How pricing works
What decides the cost of an outdoor kitchen
We don't print prices. The same kitchen can cost very differently on two lots, and a number without a site visit is a guess.
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 proposal includes, and what it doesn't
The proposal is written and itemized: the drawings, a line for each appliance and finish, the permit work we handle, delivery, cleanup, and the weeks we expect to start and finish.
Included: drawings, materials list, permit applications for our work
Not included: what turns up underground, extra lighting you add, an HOA's own fees
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.
When you get the number
After the site visit and the design agreement, you receive a written proposal. It is a set price for the drawn scope, with named allowances for finishes still to be chosen, and it arrives before any work starts.
Nothing on this page is a quote. The price is in the written proposal.
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.
When to start
Book in winter, cook outside by spring
Masonry and concrete wait out hard freezes, so the calendar matters. These are typical windows for Middle Tennessee.
- Jan–Feb
Winter
Design, drawings and permits. A good time to start, because the permit and the stone order set the build date.
- Mar–May
Spring
Footings, frames and rough-in go in as the ground thaws. Many projects start here.
- Jun–Aug
Summer
Finishes, counters and appliances. Heat doesn't stop the work, but a crew starts earlier in the day.
- Sep–Nov
Fall
Fire features and fireplaces finished for the first cool evenings. Books fill early.
Questions
Money questions
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 do I pay?
In stages tied to the work: a quarter at signing, a quarter when materials arrive, most of the rest when the rough-in is inspected, and the last part after the walkthrough. We take checks and bank transfers.
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.
Ask for the proposal, not the price
Start with a site visit. The written proposal follows the drawings.