Reliable Materials for Outdoor Kitchens: A Definitive Guide

Reading this will take about: 18 minutes

Your materials for outdoor kitchens should be more than affordable: they should be functional and safe. If you pick the wrong materials, you could end up losing money or even infecting your food.

As you can see from the header photo, poor materials don’t just look bad: they don’t work well! Since your outdoor kitchen won’t have the protection from the elements like your indoor version will, you have to consider outdoor hazards such as:

• Rust
• Corrosion
• Peeling
• Mold
• Pest infestations

…and that’s just to name a few. If you want the full range of protection to keep your ROI high and keep your outdoor kitchen functioning properly, you need to understand each material’s pros and cons.

Before you start building or buying, check out my comprehensive guide of several common (and less-common) materials used to build outdoor kitchen cabinets, countertops, frames, and foundations.

I’ll teach you exactly how each material functions — short-term and long-term — so you don’t end up with lost ROI or an outdoor kitchen that’s hazardous to your health.

The Most Well-Rounded Material for Outdoor Kitchens: HDPE 

HDPE is more than just hype – it’s easily the most versatile and dependable materials for outdoor kitchens available. It’s resistant to the majority of outdoor hazards without compromising your health or overloading your budget.

HDPE is short for high density polyethylene, a highly flexible yet tough thermoplastic found in several products you already own. People around the world use this material to craft water bottles, piping, and all sorts of appliances that regularly come in contact with water or abrasion. 

Unsurprisingly, this detail means HDPE resists the following physical hazards from extended sun exposure or repeated handling, such as:

• Peeling
• Wrinkling
• Denting
• Cracking and tearing
• Fading color

Since manufacturers explicitly build this material to be waterproof, HDPE materials for outdoor kitchens actively resist moisture-related hazards such as:

• Corrosion
• Rust
• Mold and mildew

Last but not least, outdoor kitchens made with HDPE are extremely unattractive to pests. Unlike porous wood, this thermoplastic is simply too tough and too slippery for them to burrow, chew, or scratch their way inside. Just a few pests you won’t have to worry about include:

• Mice
• Termites
• Ants

HDPE is becoming a common material for surfaces such as outdoor cabinets, outdoor tables, and outdoor chairs. However, you may be interested in HDPE frames, particularly if you live in very humid areas where water-related damage is high.

Other materials for outdoor kitchens that pair well with HDPE are stainless steel (due to its recyclability) and stone (due to its water-resistant properties). 

Overall star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ROI: HDPE’s durability and longevity makes it one of the best materials for outdoor kitchens to increase your home’s value. 

Longevity: HDPE easily lasts for decades with very minimal upkeep (such as wiping off residue or spills). Some brands even offer lifetime warranties with their HDPE outdoor kitchens.

Eco-Friendliness: All forms of HDPE are recyclable, so that’s a big point for eco-friendly homeowners.

Easy To Find: HDPE is one of the most common materials used today. Not only can you easily find it for outdoor kitchen appliances, you likely use this material in your day-to-day life in the form of milk cartons, water bottles, and cutting boards.

Appearance: HDPE is very easy to customize visually, able to showcase a brilliant variety of colors and even imitate wood grain patterns.

Best For Homeowners Who: 

• Want to keep their home and appliances in working condition for decades
• Are considering selling their home down the road and want the highest possible ROI
• Eco-friendly homeowners who want recyclable materials that are gentler on the environment 

A Durable and Dependable Material: Stone 

It’s difficult to look up materials for outdoor kitchens without running into tried-and-true stone. This material has stood the test of time for its durability, resistance to hazards, and natural beauty.

However, not all stone looks the same or offers the same range of benefits. Some are weaker and more prone to cracking from stress, while others are harder to find.

Stone is a common addition for the base and surface of outdoor kitchens. While not a go-to framing option due to its lack of tensile strength, some minimalist outdoor kitchens will use stone as the main material for an entire shelf or kitchen island.

