Long Beach · Masonry Services
Outdoor Kitchens & Fire Pits
Built-in outdoor BBQs, kitchens, pizza ovens, outdoor fireplaces, chimneys and firepits in block, stone or stucco.
Outdoor Kitchens & Fire Pits · Long Beach
Building An Outdoor Kitchen That Gets Used
An outdoor kitchen is a masonry structure with appliances in it, which is why it is our job rather than a landscaper’s. The frame is grouted block on a proper footing, faced in stone veneer, brick, stucco or tile, and topped with a countertop that can take heat and weather. Inside it there is gas, usually electrical, sometimes water and drainage, and every one of those needs to be run and inspected before the facing goes on. We build outdoor BBQ islands with built-in grills, side burners, refrigeration and storage, wood-fired pizza ovens, outdoor fireplaces with proper fireboxes and chimneys, and firepits from a simple gas ring in a stone surround to a full seat-wall enclosure. The design question that decides whether it gets used is placement: too far from the back door and it becomes an expensive garden ornament. We work this out on the site walk, alongside the paver or flagstone surface it sits on and any retaining wall or seat wall wrapping around it, as part of the full range of masonry services we take on.
Why Go With Us For Outdoor Kitchens
Two things go wrong on outdoor kitchen builds and both are avoidable. The first is utilities, where gas or electrical gets run without a permit and either fails inspection later or, worse, never gets inspected at all. We pull the permit and coordinate the licensed trades so it is done once and signed off. The second is heat, because a firebox, a pizza oven and a built-in grill all need correct clearances and non-combustible construction around them. Getting that wrong is not a warranty issue, it is a fire. Everything gets built on a proper reinforced concrete pad, because these structures are heavy and settlement cracks a countertop fast.
- Grouted block frames on a reinforced concrete pad, not a wood-framed box with a stone skin over it.
- Gas, electrical and water run under permit by licensed trades, and inspected before anything gets faced.
- Correct clearances and non-combustible construction around every firebox, pizza oven and built-in grill.
- Appliance cut-outs measured against your actual specified units rather than a generic opening.
- Faced in stone veneer, brick, stucco or tile to match the house, with a countertop that will not spall in the heat.
Reasons To Build An Outdoor Kitchen
It is a discretionary project, which makes the reasons for doing it worth being clear about:
You cook outside most of the year anyway
Long Beach gives you nine or ten usable months. A built-in setup with counter space, storage and a sink turns cooking outside from a two-trip operation into somewhere you actually stay, which is the difference between a grill and a kitchen.
You want a pizza oven
A wood-fired oven is a masonry structure in its own right, with a dome, an insulated hearth and a flue, and it is the single most-used feature on most of the outdoor kitchens we build. It needs designing in from the start rather than adding to a finished island.
The yard needs a focal point
An outdoor fireplace or a firepit gives a patio somewhere to sit facing, and it extends the evening by a couple of months either side of summer. A seat wall around a firepit seats more people than furniture does, in less space.
The existing setup is a rolling grill on a slab
Freestanding units rust, block the path and never have enough counter beside them. Building in solves the storage, the counter space and the look at the same time.
You are already redoing the yard
If the paving is coming up and the trenches are open, running gas and electrical for a future kitchen is cheap. Doing it afterwards means cutting up hardscape you have just paid for.
You want the return at resale
Outdoor kitchen construction is one of the better-returning outdoor improvements, and in a Southern California market a well-built one photographs and shows extremely well.
Send us a photo of the yard and a rough idea of what you want to cook on, and we will sketch a layout. Call: (562) 379-4372
How We Work
Site walk, samples, engineering and permit, then build. One crew chief from excavation to cleanup.
1. Layout, appliances and utilities
We work out where it goes in relation to the back door, the prevailing wind and the seating, then pick the appliances so the cut-outs are exact. That fixes the gas, electrical and water runs, which are the parts that have to be right before anything gets built.
2. Pad, permit and rough-in
A reinforced concrete pad goes in first. We file the permit and the licensed trades run gas, electrical and any plumbing, all inspected while the block frame is still open. Fireboxes and oven hearths get their clearances and insulation at this stage.
