A custom outdoor kitchen means the island is built to your dimensions instead of you rearranging your patio to fit a box. We build them on a welded aluminum frame, priced by the linear foot, finished in whatever material you want.
Pricing starts at $281.75 per linear foot for the bare frame and $343.85 per foot ready to finish. An 8-foot run lands around $2,750 before appliances and finish material โ against $20,000 and up for the same kitchen built in block by a crew.
Outdoor Kitchen Design: How It Works
There are three steps between a rough idea and an island sized to your patio, and the first one takes about five minutes.
1
Send us a sketch
A napkin sketch with measurements is genuinely enough. Give us the length of each run, where you want the grill, and whether you're on a patio, pavers or a wood deck. A photo of the space helps.
2
We send back a drawing
You get a computer rendering of your kitchen with the dimensions on it, sized to the real cutouts of the appliances you want โ usually the same day or the next business day. Want something moved? We redraw it as many times as it takes.
3
You approve it, then it's built
Nothing is welded until you have signed off on the drawing. Your island is then made to those measurements, every appliance cutout in place, and shipped to your address by freight truck.
The drawing and the revisions are free, and there is no obligation to order at the end of it.
Free Custom Outdoor Kitchen Quote
Free layout drawing
Send us your dimensions. We'll draw it free.
A napkin sketch with measurements is genuinely enough to start. You'll get back a scaled drawing of your kitchen with the dimensions on it and a price โ usually the same day or the next business day, and we'll redraw it until it's right.
Get My Free Design Call 1-800-914-0074 Email sales@optimaloutdooroasis.com
No charge and no obligation. Tell us the length of each run, what you want built in, and whether you're on a patio or a deck.
Custom Outdoor Kitchen Prices
Everything is priced per linear foot, so you pay for the size you actually want.
Ready to finish โ you clad it
| Configuration | Per foot | 6-foot run | 8-foot run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frame only | $281.75 | $1,691 | $2,254 |
| Frame with cement board, ready to finish | $343.85 | $2,063 | $2,751 |
| With backsplash | $379.50 | $2,277 | $3,036 |
| With raised bar | $425.50 | $2,553 | $3,404 |
| With raised bar and foot rest | $468.05 | $2,808 | $3,744 |
That is what arrives: a welded frame, cement board already on it, every appliance cutout in place. You or your mason then finish it in stone veneer, tile, stucco or brick. That material is bought separately and is where the budget really moves.
Finished aluminum cladding โ arrives done
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| 6 ft finished clad island | $5,452 |
| 8 ft finished clad island | $7,155 |
| Custom clad island, any length | $908 per foot |
| Granite countertop, 72โณ | $1,467.75 |
| Granite countertop, 101โณ | $2,156.25 |
Small add-ons
- Outdoor-rated electrical box โ $40.25
- Extra-strength leveling legs, pair โ $43.70
- Upgrade from ยผโณ to ยฝโณ cement board โ $21.23
- 6โณ hydro-membrane sealer on the base โ $46.00
Appliances and countertops are separate unless quoted together. Paying by bank transfer saves you 3%. Freight is quoted to your address and billed separately โ we don't hide it in the price.
What "Custom" Actually Means Here
Most companies selling a "custom outdoor kitchen" mean you pick a door color. We mean the structure itself is made to your measurements.
The build starts as a 6061-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum frame, welded to your layout, with every appliance cutout already installed. You or your installer clad it in stone veneer, tile, stucco, brick or powder-coated aluminum panels โ so it matches the house instead of announcing that it came out of a catalog. The frame carries over 3,000 lbs; the manufacturer once set a full pallet of concrete on one to prove it.
Aluminum is the reason it works: light enough to sit on a deck, and it will not rust like steel or rot like a wood-framed island. The finishing materials are non-combustible, so no insulating jacket is needed around the grill.
Finish Options: What You Can Clad It In
The island arrives with cement board already on the frame. What goes over that is entirely your choice, and it is the decision that makes the kitchen look like it belongs to your house rather than to a catalog.
| Finish | The look | Who installs it | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural stone veneer | Real cut stone, matched to a wall or patio you already have | A mason | The dearest of the finishes and the heaviest. Add the hydro-membrane sealer at the base. |
| Stacked stone or tile | Panelised stone strips or porcelain tile, lots of colour choice | A tile setter | Goes on faster than cut stone. Use an outdoor-rated adhesive and grout, not interior. |
| Stucco | Smooth or textured render, painted to match the house | A stucco or plaster crew | Usually the cheapest way to finish it, and the easiest to colour-match later. |
| Brick | Traditional, matches an existing brick house | A mason | Heavier and slower to lay. Think twice if the island is going on a deck. |
| Powder-coated aluminum panels | Wood-grain or solid colour, clean modern edges | Nobody โ it arrives already clad | No trade to hire and no wet work. Costs more up front, less overall. |
The two routes, in plain numbers
Ready to finish is $343.85 per foot and you buy the finish material and the labour locally. Fully clad in aluminum is $908 per foot and arrives done.
That gap โ about $564 a foot โ is what you are paying to skip the finishing work entirely. On an 8-foot run that is roughly $4,400. Whether that is a good trade depends on what a mason charges where you live and how much you want to project-manage. Stone and tile on an 8-footer will often land in the same territory once material and labour are both in.
The finish material itself is bought locally and is the widest variable in the whole budget. Stucco is usually the cheapest route, natural stone the most expensive, with tile and brick in between.
Countertops
You can also have your own fabricator template and cut a top once the island is set, which is the usual route if you want a stone that matches something else in the yard. Tell us which way you are going and we will quote it either with or without.