Let’s take a look at the most common (and slightly less common) stone materials for kitchens.

Granite

With brilliant patterns and famous durability, it’s small wonder why this stone is a staple for outdoor kitchens. Its ability to resist heat, scratches, and dents makes it a no-brainer addition to a cooking environment.

While it usually doesn’t need sealing if you’re careful to keep your countertops clean, granite is still possible to stain. Regular resealing will ensure these materials for outdoor kitchens stay stain-resistant.

Concrete 

A go-to option for outdoor kitchen foundations, concrete is a mixture of sand, gravel, and crushed stone. The result is a (literally) rock solid option that has no ability to mold, rust, or invite pest activity. 

Alongside foundations, you can use concrete to create all sorts of cooking or relaxing applications such as:

• Benches
• Dining tables
• Small or large shelves
• Outdoor kitchen islands

The downsides of concrete is its tendency to crack. Reducing this risk requires reinforcement, a term referring to installing inside structures to hold concrete structures together – similar to how bones hold up muscle. 

Some homeowners also don’t care for the smooth gray of concrete. While it’s possible to paint concrete, this material doesn’t hold onto paint well, so you’ll have to reapply coats of paint on a regular basis. If you ask me, I’d rather just leave the decorative aspects to other materials.

Bluestone

If concrete is a little too drab and high-maintenance for your tastes, bluestone’s rich sheen could be the natural stone option for you. This material is a type of limestone that holds up well due to its higher resistance to cracks.

Bluestone is one of the most beloved materials for outdoor kitchens for homeowners who want elegant surfaces for:

• Outdoor kitchen tiles
• Outdoor kitchen countertops
• Outdoor kitchen islands

The downside to bluestone is its availability. It’s not the most common material and tends to fetch higher prices than other types of stone on this list. Bluestone costs between $17 to $25 per square foot, compared to around $5 to $10 for concrete.

Brick

With a warm and rustic appearance, brick is a natural addition to any outdoor kitchen space. While it’s easy to come by and holds up well to rain and sunlight, it’s not the most durable option on the list.

Brick is a common choice for homeowners who want a cost-effective material that doesn’t grow mold, is resistant to heat, and doesn’t build up unsightly scratches. This material is common in:

• Outdoor fireplaces
• Outdoor barbecues 
• Outdoor benches

Sadly, brick is a little limited in the design department since it doesn’t hold paint well. Attempting to paint over it will affect the stone’s ability to release trapped moisture, gradually weakening it and increasing its risk of cracking.

Soapstone

Non-porous and incredibly pretty, soapstone is one of the easiest materials for outdoor kitchens on the maintenance side of things. Many homeowners favor it because it doesn’t crack, erode or stain when exposed to food staples like wine, coffee, or vinegar.

Even better, this non-porous surface means you don’t have to worry about bacterial build-up infecting your food and making you sick. Homeowners frequently use soapstone for:

• Outdoor kitchen counters
• Outdoor patio tiles

The downside is that soapstone is a little on the soft side, prone to gathering visible scratches, dents, and scuffs. It’s also on the pricey side, ranging between $75 to $120 per square foot.

Quartz

Now we have the visually stunning and in-demand quartz. This hardy material is non-porous, extremely tough, and retains its appearance for decades with minimal maintenance…indoors!

Homeowners love quartz for both indoor kitchens since it’s easy to clean and looks great in a wide variety of styles. However, it requires a higher amount of maintenance outside since it’s sensitive to both heat and sunlight, causing significant discoloration over time. 

I don’t recommend quartz for your materials for outdoor kitchens unless you’re 100% committed to keeping it covered when not in use. Quartzite, however, is a tougher and more dependable option you can consider!

Overall star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ROI: Getting a high ROI depends on the kind of stone you use. Cement, granite, and bluestone hold up better over time compared to more delicate materials like quartz and soapstone.

