Outdoor kitchen masonry in Tallahassee FL - a grill island built on solid ground
Tired of a rusting grill cart on the patio? We build brick and block kitchens on a base planned for your yard.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What goes into a masonry outdoor kitchen in Tallahassee?
Outdoor kitchen masonry in Tallahassee means building your grill island and counters from brick or block set in mortar. The mortar bonds the units into one solid piece and seals the joints against air and moisture, so the kitchen holds up outdoors.
Most people who call us have a spot by the back door in mind and a rough picture of a grill, a counter and maybe a sink. The price moves with the size and shape of the island, the brick, block or stone you choose, how much base work the ground needs and whether gas, water or power will run to it. The schedule turns mostly on the weather, on any permit and on whether a soil test is worth doing first, and your written estimate sets out how those apply to your yard.
How we build outdoor kitchen masonry
We start below ground, because an island is only as level as what it sits on. I plan the base before the first block is set, and if anything about the yard gives me pause, say the ground stays wet or feels soft underfoot, I'll suggest a soil test early so its results can shape the base before the design is finished. Then we lay the brick or block in mortar course by course, checking each joint the way I was taught, because a crooked joint on a counter you stand at every weekend is one you'll notice for years. While we work, we keep block and bagged mix covered and up off the ground on pallets so rain and ground water stay out of them, and if you can spare a spot near the work for those, it helps us.
An outdoor kitchen rarely stands on its own. Many owners want a path from the house out to the cooking area, which we build through our walkway construction work, and some want a low wall around the space, which we handle with brick wall installation. Building them together lets us match the brick and the mortar color across all of it.
Brick all the way through
This suits a house that already has brick on it, because an island built from a close match ties the kitchen to the home. It takes more hand work at the corners and the openings for doors and the grill, and that's work I'm glad to take the time over.
Block core with a finish face
A concrete block structure faced in stone veneer or stucco suits owners who want a particular look or a larger island, since block goes up steadily and takes almost any finish. If you're torn between the two, I'd lean this way for a long L-shaped layout.
Call while your plans are still sketches, before the patio goes in, because the base and any soil test shape everything that sits on top of them.
What happens after you call about an outdoor kitchen?
Here's how a job runs with us, from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know who you'll talk to and what you'll have in hand before anything is built.
Call or send the form
Tell us roughly what you'd like to build and where it will sit. It helps to know whether your property is inside Tallahassee city limits, for the permit reason covered in the questions below.
I look over your yard
I come out myself, look the spot over with you and explain what I see before I write anything down. If the ground gives me pause, I'll tell you then and there.
Go over a written estimate
You get a written estimate in plain words, so you can see what the work covers before you decide anything. If you go ahead, we set a start that suits you and take care of the permit side where one applies.
Build, clean up, walk through
The small crew I trained does the work alongside me, and we clean up as we go. We walk the finished kitchen with you before we call it done.
Get a written estimate for your outdoor kitchen
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out to look at your yard with you, and then you get a written estimate, free and with no obligation.
(850) 391-6065Outdoor kitchen masonry permits and soil in Tallahassee
Inside Tallahassee, the city's building inspection office issues the permits needed to build, renovate or expand a structure, and its list names retaining walls but not outdoor kitchens, so whether yours needs a permit isn't settled until you ask. If the kitchen brings in gas, power or water, the city also requires separate trade permits for that part of the work. We're licensed and fully insured, and where a permit applies, we help you find out which office handles your property and take care of the paperwork for our part of the job.
In many parts of north Florida, clay layers sit close to the surface, and some are rich in a kind of clay called smectite, which is why I look hard at the ground before planning a base. We look at the ground the same way on jobs in Bradfordville and Quincy.
Outdoor kitchen masonry questions from Tallahassee owners
How much does a masonry outdoor kitchen cost in Tallahassee?
There's no honest single number until I've seen your yard, because each kitchen is a different size, finish and amount of base work. A compact block counter with a plain finish usually costs less than a long brick island with a sink and a bar, since it takes less material and less hand work at the corners. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your own plan.
Which office handles permits for my property in Tallahassee?
If your property is inside Tallahassee city limits, the city's office mentioned above handles building permits, and if it's outside, the Leon County Development Services Department does, at 850-606-1300. Checking your address before you call saves a step, and we'll help you sort it out either way.
What is the best weather for building an outdoor kitchen with block?
Masonry guidance from the block industry treats temperatures between 40 and 90°F as normal, needing no special procedures or protection. Below 40°F, it calls for special steps to be considered to protect the finished work, so booking the job for days in that normal range keeps it simple.
Does the soil in my yard matter for an outdoor kitchen?
Yes, because soil with a lot of expansive clay, the kind that swells and shrinks, can damage a structure, especially through heavy rain or drought. That's the reason we plan the base first and suggest a soil test early when the yard calls for one.
How does grout make concrete block walls stronger?
Grout fills the cores, the hollow centers of concrete block, and that adds strength to both reinforced and unreinforced walls. A plan can grout some cores or all of them, and it's a fair question to ask about any outdoor kitchen design, ours included.
How do I plan an outdoor kitchen layout before calling a mason?
Start with what you'll cook on and where it sits in relation to the back door, and decide early whether you want a sink or power out there, because those lines are easiest to plan before the base goes in. A rough sketch or a few photos gives us a good place to start when I come out.
Masonry work that pairs with an outdoor kitchen
A firm, level path from the back door to the grill means no more crossing wet grass with a full tray in your hands.
A low brick wall gives guests a place to sit, screens the grill from the street side and ties the kitchen to the rest of the yard.
Plan your outdoor kitchen with a mason
Call (850) 391-6065 any day of the week while your plans are still loose, because moving a sink or grill on paper is easy and moving it after the block is laid means tearing out mortar.