Outdoor kitchens are an incredibly popular addition to any outdoor living project. In fact, about half of the projects that Earth Turf & Wood designs and installs include a kitchen. The goal of an outdoor living project is always to keep people outdoors by eliminating any reason to have to go in and out of the home—and that’s exactly what outdoor kitchens provide.
Homeowners can cook outside and then dine al fresco at an incorporated or nearby seating area. Because outdoor kitchens have become such a desired feature, some homeowners also decide to add a kitchen to an existing outdoor space down the line.
While you might already have some ideas about the kind of outdoor kitchen you’d like for your own dream backyard, you’re probably wondering what the outdoor kitchen price range is like. What can you get for the budget you have in mind?
A good place to start the conversation about outdoor kitchen cost is the fact that outdoor kitchens prices are much more than their indoor counterparts. Building a kitchen outdoors means weatherproofing it, securing it against insect and rodent invasions, and making it able to deal extreme temperature and moisture fluctuations.
This means components and cabinetry is built with different materials, and in a completely different manner so they can last through all seasons and for decades.
There are certainly projects where homeowners have opted for less-expensive appliances or materials that have brought that cost down. And likewise, some homeowners have opted for all the bells and whistles which drives that cost up. But correcting the common misconception that outdoor kitchens and indoor kitchens are priced similarly, is a good place to start when thinking about outdoor kitchen prices.
To help take it a step further and allow you to visualize what various budgets will get you, let’s explore some actual outdoor kitchen price ranges.
How Much Does an Outdoor Kitchen Cost?
As we begin to discuss cost, it’s important to remember just how much outdoor kitchen prices can vary. Everything from the quality of the appliances to the level of customization is going to affect the final cost. Utility runs are also a big driving factor of cost. If you’re adding a kitchen at a later date and it wasn’t planned for in advance, that can also drive your cost up, as you have to carefully excavate to run lines from existing patio surfaces.
It’s safe to say that a starting range for kitchens, at their most basic level, is around $15,000. Of course, that number can run all the way up to $150,000+ depending on the bells and whistles you desire in your outdoor kitchen.
Let’s take a more specific look at four kitchen projects we’ve completed ranging from the more basic level to the higher end so that you can get a realistic sense of how much does an outdoor kitchen really cost.
Modest Outdoor Kitchens: $15,000 to $30,000
A kitchen at the most basic level is going to have a grill and surrounding countertop. This particular kitchen that is shown was constructed from a concrete modular inside with manmade stone veneer on the outside, with a granite countertop.
This kitchen is kept lower in price due to its modular construction, use of manmade material, and the lack of any cover in terms of a roof.
Everything is out in the open but a large umbrella provides shade for the person grilling and those seated nearby. At 16 linear feet, it’s a nice size and cost-wise falls somewhere in the middle of this initial budget range.
Moderate Outdoor Kitchens: $40,000 to $60,000
Taking the outdoor kitchen cost a step up to this mid-level range, you’ll see that you can have more countertop space and upgraded materials, as shown in this particular example.
This kitchen shown has an L-shape design and while it uses a concrete modular interior, it has real stone on the exterior. It features a granite countertop, which truly is the material of choice for withstanding outdoor kitchens. It also features a 36-inch grill, power burner, and a refrigerator.
Advanced Outdoor Kitchens: $60,000 to $80,000
On the upper mid-level range of budgets is a kitchen such as the one shown. This particular kitchen has a huge, top-of-the-line grill with lots of bells and whistles. It’s important to recognize that the grill itself can be very costly.
A grill can run anywhere from $4,000 to well beyond $15,000 in cost. While the grill can absolutely make the outdoor kitchen cost jump, it’s not an area that we’d advise skimping on. The last thing you want to do is have to dismantle a beautiful kitchen with a built-in grill because the grill failed. A higher end grill will last a lifetime and also be warrantied in the event something does go wrong.
In addition to the quality appliances, the kitchen shown is not a concrete modular design but instead custom-built by our area’s most prestigious custom kitchen company, which of course also raises the price. When you build custom, you can do more with the design such as curved countertops. This particular kitchen is approximately 29 linear feet.
Ultimate Outdoor Kitchens: $100,000+
The outdoor kitchen shown has all the bells and whistles and is also part of a covered pavilion area. It incorporates higher end appliances and higher end materials.
This kitchen has lots of room for seating at its large granite countertop, as well as a nearby pizza oven, refridgeration, and lots of storage. These bells and whistles drive the outdoor kitchen price into the higher range.
The cabinetry is all waterproof meaning you could keep paper goods outside and they would remain dry. That kind of add-on feature drives the cost up but adds a tremendous amount of value in terms of your use of the space.
Planning for Your Outdoor Kitchen
Now that you have some idea of what an outdoor kitchen costs, you can start planning for the features that are most important to you. While these examples give you some sense of what your budget will allow, bear in mind that your personal wants and needs will ultimately drive the project and its final cost.
For example, you might not care about using man-made pavers to keep the material cost down but you might desire several high-end appliances. Or perhaps using real stone is important to you but the only appliance you really want is a grill. You’ll forgo the sink or refrigerator to remain in budget. All of these variations can really affect the price. Using these examples is a great starting point but keep in mind that your personal wish list will ultimately drive the outdoor kitchen price either up or down.
The outdoor kitchen design possibilities really run the gamut and these ideas are only starting points. Outdoor kitchens are one of our specialties and we would love to work with you on your project. While we have a lot of outdoor kitchen ideas in our gallery to browse, it’s ultimately your ideas that will lead the way to create the outdoor kitchen of your dreams.
If you’d like to discuss specific outdoor kitchen costs for your Reading, York, Hershey or Lancaster, PA, home contact us for a free consultation or give us a call at (717) 276-9447 to get the conversation started.