Longevity: Stone didn’t earn its tough reputation for no reason, often lasting for decades with few to no changes. However, concrete is prone to cracking and weakening over time.

Eco-Friendliness: Stone is easy to recycle. Recycling plants simply crush them back into sand or stone for other projects.

Easy To Find: Most stone building materials for outdoor kitchens are easy to find (with the exception of bluestone).

Appearance: Natural stone is visually stunning, coming in a variety of rich textures and soft colors that blend in with many outdoor aesthetics. However, they don’t hold paint well and are difficult to customize.

Best For Homeowners Who:

• Enjoy rustic and natural outdoor aesthetics
• Want heat-resistant, scratch-resistant, and (usually) stain-resistant materials
• Don’t plan on painting their materials for outdoor kitchens

One of the Most Versatile Materials Around: Stainless Steel 

A staple in both indoor and outdoor kitchens, stainless steel will no doubt be a part of your set-up at some point. This recyclable and durable steel works well for grills, sinks, shelves, and more.

Learning the different grades of steel will better equip you to choose materials for outdoor kitchens that seriously hold up over time. 

1. 304 – this stainless steel has a higher percentage of nickel and chromium, making it the least likely to rust or corrode over time. Unsurprisingly, this type is the go-to option for silverware and kitchen appliance manufacturers
2. 443 – this variety is very similar to 304. It’s also resistant to corrosion, but is slightly less durable. Expect to find it in budget-friendly outdoor kitchen grills
3. 201 – while this variety is well-regarded as tough with its blend of chromium and nickel, it’s a little more prone to cracking than 304

As one of the most commonly used materials for outdoor kitchens, stainless steel appears in:

• Grills
• Sinks
• Hardware (like clasps, doorknobs, and locks)
• Framing
• Silverware

Overall star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ROI: This benefit is tricky since it depends on the quality of your stainless steel and how well you maintain it. 

Longevity: With a little maintenance like wiping and gentle handling, stainless steel can last for a solid fifty years. 

Eco-Friendliness: Stainless steel is remarkably eco-friendly, able to be recycled indefinitely without losing any quality. 

Easy to Find: You’ll have no trouble finding stainless steel for your outdoor kitchen paradise. You’ll just have to do extra research to make sure you’re getting high-quality 304 or 443.

Appearance: Some homeowners enjoy the sleek, modern finish of steel. Others find this material to be artificial and cold. If you want a lot of color or texture customization, these materials for outdoor kitchens may not be the best fit.

Best For Homeowners Who: 

• Are keen on creating a sustainable outdoor kitchen with easy-to-recycle materials
• Want to avoid porous surfaces that can gather bacteria or mold
• Enjoy the futuristic and modern sheen of shiny metal 

An Affordable, Yet Less Hardy Option: Aluminum

When you have a tight budget for your outdoor kitchen space, aluminum is a dependable and low-cost option. It’s easy to clean and even easier to find, but that affordability comes with a few drawbacks.

First, let’s take a look at what aluminum is used for in materials for outdoor kitchens. Homeowners generally turn to aluminum for:

• Outdoor kitchen cabinets
• Outdoor kitchen shelves
• Outdoor kitchen countertops 

Aluminum outdoor kitchens enjoy resistance to rot, rust, insect infestations, and warping. They’re lightweight and easy to move around, which is a big plus if you enjoy switching up your kitchen layout on a regular basis. 

Aluminum is still a weaker metal, though, lacking the toughness of stainless steel or the general scratch resistance of stone (except for soapstone). It’s prone to building up scuffs, making it a poor choice if you have rowdy children or curious pets. 

These materials for outdoor kitchens are also easy to dent, so you’ll have to handle it with great care if you want to redesign your space on a whim. 

Overall star rating: ⭐⭐⭐

ROI: Aluminum isn’t nearly as in-demand as HDPE or stone since it doesn’t have the same range of benefits. As such, I don’t recommend this material if you want a high ROI.

