An outdoor kitchen is nowadays a much-wanted addition to the backyard. It comes with a budget though, and it is worth knowing the numbers in advance. So, how much does an outdoor kitchen cost?
An outdoor kitchen cost can start from $1,000 for a DIY project, $5,500 for an up to 10′ structure made by a professional crew, up to $21,000 for the more luxurious build with higher-end appliances. The price depends on the size, number, and quality of appliances, finishes, and location.
The average nationwide cost given above shows a price range, but while planning a structure for your own backyard it’s worth getting into specific project cost examples (you can get to them now by clicking here: $7,000, $10,000, $25,000). From this article, you’ll also learn what influences the budget and how an outdoor kitchen can change the house’s value.
How much does an outdoor kitchen cost?
Basic outdoor kitchen – $3,500 
High-end outdoor kitchen – $20,000
Outdoor kitchen costs can vary a lot! The outdoor kitchen in the first picture cost is $3,500, whilst in the second one is $20,000. The final cost of an outdoor kitchen depends on multiple factors, including the size, number, and quality of the appliances, finishes, location, and additional costs.
Outdoor kitchen size vs cost
Size is mentioned first for a reason. First of all, you pay a contractor for every linear foot of the structure. Second of all, it limits the number of appliances. Take a look at the table below.
| Small | Medium | Large | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total length | up to 10′ | 16′ | 20’+ |
| Includes | grill, cooktop, sink, storage | grill, cooktop , sink, storage, fridge | grill, cooktop, sink, storage + |
| Price | $3,000 – $7,500 | $4,800 – $12,000 | $6,000 – $21,000 |
The price of an outdoor kitchen is proportional to its length. Usually, the contractor is going to give the price by multiplying the length of your structure by $350 – $750 (depending on finishes and your location). This amount of money buys framework, finish, countertops, and the floor surface.
Each appliance you add to the structure is going to increase the size of an outdoor kitchen with its dimensions and landing spaces on the sides. The purpose of adding landing space is to make an outdoor kitchen convenient. Omitting or shrinking them is the main reason for an outdoor kitchen remodel.
Cost of outdoor kitchen appliances
A $700 outdoor gas grill 
A $6,667 Fire Magic grill
There are 4 basic appliances for an outdoor kitchen: grill, burner, refrigerator, and sink. If you want to increase home value with an outdoor kitchen it is worth including all of them. If not choose what you need. Creating a fully functional outdoor kitchen is important if you cook outside on daily basis. For once in a week a grill with a burner a countertop space can be enough.
The most common grill choice for an outdoor kitchen is a gas grill. Cost varies depending on brand and quality $500-$5,000. During the decision process, it may be helpful to know that a 3 burner is going to be enough for a family, a 5-6 burner is a great choice for entertainers.
A kamado grill is $300+ 
A side burner is $300+
A grill is the king of the area, but there are other appliances too. To cook you may want to have an additional kamado grill (prices start at $320), a side burner to cook vegetables and sauces (starts at $300), or a power burner to cook stocks, frying, boiling seafood (starts at $1,000).
An outdoor refrigerator is $300+ 
A refrigerator drawers cost $1,800+
Another important addition to the area is a refrigerator. An outdoor-rated refrigerator cost starts at $300, but high-end products with drawers can cost up to $5000.
A sink costs $70+ 
A copper sink might be $600
The sink is another special addition to an outdoor kitchen. A sink itself usually is pretty inexpensive ($70+), but more special examples, like copper ones, can cost up to $600. What is expensive about a sink is installation and adding lines (on average costs $1000).
Another common outdoor kitchen addition is the pizza oven. A custom pizza oven is $1000+ and takes a lot of space. A more affordable option with a tone of awesome reviews is a portable Ooni pizza oven. Karu is a model that costs $349. The great thing about portable pizza ovens you can hide them while unused.
To sum up: Usually, $2,000 is enough to get good quality appliances, but for high-end $5,000 may not be enough. It is pretty easy to count that you can significantly reduce your budget if you omit a sink, refrigerator, or a side burner. Such moves are possible though usually only for outdoor kitchens located close to the house, as distant ones need to be fully functional.
Outdoor kitchen finishes cost
Stucco costs $5 per sq ft 
Manufactured stone is $20 per sq ft 
Standard brick is $30 per sq ft 
Stone is $35 per sq ft
If you’re working with a contractor this cost is a part of an overall budget. It’s worth knowing though that finish choice influences an outdoor kitchen budget drastically. As you can see in the pictures above stucco is an inexpensive option, whilst a stone finish is a luxurious one. In the table below you can see the price comparison of different finish materials.
| Stucco | $3- $6 per sq. ft. |
| Manufactured stone | $15 – $25 per sq. ft. |
| Standard brick | $25 – $35 per sq. ft. |
| Natural stone | $25 – $45 per sq. ft. |
Tile is $15 per sq ft 
Granite is $123 per sq ft 
Stainless steel is $85 per sq ft 
Concrete is $65 per sq ft
Countertops are another widely discussed part of an outdoor kitchen budget. The best material option for outdoor countertops are granite and quartzite (I researched outdoor kitchen countertops and wrote about them here), but they’re quite expensive ones too. The cheapest option is tiling.
| Tile | $10 – $20 per sq. ft. |
| Granite | $45 – $200 per sq. ft. |
| Stainless steel | $70 – $100 per sq. ft. |
| Concrete | $60 – $70 per sq. ft. |
The numbers given above are the average prices for outdoor kitchen finishes. Data was gathered from 146 people who added an outdoor kitchen to their backyards. These numbers give somewhat an orientation in prices, but, as you can see, they vary a lot depending on quality and location.
