Debra Tate
Owner and lead designer
Outdoor kitchens and fire · Nashville, Tennessee
Cook outside, then stay until the fire burns down
Tate Hearth & Kitchen designs and builds outdoor kitchens, fire pits and fireplaces for homes in Nashville and the counties around it. We draw it, permit it and build it with our own crews.
Permits and gas
The part you can't see is the part we start with
A gas line, a circuit or a roof attached to the house needs a permit and an inspection. We plan for both before we price the work.
Gas piping is run by a licensed gas fitter and pressure-tested before anything is covered. Burners, grills and ovens are set back from the house, from roofs and from each other by the distances the maker's manual and your local code give. Your project page lists each step in order.
We file the permits for the work we build
A licensed gas fitter runs and tests the line
Clearances come from the maker's manual and local code
We call 811 before any digging
Payment in stages
You pay as the work passes each stage
This is a sample schedule. Your proposal sets its own stages, amounts and due dates, and nothing changes without your signature. Most projects start about eight to twelve weeks after signing, once permits and materials are in.
- 01Signing
Step 1: 25% at signing
Your signed proposal fixes the scope, the materials and the dates. This payment orders the stone and steel and holds your start window.
- 02Work begins
Step 2: 25% when materials arrive
The stone, framing and appliances are on site and the crew starts. Anything you are supplying yourself is on the list in your proposal.
- 03Rough-in
Step 3: 40% when the rough-in is inspected
Structure, gas piping and wiring are in, and inspected where the city or county requires it, before any stone or counter covers them.
- 04Handover
Step 4: 10% after the walkthrough
We light every burner, run the water and the circuits, and list anything to fix. The last payment is due when that list is done.
Checks and bank transfers are accepted. Your proposal lists any other way to pay.
How pricing works
What an outdoor kitchen costs, and why
We don't print prices, because two kitchens of the same size can differ by the length of a gas line. Here is what decides the number.
What decides the price
Mostly the size of the cooking and seating area, what it's built from, and how much digging and pipe it takes to bring gas, power and water to it.
Footprint, and how many appliances go in the counter run
Stone, concrete or tile finishes, and the roof over it
Distance from the house to the gas, electric and water lines
Slope, access for equipment and anything to remove first
What the design fee covers
The fee pays for measured drawings, a 3D view and a materials list you can take to any builder. If you build with us, the design agreement says how much of it is credited to the contract.
Materials and who buys them
You choose finishes and appliances with our designer. We buy the stone, steel and fixtures, and the proposal lists each as a fixed line or a named allowance. If you supply an appliance, we tell you what it needs before it arrives.
If the job changes
A change after signing is priced in writing, and you sign it before the crew does the work. Ground that isn't what the drawings assumed is handled the same way.
The number comes in a written proposal after the site visit, and never before.
What we build
Four ways to make the yard a room
Every project starts with measured drawings, so you see where the vent, the gas valve and the seats go before the first stone is ordered.
Outdoor kitchens
Grill, counters, sink, refrigerator and a bar, built in stone, concrete or tile.
Outdoor kitchens
Outdoor fireplaces
Stone and masonry, with a chimney or a gas insert, on a covered patio.
Fire features
After dark
Built to be seen at night
Fire, string lights and low lamps are planned in the drawings, so the wiring is in the walls and not along them.
Showing 9 of 9
Sample photos.
Who you'll talk to
Fifteen people, four who answer your questions
Debra draws, Alphonso builds, Gloria schedules the permits and inspections, and Yasmin runs the lighting and wiring.
Alphonso Pickett
Build director, masonry and structures
Gloria Reynoso
Project manager, permits and schedule
Yasmin Haddad
Lead for lighting and electrical
Sample comments
What clients say about the paperwork
“The drawings showed where the grill vent would sit and which neighbor's window it faced. Nothing in the finished kitchen surprised us.”
Hannah W.Outdoor kitchen, Green Hills
“Every invoice matched the schedule in the proposal. When we added a pizza oven, it came as a written change before anyone picked up a trowel.”
Dalton J.Kitchen and oven, Franklin
“They explained the gas line and the inspection like we had asked for it. The fire table was finished the week the weather turned cool.”
Camila L.Fire table, East Nashville
Sample reviews.
Service area
Nashville and the counties around it
We build in Davidson County and the three counties that touch it. The crews start from our yard on Elm Hill Pike.
Davidson County
- Nashville
- Belle Meade
- Berry Hill
- Oak Hill
- Forest Hills
- Goodlettsville
Williamson County
- Brentwood
- Franklin
- Nolensville
- Fairview
Sumner County
- Hendersonville
- Gallatin
Wilson County
- Mt. Juliet
- Lebanon
We don't build south of Spring Hill, north of Gallatin or east of Lebanon, and we don't take projects in Kentucky.
ZIP codes: 37204, 37205, 37206, 37212, 37215, 37220, 37027, 37064, 37067, 37135, 37075, 37122
Questions
Questions we hear before the first visit
What does an outdoor kitchen cost?
It depends on the size, the finishes, the appliances and how far gas, power and water have to run, so we put a number on it only in writing, after a site visit and drawings. The cost page lists what moves it.
How long does a project take?
Many clients start about eight to twelve weeks after signing, because permits and materials set the pace. The build itself runs from a few weeks to a few months with the size. Your proposal names a start window and a finish window.
Do I need a permit?
Almost always for gas piping, new circuits and any roof or wall attached to the house. We prepare and file the applications for the work we build. Metro Nashville and each neighboring county have their own office and rules, and we confirm yours at the visit.
Do you offer financing?
We don't lend money or arrange loans. Some clients use a home equity line or a loan from their own bank, and we'll give a lender the proposal and the schedule they ask for. The lender sets the rate, fees and terms, so ask for the full terms before you sign anything.
What does your warranty cover?
The proposal states our workmanship warranty in writing: it covers the masonry, framing and the gas and electrical connections we install, for the period the proposal names, and says how to make a claim. Appliances carry the maker's warranty. Damage from misuse, flooding or ground movement isn't covered.
What if it rains or freezes?
A light rain won't stop the crew. Concrete and mortar need a dry day above freezing, so a hard freeze or a wet week moves the date. We tell you the new date and write it down.
Book a site visit
Tell us about the yard
A few lines about the space and what you would like to cook and sit around. We call you back to set a day for the site visit.
Phone(615) 555-0101
Emailhello@
Hours
- Monday – FridayToday
- 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- SaturdayToday
- By appointment
- SundayToday
- Closed