Longevity: Aluminum can last for roughly sixty years with upkeep such as careful handling and regular wipe-down sessions. However, it’s a sensitive metal to corrosion, which is very difficult to fix. 

Eco-Friendliness: This material is infinitely recyclable. Did you know around 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still being used by businesses and homeowners today? 

Easy To Find: You won’t have to look hard to find aluminum materials for your kitchen. However, high quality aluminum will be in the 1,000 series grade – these grades are 99% aluminum and have the highest resistance to corrosion. 

Appearance: Similar to stainless steel, aluminum is sleek and shiny. If you enjoy contemporary or minimalist materials for outdoor kitchens, you’ll be at home – if you want unique colors and patterns, look elsewhere.

Best For Homeowners Who:

• Are on a tight budget who want an affordable outdoor kitchen
• Are fine with a few basic resistances to hazards like mold, warping, and rust
• Enjoy smooth, minimalistic kitchen set-ups with simple color schemes

A Low-Cost, Yet Potentially Risky Material: PVC 

Another affordable material is PVC, a well-known synthetic polymer found in everyday appliances such as pipes, siding, and cables. However, more health issues are starting to be noticed with this material that you should know about.

On the plus side, PVC materials for outdoor kitchens are low-cost and easy to come by. They also come with well-rounded benefits such as resistance to water, rust, mold, and corrosion. 

Many homeowners turn to PVC to outfit areas such as:

• Outdoor kitchen cabinets
• Outdoor drawers
• Accessories such as trash bins or shelves

Sadly, PVC is rather brittle and becomes even weaker when exposed to regular sunlight. This weakness can result in cabinets that buckle under heavy weight or develop a warped, wrinkled appearance. 

Even worse, recent medical studies suggest there could be health problems. When burned or consumed, PVC may pose health risks such as liver damage or damage to reproductive organs.

Since a kitchen involves a lot of chopping, cooking, and handling food, this risk may not be worth the investment. Personally, PVC is one of the last options I’d recommend for anyone who needs materials for outdoor kitchens.

Overall star rating: ⭐⭐

ROI: PVC isn’t quite as in-demand as other materials on this list, though it can last a decent amount of time with some upkeep. Just keep your PVC kitchen protected from the sun.

Longevity: While PVC can last for up to a century before showing its age, it tends to lose its strength from repeated heat or sunlight exposure. 

Eco-Friendliness: While PVC is compostable, its high risk of toxin exposure when burned or accidentally consumed makes it less eco-friendly than wood, stone, or HDPE.

Easy To Find: These materials for outdoor kitchens are relatively common, particularly for cabinets and shelves.

Appearance: PVC is easy to customize, offering a wide range of colors for your outdoor kitchen. They can easily complement a modern, cute, or beachy kitchen aesthetic. 

Best For Homeowners Who: 

• Don’t mind putting in a little extra work to keep their outdoor kitchen shaded
• Need a relatively easy material to find
• Are on a very tight budget 

A Decent Wood Alternative With a Few Drawbacks: Hardie Board 

Less common than stainless steel and in lower demand than HDPE, Hardie Board is a solution some homeowners choose to get the best of several worlds. While you’ll enjoy some resistance to hazards like pests or rust, there are several downsides.

Hardie board is a composite material usually made with sand, cement, and cellulose. Cellulose fibers are plant-based and usually come from the bark of trees. The concept behind Hardie Board gives you a blend of benefits, such as the durability of cement with the beauty of wood. 

On the plus side, Hardie Board doesn’t deal with the swelling or rotting that wood does. Its cement and sand mixture gives it extra resistance to moisture, ensuring outdoor kitchens in humid or rainy areas hold up over time.

On the downside, these materials for outdoor kitchens have a higher chance of splitting, cracking, or breaking. It’s also not quite as common as stainless steel or aluminum – I don’t see many brands offer it these days, honestly. 