Outdoor kitchen cost: Location
The cost of your outdoor kitchen depends on the location of an outdoor kitchen on your lot, as well as your neighborhood.
A patio outdoor kitchen 
A gazebo outdoor kitchen
Usually, the more distant an outdoor kitchen is from the house the budget is higher. There are a few reasons for that. First of all close to the house utilities are usually in place. Second of all, an indoor kitchen is usually pretty close, so if the budget is not massive outdoor appliances like a sink, refrigerator and burners can be omitted in the design. The last thing is the roof and floor, which close to the house often are already in place.
Below are the average price ranges for coverings. They can easily double the budget of an outdoor kitchen:
| Pergola | $300 – $15,000 |
| Gazebo | $300 – $20,000 |
| Roof | $7,000 – $11,000 |
You may also wonder why given prices vary so much. The reason is labor value depends on the neighborhood. To save the money on that it is worth starting construction in the off-season or hiring the crew from the cheaper area. I actually wrote a post about building an outdoor kitchen on budget tactics, so if you’re looking for such tips take as many as you can.
Outdoor kitchen cost estimate: patio outdoor kitchen $7,260
Patios have plenty of advantages. Usually the only thing that has to be done is building the structure. The price given below is solely for
A design with an estimate below has small roofing, only above a part of an outdoor kitchen where burner and grill are built-in. It is 20 sq. ft. Deck was already in place.
| Electricity | $400 |
| Plumbing | $500 |
| Kitchen construction with grill, burner, sink, and storage | $5800 |
| Countertop | $560 |
| SUM | $7,260 |
Outdoor kitchen cost estimates: A designer outdoor kitchen $10,730
This is a WWOO-02-01 outdoor kitchen model, that you can buy on the designer website – WWOO Concrete Outdoor Kitchen. This outdoor kitchen is made entirely of concrete. In the picture different grill is installed, but originally it comes with the Large Big Green Egg Bundle. The price may be a bit surprising, but what you pay for is a unique design.
| WWOO-02-01 with Large Big Green EGG | $9,000 |
| Installation | $1,730 |
| SUM | $10,730 |
It is worth knowing that a Large Big Green Egg Bundle solely is about $1,900.
Outdoor kitchen cost estimate: a gazebo outdoor kitchen $25,000
An outdoor kitchen with a gazebo is quite a project. An invoice I’m going to share here is from Florida. The gazebo size is 20×20 ft. Pad is 22×27 ft. and the walkway is 8 ft. This is a pretty luxurious large outdoor kitchen, so one that is going to be more pricey no matter what.
| Roof | $7,000 |
| Stamped concrete | $4,000 |
| Electricity | $1,000 |
| Plumbing | $1,000 |
| Recessed lights and inner lights | $400 |
| Stone guy labor and material | $4,100 |
| 6 Stone Pallets | $1,500 |
| Appliances | $4,000 |
| Granite countertop | $2,000 |
| SUM | $25,000 |
How much does an outdoor kitchen add to home value?
Spending thousands of dollars on a backyard addition is way easier while treated as an investment. It is nice to have an additional party spot and a fancy cooking space, but how much does an outdoor kitchen add to home value?
According to a report by the National Association of Realtors® an outdoor kitchen on average adds to home value 71% of the investment. In states, where it can be used year-round, ROI can go up to 130%. Such addition is most helpful when the house goes to the market in the spring.
The attraction that an outdoor kitchen brings grows in last years and COVID in 2020 made it pick, as it made home dining and entertaining grow. Even in 2018, it was clear that outdoor kitchens are much wanted by buyers.
National Association of Landscape Professionals and the National Association of Realtors® made research on how outdoor features affect the selling price. This is research that gives a nationwide average, so a good starting point.
What researchers were looking for are average prices customers paid for specific features, and return they get on it on average. Landscapers gave cost estimates, realtors cost recovered from the sale.
The average price of an outdoor kitchen was $14,000 (inset grill, stainless steel drawers, ice chest, sink, 60 sq ft of concrete countertop, made from veneered masonry stone), estimated cost recovered from the sale of the property was $10,000 (so 71%).
Even though average prices can give a somewhat orientation in the subject, in case of outdoor kitchens they’re not showing what are the factors that influence cost recovery /making money on the investment. In 2020 the American Institute of Architects published a Home Design Trend Survey Kitchen and Bath.
And there is plenty to read from this survey. First of all, as a trend outdoor kitchens will keep growing, as an outdoor kitchen is a top kitchen feature for the house (nearly 50% said so!). It goes even before the open floor plan, which is huge! In other words, buyers are going to be looking more and more for outdoor kitchens, as new builds do have them in. As in the case study below.
The Berkeley Craftsman is a case of the overall renovation. A prior worth of it was $833,000, after the process was done it was sold for $1.35 million. Inside and outside of the house got vastly updated up to a coherent color scheme. But even though the inside of the house looks very modern and inviting CEO of Voila Design Home, Tiffany Fasone, states that an outdoor kitchen “has the most impact”.
An outdoor kitchen area has been updated with most of the features from the essential list apart from storage. It resembles the home exterior in the color scheme. The lighting is impressive. There are both string lights, which are great for setting a mood, and fans, which are, in my opinion, the best fixture for the area.
Now it’s your turn
I hope you found data you’ve been looking for in my article.
Now I’d like to hear from you: which part of knowledge was most valuable to you?
Was it price examples according to size and finish? Or an information about how much an outdoor kitchen adds to a home value?
Either way, let me know by leaving a quick comment below.
