once utilities are run to the kitchen. When a job needs a permit, we work out with you which office covers your address and handle the paperwork together.
When do the utility lines go in for an outdoor kitchen?
The lines usually go in after the block base is finished and before the stone veneer goes on. That means your other trades get booked for the window between our block work and our stone work. One maker's checklist suggests lining them up in advance, so ask us at the estimate who brings them in and when.
Does a contractor need a state license to build an outdoor kitchen in North Carolina?
A general contractor needs a North Carolina license when the total project cost is $40,000 or higher, according to the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors. On a larger kitchen with appliances, counters and other trades in the mix, it's fair to ask about it before you sign anything.
What is the best way to support the block over a grill opening?
One maker's guide recommends aluminum lintels, the braces that span openings in the block. Steel can be used, but over time it can rust and sometimes bleed through the face. We'll go over which we'd use for your openings when I write up the estimate.
Work that often goes with an outdoor kitchen
- Walkway construction
A kitchen out back gets used more when there's a solid, even path from the back door, so you're not carrying plates across soft grass after a storm.
- Brick wall installation
A low brick wall can frame the cooking area, block the wind from the grill and give guests a place to sit while you work at the counter.