3. Frame, face and top
Block frame built and grouted, then faced in the material you chose. Countertops are templated to the finished frame rather than pre-cut, appliances are set, and we run everything with you before we leave.
What We Build Outdoors
The outdoor structures we take on, individually or as one connected build:
Outdoor BBQs and kitchen islands
Built-in grills, side burners, warming drawers, refrigeration, sinks and storage in a grouted block island. Straight runs, L-shapes and U-shapes with a raised bar, sized around the appliances you actually want.
Pizza ovens
Wood-fired dome ovens on an insulated hearth with a proper flue, built in place or set as a pre-cast core and clad to match. Needs designing in from the beginning because of the mass, the insulation and the chimney.
Outdoor fireplaces
Full-height fireplaces with a correctly sized firebox, throat and flue, faced in stone, brick or stucco. Gas, wood-burning or both, with a hearth and optional flanking seat walls.
Firepits
From a gas ring in a stone or block surround to a wood-burning pit with a seat wall around it. Sizing the surround so people can sit at a comfortable distance is what makes it get used.
Chimneys
New chimney construction for outdoor fireplaces and pizza ovens, and repair or rebuilding of existing house chimneys, including crown replacement, repointing and stone or brick cladding on a metal chase.
Countertops and finishes
Granite for heat resistance and durability, poured or cast concrete for a modern look and custom shapes, and tile where the budget calls for it. We steer clients away from marble and wood outdoors for good reasons.
What Affects the Cost of Outdoor Kitchens & Fire Pits
A basic built-in outdoor kitchen starts around $5,000 to $15,000; custom builds run $20,000 to $50,000 and up. Drivers:
- Size and configuration. A straight grill island is the entry point. L-shapes, U-shapes and raised bars mean more block, more facing and more countertop.
- Appliances. The grill, side burner, refrigeration, sink and any specialty units are often a third of the total, and they are entirely your choice.
- A pizza oven or fireplace. Either one is a structure in its own right, with mass, insulation and a flue, and it is a significant step up from an island alone.
- Facing material. Stucco is the value option, brick and manufactured veneer sit in the middle, and full natural stone is the premium end.
- Countertop. Tile is cheapest, cast concrete is mid-range, and granite sits at the top while being the most heat-tolerant and lowest-maintenance of the three.
- Utility runs. How far gas, electrical and water have to travel from the house, and whether trenching crosses existing hardscape, changes the number meaningfully.
Free estimate and a flat written quote after the layout is agreed, with the pad, permit, utility rough-in, facing and countertop inside it. If the surrounding paving or a concrete patio is part of the project we price it in the same visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an outdoor kitchen cost?
A basic built-in outdoor kitchen with grill, countertop and storage starts around $5,000 to $15,000. Custom outdoor kitchens with stone veneer, pizza ovens, sinks and refrigeration run $20,000 to $50,000 and up.
What material is best for outdoor kitchen countertops?
Granite is the most popular. It is heat-resistant, durable and handles weather well. Concrete countertops offer a modern look and can be custom-formed. Avoid marble and wood outdoors, since both stain and degrade quickly in sun and rain.
Do outdoor kitchens add home value?
Yes. Outdoor kitchen construction typically returns 60 to 80% of investment at resale and can increase property value by $10,000 to $20,000. They are one of the highest-return outdoor improvements in a Southern California market.
Do I need a permit for an outdoor kitchen?
For the masonry structure itself, usually not. For the gas line, the electrical and any plumbing, almost always yes. We pull the permits and have licensed trades do those runs, because unpermitted gas work is the kind of thing that surfaces during escrow or an insurance claim.
How long does an outdoor kitchen take to build?
A full outdoor kitchen build takes 2 to 4 weeks, depending on size, the utility runs and whether a pizza oven or fireplace is included. A simple firepit is a few days. The countertop is usually the long pole, since it gets templated to the finished frame and then fabricated.
Can you build a pizza oven and a fireplace together?
Yes, and it is a common pairing. They can share a structure and sometimes a chimney chase depending on the design, though each needs its own flue. It has to be planned from the start because of the mass and the clearances involved.
Planning masonry work in Long Beach?
Tell us what you are building or what has failed, and we will come out, walk the site and give you a free estimate in writing.
Or call us now: (562) 379-4372