How to Work with a Custom Outdoor Kitchen Installer
Studies show that adding an outdoor kitchen can be a great home improvement investment. HGTV reports that an outdoor kitchen can give you a return on investment anywhere from 55% to 200%. By working with a professional custom outdoor kitchen installer, you can make smart decisions with your new outdoor living space. Here’s what to expect when working with an experienced contracting team like Landscape Solutions & Design.
DIY vs Hiring Professionals
When determining your budget for building an outdoor kitchen, you may be tempted to cut costs by taking on some or all the tasks yourself. Most homeowners find this is a mistake. While it might seem like you’ll save some labor costs doing things yourself, as the saying goes, “the cheap comes out expensive.” Here are a few reasons why you should always hire a professional for this kind of work:
- The permitting process can be confusing. The exact process will depend on your location, as well as what you’ll be including in your outdoor kitchen. The process for getting a permit to build a patio with a grill is very different from the process for getting a permit to build a full kitchen on a deck with electricity and gas.
- We have experience building outdoor kitchens, so we know the very best brands for outdoor appliances at every price point. Some brands last much longer than others.
- Our team is a one-stop-shop for your backyard landscaping needs. We won’t just install an outdoor kitchen. We’ll also build your patio or deck, add walkways or other hardscapes, and finish with gorgeous landscaping. We can also add retaining walls as needed, add water features (even pools), and more!
Simply put, we have design and construction experience to create the perfect space for your backyard. You don’t have to worry about making costly mistakes or building a space that won’t stand the test of time when you work with our team.
The Outdoor Kitchen Design Process: What to Expect
If you’ve never worked with a professional landscaping team before, you might not be sure what to expect when hiring an outdoor kitchen contractor. It’s not like hiring a neighborhood teen to mow your grass! We’ve spent decades honing our skills so we can create gorgeous backyards for our clients.
Our design process starts with a no-obligation meeting to talk about your outdoor kitchen project. We’ll go over things such as:
- Your budget
- How big you want the outdoor kitchen to be
- If you want a patio or deck for your kitchen
- Where you want the kitchen located
- If you’d like walkways around your new kitchen
- What grading work your yard will need
- Whether you want flower beds, grass, etc. around your new kitchen
- If you need to add entry points to your home
- The materials you’d like to use (stamped concrete, wood decking, etc.)
As you’ll notice, we talk about cost upfront. This allows us to design a space perfectly in your budget. Once we have a sense of what you want in an outdoor kitchen, we’ll use our innovative 3D design program to show you options for your new space. This program is so detailed you can even add people and animals to really be able to visualize the space.
We don’t start your outdoor kitchen construction until you’re completely happy with your outdoor kitchen design and comfortable with the budget. This allows the building process to go smoothly without any delays.
Best Features for Your Custom Backyard Kitchen
When you’re designing your new kitchen, you may be unsure what features to include. With dozens of options, it’s easy to start with the idea of building a simple patio with a grill and end up with a full blown professional chef’s kitchen. Of course, the best features for your custom backyard kitchen are going to be whatever you’ll personally use the most often. However, here are a few options to consider that some people write off too quickly:
- Pizza ovens – you may not think you’ll make pizza very often, but pizza ovens can actually be used to cook a variety of meals. They are extremely versatile if you love to entertain, so you can make a lot of food at once.
- Outdoor refrigerators – when you’re hanging out on your patio or deck, it is so convenient to grab a cold drink from the fridge. You don’t have to worry about getting ice for a cooler or going in and out of the house to the kitchen.
- Fire pits – not only can you use your fire pit for rustic cooking and s’mores, but it’s also a great focal point outside just to relax with friends or family members.
Again, the most useful features are going to be whatever your family will use the most. This is the most cost effective kitchen choice you can make. We can install grills, smokers, fireplaces, cook tops, ovens, sinks, and many other outdoor kitchen appliances.
FAQs About Working with a Custom Outdoor Kitchen Installer
We’d love to answer any questions you have about installing an outdoor kitchen. Here are a few frequently asked questions we hear:
How long does it take to build a new custom backyard kitchen?
Timeline depends on multiple factors such as the time of year and the complexity of design. We’ll discuss timeline upfront so you know exactly what to expect.
What’s the best surface for my outdoor kitchen patio?
We love stamped concrete, because it gives you so many design options. However, there’s no one patio material that is better than others. We can also build your outdoor kitchen patio with pavers, bricks, stone, and more. Additionally, you can choose a wood deck instead of a patio for your kitchen if you like that look better.
Do you have reviews and pictures of your past work?
Any custom outdoor kitchen installer should be able to show you reviews and pictures of past projects. Ours are online (click here for reviews and click here for our portfolio). As mentioned, in addition to outdoor kitchens, we install a multitude of other hardscapes from retaining walls to pools. We are also happy to show you even more examples of our work in person during your consultation. Contact us today to schedule a meeting.