Outdoor kitchen masonry in Hilo HI - a counter built around the grill you picked
Tired of cooking off a wobbly cart? We build a block base around your grill and appliances and finish it in stone.
- Service
- Outdoor kitchen masonry
- Call
- (808) 229-1042
How do you know it's time for a built-in outdoor kitchen?
Grill on a rusty cart
You're cooking on a cart that wobbles or rusts, with nowhere to set a plate down. That usually means you've outgrown it, and every year you wait is another cart you replace instead of a counter that stays put.
Stone coming loose on the base
Pieces of stone or facing are cracking off an older counter. That usually means water got behind it or the base underneath moved, and the longer it sits, the more water gets in and the more falls off.
Water sitting inside the base
You open a door in the counter and find puddles or damp. That usually means the base has no way to drain, and water left in there keeps soaking the block and the mortar around it.
What goes into building an outdoor kitchen in Hilo?
Outdoor kitchen masonry in Hilo means building a concrete block base around the grill and appliances you've chosen, then covering it with a finish, most often stone veneer, which is a stone face set in mortar over the block. When it's built in the right order, every appliance fits and water has a way out.
Most people who call us are cooking on a cart or an old base that's falling apart, and they want one solid counter for the grill, maybe a sink or a fridge. The price moves with the size of the counter, how many appliances it holds, the finish you pick and the shape of the slab or ground it sits on. The schedule turns mostly on how soon your appliances are picked and how quickly the plumber and electrician can fit in between the block and the stone. We're licensed and insured, we're based in Hilo and we build these in Hilo, Hawaiian Paradise Park and the cities around them, and I put your own figure in a written estimate after I measure.
Details to note before an estimate
- Rough size and shape of the counter
- Grill and appliances you plan to use
- Sink, fridge or power you want
- Where it sits near the house
- Existing slab or patio and its condition
How we build outdoor kitchen masonry
I ask you to pick your grill and appliances before we lay out any block, because the openings have to fit the actual units, and rebuilding a wall to fit a different grill means paying for it twice. Then our crew lays the concrete block base and stops there, so the plumber and electrician can run their lines to the right spots while the block is open and before stone covers it. Once they're done, the stone goes on in layers, metal lath over the block, a base coat of mortar called a scratch coat, then the stone set in mortar. We clean the joints and the site as we finish each part, so you're not left with mortar on the patio.
Most outdoor kitchens tie into the yard around them. If the counter sits away from the house, we can build a path out to it as part of our walkway construction work, and if you want a seat wall or a wall that closes in the cooking area, we plan it in from the start as brick wall installation.
Work that often goes with an outdoor kitchen
Walkway construction
A firm, even path from the house to your cooking area keeps mud off your shoes and gives guests safe footing after dark.
Brick wall installation
A low brick wall can close in the cooking area, hold a planter or give people a place to sit beside the counter.
What happens when you call about an outdoor kitchen in Hilo?
Call or send the form
Call (808) 229-1042 or use the form, and we set a time for me to come out to your property. Tell us roughly what you want to cook on and where it should go.
I measure and write it up
I come out, measure the space and look at the slab and the ground before I price anything. You get a written estimate that lays out the scope, and if an engineer is part of the job, I tell you that up front.
Our crew builds it as written
Our own crew builds the block, leaves the gap for the plumber and electrician, then sets the stone, with me running it on site. If something turns up once the job is open, I talk it through with you before we change course.
We walk it together
Before we call it done, I walk the finished counter with you and check every opening, joint and drain. Every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Questions about outdoor kitchen masonry
Do I need a licensed contractor to build an outdoor kitchen in Hawaii?
Yes, in most cases, because Hawaii generally requires anyone who offers or contracts to do residential construction or improvements to hold a contractor license. The state's contractor licensing rules list separate classes for masonry, cement concrete and stone masonry contractors, so ask anyone you're considering which class they hold.
How much does an outdoor kitchen cost in Hilo?
I give you a figure after I've measured your space, not over the phone, because the price comes from your own layout. Each appliance opening adds layout and cutting, a sink or power means plumbing and electrical work in the middle of the job, and a slab that needs fixing adds work before any block goes down. Your written estimate lays all of that out so you can see what you're paying for.
How do I keep water from collecting in an outdoor kitchen base?
Slope the slab away from the house and give any closed-in section of the base drain holes, which is what contractor guidance for these builds calls for so water can't sit inside. I watch this closely, because water that gets in and stays is what breaks down mortar later. Ask any mason you talk to how their design sheds water, and I'll show you where ours goes.
Is white powder on new stone a problem?
Usually not, because that white film is efflorescence, a salt deposit that sometimes shows up on masonry, and it may look untidy but won't affect how the base performs. Heavy white streaks right below the mortar joints, or deposits over whole patches, are different, because they mean water got in or is getting in higher up. If you see that, I trace where it's coming in above the stain before anything gets cleaned or patched.
Will a sealer keep water out of my outdoor kitchen?
A sealer helps, but it shouldn't be the only thing keeping water out. Surface treatments cut down how much water gets into masonry, and they work alongside the rest of the design, like the slab's slope and the drain holes above. When someone offers you a sealer, ask what else in the design keeps water out.
How long does it take to build an outdoor kitchen?
It takes as long as the three stages need to follow each other, so I give you dates once your appliances are picked and the trades are lined up. The block goes up first, the plumber and electrician do their part in the gap we leave, and the stone goes on last. The written estimate sets out that order so you know who's on site when.
Get a written plan and price for your outdoor kitchen
We respond within 1 business day. The estimate is free and done in person at your property, with no pressure to book. After you send this, we set a time, I come out and measure, and you get the scope in writing.
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Send us your grill and appliance list
If you already know the models, I can lay out the block openings around their real sizes on the first visit.