Overall star rating: ⭐⭐⭐

ROI: Since Hardie Board kitchens aren’t as in-demand as HDPE outdoor kitchens or stainless steel models, the ROI is unlikely to be particularly high. 

Longevity: Hardie Board has a decent lifespan, often lasting a few decades before showing wear and tear. If you plan to pass your home down the generations, though, that may not be good enough.

Eco-Friendliness: Since these materials for outdoor kitchens are made from all-natural sand, cement, and bark-based fibers, it poses absolutely no harm to the environment. 

Easy To Find: Hardie Board’s mixed bag of traits makes it a less popular material for outdoor kitchen brands. It’s mostly commonly used as paneling for cabinets or door frames.

Appearance: Since Hardie Board is receptive to paint, you’ll have more flexibility in the patterns, colors, and textures of your outdoor kitchen.

Best For Homeowners Who: 

• Enjoy the appearance of wood, but want a material more resistant to pests and moisture
• Don’t plan on selling their home anytime soon 
• Want very eco-friendly materials for outdoor kitchens

A Classic Material That’s Not Very Durable: Wood 

Wood’s natural origins make it seem like the perfect materials for outdoor kitchens. As it stands, it’s somewhere in the middle – not the worst pick for an outdoor kitchen, but pretty close.

With its flammability and tendency to rot or warp, wood isn’t a dependable outdoor kitchen option. It’s certainly not a hands-off one, either, since it needs varnishing or wood impregnation to hold up to the weather.

The two types of wood on the table are softwood and hardwood – these terms refer to specific types of trees that have different levels of hardness.

Softwood

From pine trees to cedar, softwoods are known for growing faster than hardwood trees. As a result, they’re characteristically ‘softer’ in both their appearance and their structure.

Softwood has lighter colors and woodgrain patterns – they also respond well to wood treatments such as paint and varnishes. Sadly, they aren’t as tough as hardwood and are more prone to scratching or chipping. 

These materials for outdoor kitchens are pretty rare — homeowners usually keep them to decorative fencing or maybe a spare shelf.

Hardwood

Coming from hardy trees such as maple and oak, hardwood earned its title for being denser and longer-lasting than its softwood counterpart. Since these trees grow more slowly, they develop more complex fibers that result in a longer-lasting piece of furniture. 

This material is more common for wood-based outdoor kitchens since it’s more resistant to scratches and doesn’t catch fire as easily as softwood. That said, it is still wood and should be kept far away from a grill, open flame or cables.

Overall Star Rating: ⭐⭐

ROI: If you want a higher ROI, hardwood is the way to go. Softwood is simply too prone to chipping and scratches – it also needs regular varnishing to remain suitable for the outdoors.

Longevity: Hardwood can last for a few decades provided it’s professionally treated. Softwood has a shorter lifespan and rarely lasts for more than fifteen years before it shows wear and tear.

Eco-Friendliness: Wood is a fundamentally eco-friendly material and can be easily repurposed back into the environment. 

Easy To Find: Wooden furniture and accessories are easy to find, but whether or not you find options suitable for an outdoor kitchen is unlikely. Wood fixtures simply aren’t dependable materials for outdoor kitchens with how sensitive they are to heat and humidity.

Appearance: Wood is rustic and beautiful, sporting all sorts of natural patterns and textures that look fetching in a number of aesthetics. Softwood also receives paint well due to its softer surface. However, you can get the benefits of a wood texture without all the downsides with HDPE alternatives. 

Best For Homeowners Who: 

• Are willing to commit to professional treatment and upkeep for wooden furniture
• Don’t plan on installing heat-based appliances like grills, ovens, or fire pits
• Want materials for outdoor kitchens that are easy to recycle

An Easy-To-Find Option With Poor Durability: Stucco 

A popular type of siding for homes, stucco is an outdoor kitchen option for homeowners who want to try something other than wood or metal. While it’s fairly easy to find, it’s not a long-lasting option if you want to pass down your kitchen to the next generation.