Outdoor Kitchen Layouts We Can Build
| Layout | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Straight run | Against a wall, along a fence line, on a narrow patio | Prep space gets tight past one appliance |
| L-shaped | Corners, and separating the hot zone from the serving zone | Needs about 10 x 10 feet of clear floor |
| U-shaped | You want the cook inside the work triangle with guests outside it | The most floor space of any layout |
| Curved | Wrapping a pool deck, following a seating wall or a round patio | Curves go on the back or ends โ built-in appliances need a flat face |
This is the kind of drawing you get back โ your dimensions, your appliances, sized to the manufacturer's real cutouts, before a single weld happens.
The curved option is the one almost nobody else offers. A curved outdoor kitchen is not a bent countertop dropped on a straight box โ the frame itself follows the arc, welded round in the shop. If your patio is round, or your pool has a radius, this is how you stop fighting it.
It Works With the Grill You Already Have
The frame is cut to the appliance, not the other way around. Any brand of built-in grill, side burner, power burner, refrigerator, ice maker, drawer stack or trash pull-out can be built in.
If you already own a grill you like, keep it. Send us the brand and model number and we'll lay the opening out to the manufacturer's real dimensions so it drops in clean.
Built in, not bolted on
- Electrical outlet boxes
- Tubing for an umbrella stand
- Foot railings at bar height
- Leveling legs for a patio that isn't flat
- Cutouts for existing posts, columns or downspouts
Can a Custom Outdoor Kitchen Go on a Deck?
Usually yes, and this is the main reason people choose a frame over a concrete island.
A ready-to-finish frame runs roughly 35 lbs per linear foot; a clad frame about 30. That is light enough that most wood decks handle it without footers โ which is simply not true of a masonry or concrete kitchen, where the weight forces you into a slab.
Every deck is different, and we won't tell you yours is fine without seeing it. Have your builder confirm the load before you order. But if you have an elevated deck, a rooftop terrace or a second-floor balcony, this is the version that works. There is a fuller answer on our outdoor kitchens for decks page.
What We Need From You
- Dimensions. Length of each run, and the total space you have to work with.
- Layout. Straight, L, U or curved โ or a photo of the space and we'll suggest one.
- Appliances. Brand and model numbers for anything you want built in, including gear you already own.
- Surface. Concrete patio, pavers, or wood deck.
- Finish. Stone, tile, stucco, brick โ or clad in aluminum so it arrives done.
- Gas. Natural gas or propane.
Custom Outdoor Kitchen FAQ
How much does a custom outdoor kitchen cost?
From $281.75 per linear foot for the frame, or $343.85 ready to finish. A typical 8-foot run is about $2,750 before appliances and finish material. A finished aluminum-clad 8-footer that needs no finishing work is $7,155. Site-built masonry with a crew starts past $20,000.
Do you offer outdoor kitchen design?
Yes, and it is free. Send your dimensions and the appliances you want built in, and you'll get back a computer rendering of your kitchen with the measurements on it, along with the price. It usually comes back the same day or the next business day. There is no limit on revisions โ we redraw it until the layout is right โ and nothing is welded until you approve it.
How long does the design take to come back?
Usually the same day, or the next business day if your details arrive late in the afternoon. If you want changes, each redraw is quick and there is no charge for any of them.
What outdoor kitchen dimensions should I plan for?
Counters run 36โณ high and about 27โณ deep at the base. Leave 3 feet of clear walking space behind the cook. A straight 6-foot run suits a narrow patio; an L-shape wants roughly 10 x 10 feet of floor. Because these are priced by the linear foot, you size the kitchen to your space rather than the other way round.
What can the outside be finished in?
Natural stone veneer, stacked stone, porcelain tile, stucco, brick, or powder-coated aluminum panels in wood-grain or solid colours. The frame arrives with cement board on it, so any of those will bond to it. The aluminum option arrives already clad, with no trade to hire.
Are your cabinets compatible with other grills?
Yes โ any brand. The frame is cut to your appliance's real manufacturer dimensions, so a grill you already own gets built in rather than replaced. Send us the brand and model number.
How is this different from a prefab outdoor kitchen?
Prefab arrives in one fixed size and shape. Custom is welded to your measurements and finished in your material. Prefab is faster; custom fits a space that prefab doesn't.
Do I need a contractor?
Not for the frame โ it arrives ready to set and level, and the bolt-together system goes up in hours rather than days. You will want a licensed pro for the gas line and any electrical, and a mason or tile setter if you're cladding in stone. Choose the aluminum-clad version and there is no finishing trade at all.
Can it be built around an existing structure?
Yes. Cutouts for posts, columns and downspouts are a standard add-on. Send a photo with measurements.
Do you offer installation?
We supply, we don't install. The frame is bolt-together rather than trade work, so most owners have their existing landscaper or handyman set it. We'll answer questions from whoever does the work.
Where do you ship?
Anywhere in the continental US, by freight truck. Freight is quoted to your address and billed separately from the product.
How long does it take to build?
Custom builds are made to order, so plan on longer than a stock island. We'll give you a firm lead time with the quote.
Will it survive a coastal climate?
Aluminum doesn't rust, which is exactly why it's used for this instead of steel. Salt air is the environment it handles best.
Get a Price for Your Space
Still deciding?
Tell us the space. We'll draw it and price it.
Send measurements and a photo of the area. You'll get a scaled drawing of the kitchen and a real price for it โ usually the same day or the next business day, and not a starting-from number off a fixed-size list.
Get My Free Design Call 1-800-914-0074 Email sales@optimaloutdooroasis.com
No charge, no obligation, and no pressure to buy your appliances from us.
Same build works at a property you keep for yourself โ it just doesn't have to photograph well for a listing.