Considerations When Designing Your Outdoor Kitchen

Just like with any building project, you need to size up your space before you break ground (sometimes literally) on a new outdoor kitchen. Your outdoor space will be unique to your wants and needs, but it's not enough to just take a couple measurements and call it a day — planning an outdoor kitchen requires careful thought and comes with a variety of considerations involving utilities, component and appliance placement, and overall structure.

You'll need to measure at some point, but first you should take stock of everything your backyard has to offer and seriously consider what you want from your outdoor space. We'll walk you through each point so you know what questions to ask yourself the next time you start dreaming of a better backyard.

Outdoor Kitchens Require Utilities

Picture your indoor kitchen, and think of all the utilities in that space. There's certainly water and electricity, and depending on your stovetop, there may even be natural gas. For your outdoor kitchen to be fully functional, you'll need most or all of those utilities in that space, too. Utilities play a large role in the placement of your outdoor kitchen — it's cheaper and easier to build one closer to existing lines (and, therefore, closer to the home) than it is to extend them to a detached space in the yard.

Start by identifying where your outdoor utility lines are located (in most jurisdictions, you can call 811 for utility services to mark your lines), then consider building your outdoor kitchen there. Not quite what you imagined? Revisit your budget and see if you have room for the additional cost of extending the gas, water, and electrical lines (and can stomach seeing your yard dug up as part of the work). Regardless of your decision, make sure you contact licensed professionals for any type of work on utility lines. Before you pick up the phone, though, let's take a quick look at the most important considerations for each utility.

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  Providing Water to Your Outdoor Kitchen

  The simplest outdoor spaces can get by without water lines, but you'll need to factor them into your outdoor kitchen planning if you want a sink or certain outdoor refrigeration appliances. Many homeowners save on installation costs by arranging their space so the outdoor sink mirrors the indoor sink — that way, they can tie into the existing water line by simply drilling through the wall. If you live in a particularly cold climate, you should plan to winterize your outdoor kitchen after every season to prevent frozen water from causing pipes to burst.

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  You'll Need to Get Gas to Your Cooking Appliances

  If your home already has natural gas piped in, you'll probably find it to be the most cost-effective fuel type for your grill. If not, using propane or a non-gas fuel will likely be less expensive than installing entirely new gas lines. Either way, the vast majority of outdoor kitchens include built-in natural gas grills and side burners, meaning many homeowners have to account for multiple gas lines. You can reduce costs and improve safety in that scenario by grouping gas appliances together and tying them into the same line with a single shutoff point.

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  Outdoor Refrigerators Need Electricity

  At minimum, you should plan for your BBQ island to have a few electrical outlets. That shouldn't come as a shock: you'll need them to operate appliances, plug in outdoor TVs and speakers, and connect grill lights and rotisseries. Just as important these days, however, is having a place for guests to charge their phones without forcing them indoors and away from the barbecue. Be sure your electrician equips your outdoor kitchen with ground fault circuit interrupter outlets (GFCIs), which greatly reduce the risk of electrocution, especially in wet areas.