A straight run for the grill
One straight island holds a built-in grill with storage underneath. It's the simplest layout, and it fits a narrow side yard or a short stretch of patio.
Outdoor kitchen masonry in Fresno, CA - a stone island built around your grill
Cooking out back on a rolling grill and a folding table? We build a block island faced in stone or brick, sized to your appliances.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What goes into an outdoor kitchen island
Outdoor kitchen masonry in Fresno is the concrete slab, the block base and the stone or brick face of a built-in island, laid out around your grill and appliances and left ready for the countertop.
Most people call us with a spot picked out and a grill in mind, and not much idea what the masonry takes. The price turns mostly on the size and shape of the island, how many appliances it holds and whether you face it in stone or brick. The schedule turns on how soon your appliances are settled, when the gas and electric trades can come and how long the countertop takes. When the job needs a permit, we file it with the city and handle the paperwork. I'll come look at the spot and put your price in writing.
Built around your real appliances
We lay out the block from the sizes of the grill and appliances you've already picked, because guessing means tearing block back out and paying for that part twice.
The prep you won't see
I care most about what's hidden once we leave, the footing, the drainage and the mortar mix, because commercial work taught me a job is won or lost in the prep.
Our own crew since 2013
I ran crews on big commercial jobs in Fresno before going out on my own in 2013. Our own crew builds your island, with a lead mason running it on site.
How we build your outdoor kitchen
Before we lay a single block, I'll ask you to pick your grill and any side burner, fridge or sink and get me their cutout sizes, because guessing at sizes means tearing block back out. Then we pour the slab and lay the block base around those openings, and I watch the parts you won't see later, the footing, the drainage and the mortar mix, since water sitting in a base is what ruins it. After that we set your stone or brick face in mortar, clean it down and leave the top ready for your countertop installer.
An island is easier to enjoy when you can get to it, so we can run a walkway from the back door out to the grill. If you want the cooking area closed in or a low seat wall behind it, we do brick wall installation too, and matching the brick to the island ties the whole space together.
Layouts and finishes for an outdoor kitchen
An L-shape for cooking and serving
An L gives you a cooking side and a prep or bar side, so guests can sit across from you instead of crowding around the grill while you work.
Room for a burner, fridge or sink
Every extra appliance needs its own opening in the block and often its own gas, power or water line, so we plan each one before the layout is set.
A face in stone or brick
Stone veneer is the face most people pick, and brick suits a house that already has brick on it. Either one is set in mortar over the same block base.
Get a written price for your outdoor kitchen
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at the spot and give you a price in writing, free and with no obligation.
Have your appliance sizes ready
If you've picked the grill and the other pieces, have the models or cutout sizes handy when I come out, so the estimate fits what you'll actually install.
I write the estimate myself
The person pricing your island is the one who walked your yard, so the number covers your slab, your layout and your lines instead of a guess from a photo.
Fresno and the cities around it
We're based in Fresno and build in the cities around it, including Clovis, Madera, Selma, Sanger and Kingsburg, so the same crew and the same care come to your yard.
Outdoor kitchen and masonry finish examples
These photos show stone and brick faces, island layouts and the walkways and walls around them, ideas worth talking through at your estimate.
Outdoor kitchen questions we hear in Fresno
Here's what Fresno homeowners usually ask about timing, cost, permits and hiring before they build a masonry outdoor kitchen.
How long does an outdoor kitchen take to build?
One contractor guide puts the masonry for a standard L-shaped outdoor kitchen at 7 to 12 working days, plus 2 to 3 weeks to have the countertop fabricated. The schedule also needs room for the gas, electric and plumbing trades, who usually come after the block base is done and before the stone or brick goes on.
What does an outdoor kitchen cost?
Concrete block framing for an outdoor kitchen, materials and labor included, usually costs about $3,000 to $8,000 per job across the US. That national figure covers the block frame, so the stone or brick face, the countertop and the appliances are separate costs. I'll give you your own price in writing after I've seen the spot.
Where do I apply for an outdoor kitchen permit in Fresno?
You apply at the city's building permit center, which handles permits to build or alter a structure or to put in any gas, electrical or plumbing system. The application is either plans showing the work or a short affidavit listing the fixtures and equipment. A permit lapses if work doesn't start within 180 days or stops for 180 days, so pull it close to the start date. When a job needs one, we file it for you.
What license should an outdoor kitchen contractor have in California?
Look for a masonry contractor license from the Contractors State License Board, the state board that licenses California contractors. Its masonry classification covers block, stone, brick facing, paving and masonry walls, which is the work that goes into an outdoor kitchen island. We're licensed and insured.
How much can a contractor ask up front in California?
The state license board limits a contractor's down payment to $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. After that, it's worth asking that each later payment in the contract match work already done or materials already delivered to your home, so you're never paying ahead of the job.
Should I paint a brick outdoor kitchen?
Usually not, if low upkeep matters to you. Clay brick needs no paint or surface treatment, while painted outdoor masonry generally needs repainting every three to five years. Some people paint brick for the look or to reflect more light, and that's fine as long as you plan on the repainting.
Call us about your outdoor kitchen
Call (559) 319-0148 any day of the week until 9 PM, or send the form and tell us what you want to cook on.