How Much Does an Outdoor Kitchen Installation Cost in 2023?

Cooking and eating outside have become a bigger and bigger trend in recent years. If anything, the pandemic helped escalate this.

Since then, about 60% of people in this survey have started cooking and eating outside.

If you are new to this concept, you may realize that you do not have the best equipment and the best setting to do this. For that reason, you may be considering an outdoor kitchen installation.

How much does an outdoor kitchen cost? What are the biggest factors that can impact an outdoor kitchen price estimate?

This is your guide.

Size of the Outdoor Kitchen

The first thing you have to consider is how big of an outdoor kitchen you want or need. Obviously, the larger the kitchen that you install, the more money that it is going to cost.

Think about what you can afford here and think about what your biggest needs and wants are for this outdoor kitchen.

Do you just need a grill and some storage? Do you want room to put a refrigerator in your outdoor kitchen? How about a seating area near your kitchen?

These are questions that you are going to have to answer before you install your outdoor kitchen. If extra countertop space and a seating area are necessities for you, then be prepared to shell out some extra money to make room for those things.

Assume that it costs hundreds of dollars per linear foot to install a kitchen. Small outdoor kitchens may only be 10 linear feet long, while the biggest ones are over 20 feet long.

Let's say it costs $500 per linear foot. That could be the difference between paying $5,000 and $10,000 for an outdoor kitchen. Take these things into consideration before making a final decision.

Location in Your Backyard

Another thing that may affect the pricing of your outdoor kitchen is where in your backyard you want to install it. The reason for this is that depending on where you put it, it could be more difficult to install it.

An example would be if you want to put the kitchen right next to your actual home. When you do this, you can increase the likelihood of being able to use the same water lines, gas lines, electrical lines, and more.

What happens here is that because you are installing it so close to your house, those lines may already exist right next to your house. As a result, you do not have to install new ones or dig up as much ground to do work on those lines.

Obviously, this can save you money compared to installing an outdoor kitchen on the opposite side of your backyard. Here, you are increasing the chances of new lines having to be installed on top of digging up more ground in your backyard.

Try to make the job as simple as possible by placing your outdoor kitchen in a convenient outdoor location.

Location of Your Area

The placement of your actual kitchen is not the only thing you have to consider when it comes to installation price. You also have to consider what area you currently live in.

A big reason why this is a factor is that depending on the cost of living and the demand for that service in the area, you could end up paying more money for it in certain areas.

Our company is based in St. Cloud, Florida. So, it is safe to say that somebody in Orlando is likely going to pay more money than somebody that lives in the middle of Arkansas.

Cost of living is higher in this area and as a result, services like this are going to cost more money. Take a look at what area you live in to get a good idea of if that will increase or decrease your installation cost.

Materials

Something else that you have to consider is what type of materials you are going to use for this outdoor kitchen project. Depending on what materials you choose, you could be looking at a much bigger bill.

For example, if you want natural stone or granite, you are likely going to pay a much higher price per square foot than other materials that you can get. Cheaper alternatives include synthetic and tile.

So, you need to decide if your budget is more important or a particular style is most important. If it is the latter, then you are going to have to make room for that in your budget.

This is going to come into play for a few things. Your countertop is going to be one of the biggest things that you are going to have to seek out certain materials for.

However, if you want a seating area with your outdoor kitchen, you are going to have to look at materials for that too. Not to mention that you are going to want to pick out certain types of stoves, ovens, refrigerators, and more.

The point is that the quality of materials that you use could come into play big time when it comes to the total cost of your outdoor kitchen installation.

Adding Extras

Having an outdoor kitchen by itself is likely not going to be enough. You may have to add in some extras to complete your outdoor area if you do not have anything out there.

The first thing you need to consider is what type of seating area you have out there. If you have nothing outside, then you need to add a table and some chairs.

Then, you have to think about how durable your outdoor space is. In Florida, that means you have to think about potential rain because it is going to fall regularly in this state.

What can you do about that? Well, there is a decorative way to cover your table.

Here, you can install a pergola to go above your table. If there is light rain, this should be big and wide enough to where it will not get in the way of a fine outdoor dinner.

On top of this, a pergola can help give people at your table shade and a chance to escape the hot Florida sun without having to go inside.

Another thing that you can do here is install a fire pit. Admittedly, Floridians may question the need for one at first. However, if you and your loved ones are people that are more sensitive to weather under 60 degrees, it may be worth it for you.

If you are upgrading your backyard, it is a good idea to make it a place where people can go all year. That is because about 50% of Americans host people in their homes at least monthly. With that in mind, you are going to want to have an outdoor kitchen that can be good almost any time of year.

Think of what extras you need to stay good.

Outdoor Lighting

If you are going to cook outside at night, you should consider renovating your outdoor lighting. Or, you should think about installing outdoor lights if you do not currently have any.

This can be good for a number of things. One reason is that it gives you a space where you can see better if you wish to use your outdoor kitchen at night. Considering that you could be cooking with sharp appliances at hot temperatures, it is best to take advantage of any way to increase your vision.

Another reason this can benefit you is for the safety of your guests. If you have a fire pit or a pool in your backyard, you may want to think about lighting up a path to help people avoid those. This can easily be done by putting lights on a sidewalk or around a centerpiece like the above.

Take a look at your backyard at night and see what is easily visible and what is too dark for the naked eye. Then, figure out places that could benefit by having more outdoor lighting.

Have an Outdoor Kitchen Installation Done

These are the biggest factors you need to consider for the price of an outdoor kitchen installation. You need to start by deciding how big you want your outdoor kitchen to be and what type of materials you want to use to build it.

Then, you need to think about what extras you want around your kitchen, like a fire pit or pergola. Finally, think of safety features like outdoor lighting.

Are you ready to get started? Get an outdoor kitchen quote here.

‍