Firstly, let’s break down what stucco is made out of: this material is a composite plaster made of sand, lime, and cement. Similar to Hardie Board, stucco provides multiple benefits in one handy place.

With its fire-resistant make-up and ability to resist mold and rot, stucco seems like a no-brainer when searching for materials for outdoor kitchens.

Sadly, that’s where the benefits end. Stucco isn’t exactly tough, well-known among homeowners for its tendency to crack or buckle over time. Since your outdoor kitchens and islands need to carry all sorts of weight like boxes, bags, and food items, that could be a deal breaker!

Since it’s a type of plaster, stucco also has to be applied on top of another material. This little detail can be pretty worrisome if you want to have quality control on what, exactly, your outdoor kitchen is made out of. 

Is your stucco plaster painted over cracked concrete or brick? For some homeowners, the risk of an unreliable paint job may be too great.

Overall Star Rating: ⭐⭐

ROI: While stucco offers a decent ROI when used as siding, it’s not viewed as in-demand compared to other materials for outdoor kitchens – stone, HDPE, and stainless steel just perform better. 

Longevity: Stucco is a very long-lasting composite material since it’s made up of different types of crushed stone. A thick, evenly applied application can last for several decades (provided it doesn’t start cracking).

Eco-Friendliness: Since stucco is made from sand, lime, and cement, it’s one of the greenest materials you can use in an outdoor kitchen.

Easy-To-Find: Stucco is relatively easy to find as a siding material, but less so for outdoor kitchen staples like islands and grills. 

Appearance: Stucco can be a little tricky to paint due to its porous surface, often needing several layers before it can show off a smooth color. Since it traps moisture easily, it has a tendency to cause bubbling and peeling in humid environments.

Best For Homeowners Who: 

• Want a very simple and low-cost outdoor kitchen that’s still resistant to common hazards
• Are willing to put in the time to find a trustworthy stucco outdoor kitchen brand

A Flexible Option With a Higher Room For Error: Welded Frame

This middleground allows homeowners creative freedom, but also demands some level of construction experience. If you want an outdoor kitchen that’s partially constructed by a manufacturer, but leaves room for DIY additions, the welded frame may be the option for you. 

If you want some room to customize your kitchen as you see fit, some outdoor kitchen companies will put together welded frames to help you create staples such as:

• Pizza ovens
• Side burners
• Refrigerators
• Storage

These welded frames often come with long-lasting materials for outdoor kitchens such as aluminum, stone, and galvanized steel. That last material is an important distinction from stainless steel, which lacks the iron and zinc of its galvanized counterpart.

This mixture creates a frame that’s more resistant to corrosion and rust. When it comes to dependable materials for outdoor kitchens, you can do worse than trying your hand at a custom frame.

Overall Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

ROI: If you choose a dependable option like galvanized steel or aluminum, you could contribute a higher ROI to your (eventually) finished outdoor kitchen. However, this exact number will fluctuate depending on what, exactly, you outfit the rest of your kitchen with.  

Longevity: This detail is up to you! If you outfit your welded frame with tough staples like stone, HDPE, and stainless steel, your outdoor kitchen could hold strong for several decades. If you use cheap PVC or sensitive wood, you can kiss a few decades goodbye. 

Eco-Friendliness: If you purchase a welded frame made out of steel or aluminum, you’ll be good to go on the green kitchen front. 

Easy-To-Find: Welded frames are an increasingly popular choice for homeowners who want a little DIY, but don’t want to do the entire outdoor kitchen from scratch. 

Appearance: This last detail is also up to you! Since you’re only being given the welded frame, you decide whether the appearance has the colors or patterns you’ve been craving.

