Outdoor kitchen masonry in Vacaville CA - an island built around your grill
Grill stuck on a cart out in the weather? We build a block island sized to your appliances and finished in stone, brick or stucco.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What goes into building an outdoor kitchen in Vacaville?
The short answer: Outdoor kitchen masonry is the block and stone part of an outdoor kitchen. In Vacaville, CA, that means we build a concrete block island around your grill and appliances, then face it in stone, brick or stucco so it looks finished instead of gray.
Most people call us with a grill picked out, or close to it, and a spot on the patio in mind. The price moves with the size and shape of the island, how many appliance openings it has, which finish goes over the block and whether the slab under it is new or already there and sound. The schedule depends on more than our block work, because any gas, power or water lines get run in after the block goes up and before the finish goes on, so those trades' calendars and your countertop order set the pace as much as we do. The estimate is where you get your own figure.
When does it make sense to build an outdoor kitchen island?
Grill parked on a cart
A grill on a cart gets wheeled out, uncovered, covered and wheeled back, and the tongs and plates live in the house. That usually means you cook outside often enough to want counter space beside the heat, and every season on the cart is another season of hauling.
Wood framing around the grill
An older island built with wood studs and siding often shows scorch marks, swollen panels or a soft spot near the grill. That framing is drying out and charring a little at a time, and the longer it goes, the more of it has to come out.
Loose stone or cracked counter
Stone that sounds hollow or pops off, or a countertop cracked across an opening, usually means the base moved or water got in behind the facing. Left alone, water keeps working in every wet season, and a few loose stones turn into a whole side of them.
How we build outdoor kitchen masonry
It starts with your grill and appliances, picked and measured, before I lay out a single block, because the openings get built to their sizes and changing them after the block is up costs you. From there we prep or pour the slab, build the block structure with each opening where your layout puts it, and leave things ready for any lines to be run in before the finish goes on. Everything around a built-in grill is block, stone and other material that won't burn, with no wood anywhere near the heat. Then we lay the finish, set the countertop once it arrives and clean up.
Most outdoor kitchens need a way to get to them and something around them. If the path from the back door is dirt or a cracked strip of concrete, we can take on the walkway construction in the same job so the path and slab meet at the right height. For a wind break, some privacy or a back wall behind the island, our brick wall installation can match the kitchen's finish.
Stone veneer finish
Thin real or manufactured stone set in mortar over the block suits someone who wants the island to look like it was built from solid rock. It's the slowest of the three to put on, and worth it if that look matters to you.
Brick facing
Brick over the block suits a house that already has brick on it, like a chimney, a planter or a garden wall, so the kitchen looks like it was always there. It gives a square, tidy look that stands up to sun and heat.
Stucco over block
A smooth or textured stucco coat suits a stucco house and a tighter budget, since it goes on faster than setting stone piece by piece. It can be tinted to match, and a chipped spot is easy to patch.
What happens after you call us about an outdoor kitchen?
Here's how it goes from your first call to the final walkthrough, and who does what along the way. The city's inspection schedule is the one piece we can't set, so I've put it where it lands.
- Step 01
Call us or send the form
Call (707) 452-3329 or use the form, and tell us which grill and appliances you've picked, with their sizes if you have them. That way I come out with your layout already in mind.
- Step 02
I come out and measure
I look at the patio, the slab and where your lines would run, and tell you straight what I'd do now and what can wait. I write down what I saw and what I'd do about it, so you have the plan and your number on paper before you decide anything.
- Step 03
We handle permits and inspections
If your job needs a permit, we handle the application and set up the city's inspections, which happen only on city business days and not on holidays. Someone should be available from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM on inspection day, since the city doesn't promise a morning or afternoon slot.
- Step 04
Build, clean up, walk through
Our crew builds the slab, block and finish, and we clean up when the work's done. Before we call it finished, I walk the kitchen with you and check every opening against your appliances.
