Outdoor kitchen masonry in Tuscaloosa AL - an island built around your grill
Tired of a grill cart and no counter space? We build a block-and-stone cooking island sized to your grill, with fire-safe surfaces around it.
- Appliances settled first We lay out the block around your actual grill and units.
- Fire-safe near the grill Surfaces by the grill are built from material that won't burn.
- I write the estimate I look at your yard myself and explain what I see.
- Final walk-through together Our own crew builds it, and we check it together.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
How do you know it's time to build an outdoor kitchen?
Most calls start with something on the patio that isn't working. Catching it before you buy a new grill or pour anything saves building around the wrong thing.
Wood box scorched near the grill
Dark or charred wood around a built-in grill means heat is reaching something that burns. Waiting risks a fire, and the wood keeps drying out and splitting.
Grill cart rusting on the patio
A wobbly cart with nowhere to set a plate usually means you've outgrown it. Buying another one before you plan an island often means paying twice.
Cracked patio where the island goes
A cracked or tilted slab won't carry the weight of block and stone evenly. Building on top of it lets those cracks run up into the island itself.
Stone coming loose on an old island
Loose stones or a hollow sound when you tap the face usually mean water got behind the veneer. Each season you wait, more of the face lets go.
Crumbling mortar between the blocks
Joints that turn to sand when you scratch them let water into the island's core. Raking out and refilling them early is small work, but left alone the blocks start to shift.
Grill doesn't fit its opening
Gaps, shims or a grill that won't slide in mean the opening was built for another model. A new grill usually won't fit either, so the opening gets rebuilt.
Outdoor kitchen masonry, from slab to stone
I ask you to pick your grill and other appliances before we lay out any block, because openings built around the wrong sizes have to be torn out, and that rework eats the budget. Once your units are settled, our crew pours a reinforced concrete slab, sets the concrete block base on it with each opening sized to the unit that goes there, and faces the block with stone veneer, a thin layer of stone, so it's ready for countertops. Everything near the grill gets built from material that won't burn, not just the base, because one grill maker's install guide calls for that on the island, the countertops and the work areas beside a built-in grill, and we work to the install guide for the grill you choose. The size of the island, the number of openings and the stone you pick move the price most, and the gas work and the countertop shop set the schedule, so the estimate I write after seeing your yard is where you get your own figure.
Most outdoor kitchens connect to something else in the yard. If the trip from the back door to the island crosses wet grass or loose gravel, our walkway construction gives you solid footing while you carry plates, and a low seat wall or screen from our brick wall installation work can tie the cooking area into the patio.
What happens when you call about an outdoor kitchen in Tuscaloosa?
Here's how an outdoor kitchen job runs, from your first call through the build to the walk-through we do together at the end.
Call or send the form
Call or send the form, and I'll come out to look at the spot with you. Have your appliance list and each unit's size ready.
Get a written estimate
I show you what I'm seeing, from the patio to the path out, and write up the estimate for the island we talked through.
Sort permits, then build
If you go ahead, we settle any permit questions first. Then our crew pours, lays block and sets stone while I check in on site.
Walk the finished island
With the site cleaned up, we walk the island together. That's the time to check each opening against your appliances, before the countertops go on.
Why Tuscaloosa homeowners call D&L Tuscaloosa Concrete and Masonry
I write your estimate myself
The person who measures your yard also checks the build on site, so nothing gets lost between the estimate and the crew.
In business since 2017
Nine years in, I still explain every step, so you can tell a solid build from a quick one.
Licensed and insured on your job
We're licensed and insured, so you can ask for proof of both before our crew sets up in your yard.
Historic district checked first
If your home might sit in a Tuscaloosa historic district, we check before scheduling anything, so the rules are known up front.
Get an outdoor kitchen estimate built around your appliances
Tell us your address, the grill and units you've picked and their sizes, and we'll reply within one business day. I come out, look at the spot with you and write up a free estimate, with no obligation.
Outdoor kitchen ideas to browse
Look through these examples of block, stone and brick outdoor kitchens to find the shape, stone and layout you'd like for your own yard.
Outdoor kitchen questions we hear
These are the questions Tuscaloosa homeowners usually ask before they commit to a build. If yours isn't here, call and ask about your own yard.
How much does outdoor kitchen masonry cost in Tuscaloosa?
The cost comes mostly from the size and shape of the island, how many appliance openings it needs and the stone you choose to face it. A straight run with one grill opening costs less than an L-shape with a side burner, a fridge and storage doors, and a bigger slab adds to it too. I give you your own figure in the written estimate after I've seen the spot.
How long does it take to build a masonry outdoor kitchen?
One guide puts the masonry on a standard L-shaped outdoor kitchen at 7 to 12 working days, from the slab through the stone veneer and cleanup. Plan on more than that, because countertop fabrication has a 2 to 3 week lead time and the other trades have to be scheduled too.
Do I need a permit for an outdoor kitchen in Tuscaloosa?
Expect to need one, since the City of Tuscaloosa requires permits for all new construction, remodels and alterations, and its Building and Inspection Division handles residential permits. When your job needs a permit, we handle the application with that office before anything is scheduled.
Are there extra rules for building near Lake Tuscaloosa or in a historic district?
Yes, extra city requirements can apply. The city lists a Land Development Permit for projects beside Lake Tuscaloosa and a Site Stabilization Plan for projects in the Lake Tuscaloosa, Harris Lake or Lake Nicol watersheds, and the Office of the City Engineer answers questions on both. Inside a Tuscaloosa Historic District, more rules may apply, and Planning and Zoning answers those questions.
How do I get a gas line run to a built-in grill?
Gas work is done by journeyman gas fitters, whom Alabama's Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board certifies after they pass its exam and who hold a current annual certificate from the board. The line goes in after the block is up and before the stone goes on, so ask how the trades are scheduled in that window. One grill maker's guide also calls for vent holes at the top and bottom of the island in case gas leaks, so check the manual for your own grill.
Does an outdoor kitchen contractor need a license in Alabama?
It can, depending on what the job costs. Alabama's Home Builders Licensure Board counts building, remodeling or improving a residential structure as home builder work when labor and materials exceed $10,000, unless the work falls outside the board's jurisdiction. It's fair to ask any contractor how that applies to the size of your job.
Where we build outdoor kitchens
We're based in Tuscaloosa and build in Northport, McCalla and the cities around them. Pick your area below, or call us about your address.
Plan your outdoor kitchen before the first block
We take calls seven days a week, so call (205) 579-1102 tonight or this weekend, or send the form when it suits you.