Best For Homeowners Who:

• Want a higher level of control over their materials for outdoor kitchen
• Have construction experience and don’t mind getting their hands dirty

A Lovely, Yet High-Maintenance Solution: Tile 

Last but not least, tile is an elegant and flexible option that could pad out your outdoor kitchen countertops (and flooring). These types of countertops are visually lovely, but have become a bygone option due to their time-consuming nature.

If you use glazed ceramic or porcelain tiles, you’ll enjoy protection against common issues like mold, rust, and staining. You’ll also get a plethora of enchanting options to choose from when it comes to patterns, colors, and tile arrangement styles. 

However, tile countertops are rather difficult to clean because of the grooves and grout, both of which can gather food, moisture, and dirt. You’ll need to seal your grout on a semi-regular basis – usually every year – to protect them from gradual damage. 

Generally, tiles tend to fare better in indoor kitchens than as materials for outdoor kitchens.

Overall Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

ROI: If you choose a durable option like porcelain, you don’t have to worry about tiles reducing your ROI much. That said, their need for regular upkeep to protect from dirt or cracking doesn’t make this the best option for long-term value.

Longevity: Tiles need regular sealing and cleaning to keep them from cracking or staining. With a little maintenance, your ceramic or porcelain tiles can last several decades – maybe even a century.

Eco-Friendliness: Since tiles are made with natural stones and clays, they remain eco-friendly materials for outdoor kitchens. 

Easy-To-Find: Since tiles are a staple addition for both indoor and outdoor kitchens, they’re incredibly easy to find.

Appearance: Easily one of the biggest appeals of tiles for outdoor kitchens are their stunning colors, patterns, and textures. You can easily mix and match them to create a unique work of art.

Best For Homeowners Who: 

• Want a higher level of customization for their kitchen countertops or flooring
• Are prepared for yearly sealing and regular cleaning to keep tiles protected
• Enjoy DIY projects (tile setting can be a richly rewarding experience)

What’s the Difference Between Prefab Outdoor Kitchens vs Custom Outdoor Kitchens?

A prefab outdoor kitchen is already built and ready to go, an affordable option for most homeowners. A custom outdoor kitchen is built from scratch, allowing you to change everything from the color to the accessories. 

Customizing materials for outdoor kitchens is often more expensive if you plan on adding accessories or want to discuss every part of the construction process with the manufacturer. For some homeowners, the ability to create their one, true dream kitchen is worth the price!

How Much Does an Outdoor Kitchen Add to Home Value?

Expect anywhere from 100% to 200% to your home value, though this number will fluctuate depending on the quality of your materials, accessories, and regular maintenance. 

Do You Need Planning Permission for an Outdoor Kitchen? 

You only need planning permission if you want to install any electrical and plumbing accessories or if you use a concrete foundation. Some outdoor kitchen and outdoor cabinet brands don’t require a permit since they don’t screw their kitchen foundations into the ground.

Your Materials For Outdoor Kitchens Should Be Safe And Dependable 

When an outdoor kitchen can cost upwards of $20,000, you should only use the toughest materials available. If you want materials that last a long time, are easy to customize, and/or hold up to most outdoor hazards, the best choices are:

• HDPE
• Stone
• Stainless steel

On the other hand, the most hazardous, brittle, and/or high-maintenance materials for outdoor kitchens are:

• Wood
• PVC
• Stucco

Your outdoor kitchen space is an investment that deserves a fine level of detail. You want a space where you can relax, cook, and hang out with friends without worry, right? In the future, you may even pass your kitchen down to the next generation or as a main draw when selling your home.

With the right materials, you won’t need to do any guesswork: just relax and let them take care of the rest.

Ready to start planning what your outdoor kitchen is going to look like next? You’ll love these fun design guides:

• 4 Delightful Outdoor Kitchen Cover Ideas to Maximize Comfort
• 23 Outdoor Sink Ideas That Will Make Your Life Easier [Pics]
• Which Outdoor Kitchen Counter Height and Depth is The Best?