Outdoor kitchen masonry in Vacaville and what changes it here
In Vacaville, the city's Building Division reviews and inspects all new construction and improvements to existing structures inside city limits, and it works from California's state building rules plus the city's own changes to them. Which parts of an outdoor kitchen need a permit isn't something I'll guess at, so we check with the division before we start, handle the application, which the city now takes online, and set up the inspections. I'll tell you up front if yours is one of those jobs.
Vacaville summers run hot and dry, and fresh mortar in afternoon sun dries out before it cures, so on hot days we start early and keep the work covered and damp. We're based in Vacaville and work in the cities around it, and we see the same backyards and the same heat on jobs in Fairfield and Davis.
Get a free estimate for your outdoor kitchen
Send the form with your grill and appliance picks, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation.
Why Vacaville homeowners call Brickline Vacaville Concrete and Masonry
I come out to every job
I look at every job myself before there's a price, and I work alongside the crew that builds it. The person who measured your grill opening is there when the block goes up around it.
In business since 2017
I learned masonry doing upkeep for a property management company, mostly fixing work somebody else had rushed, and started this business in 2017. That's why I'd rather settle your layout on paper than tear out a wrong opening later.
Licensed and insured in California
California licenses masonry contractors for block, brick and stone work, the materials an outdoor kitchen is built from. Ask anyone bidding your island about their license, and we'll answer that question before you have to ask it.
Told what you don't need
If your existing slab is sound enough to build on, I'll say so instead of selling you a new one. Our work is satisfaction guaranteed, and that starts with not doing work you didn't need.
On an outdoor kitchen, the choice that matters most is made before we start, and that's which appliances go in it. Once you have them picked, call (707) 452-3329 or send us the form and I'll come take a look.
Outdoor kitchen questions from Vacaville homeowners
How much does outdoor kitchen masonry cost in Vacaville?
There's no honest number until I've seen your patio and your appliance list, because the island's size, openings and finish set most of the price. Stone set by hand costs more than stucco, and a slab that can't carry the island has to be replaced first. You get your own figure on the estimate.
How long does an outdoor kitchen take to build?
One national estimating guide puts the masonry for a standard L-shaped outdoor kitchen at 7 to 12 working days. In that guide's schedule, the slab takes 1 to 2 days, the block 2 to 3 and the stone veneer 3 to 4, and it says to plan around the other trades and a 2 to 3 week lead time on the countertop. Ordering the counter early keeps it from holding up the end of the job.
What is the most popular finish for an outdoor kitchen island?
Stone veneer, a thin facing of real or manufactured stone, is the most popular finish according to one estimating guide. It goes on over metal mesh and a rough first coat of mortar, with each stone set in mortar, so it's its own stage after the block work. Brick and stucco also work well over block, and I'll talk through how each would look against your house.
What materials can surround a built-in grill?
Only materials that won't burn, going by one grill maker's built-in guide, which says its grills are made for non-combustible enclosures only. That maker says the cabinet frame, cabinet and countertop all have to be non-combustible, and that a qualified installer should put the grill in to local codes. Check your own grill's guide before we lay out the island, since it decides what we build around it.
Who reviews new construction in Vacaville?
The city's Building Division reviews and inspects new construction and improvements to existing structures inside Vacaville city limits. If your outdoor kitchen needs a permit, that's where it comes from, and we deal with the division for you.
How do I keep water from pooling around an outdoor kitchen?
Ask how the slab will slope away from the house and where the drain holes go in any closed-in base sections, because one estimating guide calls for both to keep water from standing. Water trapped in a block base sits against the mortar and whatever you store in there, so it's worth settling at the estimate.
Related masonry work for your backyard
Walkway construction
A solid path from the back door to the island keeps people off wet grass carrying plates, and we can build it to meet your slab.
Brick wall installation
A brick wall behind the island blocks afternoon wind and the neighbor's view, and it can match the brick on your house or your island.
Send us your grill and appliance list
Our hours run 6 AM to 11 PM, seven days a week, so call (707) 452-3329 whenever your list is ready.