An outdoor kitchen is what we like to call a “legacy project” for your home. It’s an addition to your home that you want done right the first time and a build that will need to stand up to the test of time. Unlike your indoor kitchen, your outdoor kitchen will be subject to the most extreme weather. Choosing an outdoor kitchen contractor who understands how materials will respond to these elements is crucial. You should also want to choose a contractor who understands your lifestyle, your cooking style, and has the experience to recommend all the amenities and features to keep you and your family outside and enjoying the culinary experience while creating lasting memories.
Below you’ll find tips, red flags, and important questions you should ask your contractor prior to starting your outdoor kitchen build.
Do Your Initial Homework Online BEFORE You Speak with a Contractor
Before you even begin to speak with contractors for your outdoor kitchen build, a simple online search can give you much insight into other homeowners’ experience with the contractor. Look on review websites like Google that don’t allow the business to modify their reviews which will offer an unabashed take on their full experience. Avoid contractors who were late to appointments, dragged out the build because they put too much on their plate, or fly-by-night contractors who didn’t return to address build issues.
Make a master list of outdoor kitchen contractors that have 4.5+ stars on online review sites and start from there.
Experience Matters - Especially When Choosing an Outdoor Kitchen Contractor
You’ve heard the old adage “Practice makes perfect”. This holds true with landscape architects, outdoor kitchen designers, and outdoor contractors in general. Would you rather have your outdoor kitchen pieced together by a lawn maintenance company just beginning to dabble in building outdoor kitchens or would you rather move forward with an experienced hardscape builder with many seasons of building outdoor kitchens under his or her belt?
A seasoned builder has seen it all – and returned to projects to fix it all – which means your outdoor kitchen benefits from less future call backs to your contractor for things that could go wrong. These unforeseen events can include the shifting in materials your outdoor kitchen is constructed from, crackling or peeling of concrete countertops, grills and appliances that won’t last in the environment you live in, settling of base materials, and much more. We recommend you move forward with an outdoor kitchen builder that has at least 25 outdoor kitchens under their belt and at least 3 years of experience in specifically building outdoor kitchens.
Walk-through Outdoor Kitchen Referrals
When you view beautiful outdoor kitchen builds in a contractor’s portfolio, you’re looking at an absolute best-case scenario. A professional photographer, perfect lighting, and most importantly, a photoshoot that occurred just days or weeks after the outdoor kitchen was built. What if you could visit an outdoor kitchen build months, or even years, after it was built to see how it has held up over time and speak directly with the homeowner about their experience with the build?
Well, that’s exactly what we recommend. Ask your potential outdoor kitchen contractor for specific names and phone numbers of customers in their portfolio with outdoor kitchens similar in style to what you’re looking for. You’d be surprised at how many homeowners would be happy to give you a firsthand tour of their outdoor kitchen and even offer advice as to what they may have changed if they could build it all over again. This insight is not only helpful in choosing your contractor but can offer you new perspectives on your own build that would have never occurred to you otherwise.
Choose an Outdoor Kitchen Contractor with Access to Many Build Materials and Appliance Brands
Currently the US is experiencing an outdoor kitchen revolution. As more homeowner desire to make their home their sanctuary away from world, there has never been a better selection of build materials, cabinet styles, grill technology, and appliance selections available on the market. From an ultra-modern aluminum outdoor kitchen built to last decades of harsh weather, to sleek stainless steel outdoor kitchens, to cast-concrete outdoor kitchens that look and feel like real stone, there is a cabinet style and build material that will perfectly match your style and your budget.
Appliance manufacturers have also recognized this outdoor trend in home building and remodeling and have begun offering grills that sear, smoke, bake and roast – all controlled by your smart phone. Also available are outdoor appliances that were once only available for your indoor kitchen such as wine coolers, hibachi grills, and even outdoor rated dishwashers to make clean-up after an evening of entertaining a breeze.
Lesser outdoor kitchen contractors will choose a brand they’re familiar with and has a nice mark-up for them and push that brand onto the customer for their build. Seek out an outdoor kitchen contractor that has a large array of brands and models under each of those brands to choose from. The contractor should emphasize grills and appliances that match both your lifestyle and your style of cooking, not equipment they get the best deal on. If the contractor isn’t offering you at least 3 similar priced grill lines to contrast and compare, it may be time to seek out another builder.
Bonus: If Possible, Seek Out an Outdoor Kitchen Builder with a Showroom
Trust us, building an outdoor kitchen showroom is quite the endeavor with thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars invested to give customers an unmatched buying experience. It’s the sign of a serious outdoor kitchen builder who is dedicated to providing the best experience possible for their customers.
Being able to touch and feel different cabinet styles, grills, and appliances, speaks volumes compared to leafing through a brochure or browsing online photos. You know that feeling of quality you get when you shut the door of a luxury automobile? You can experience that same feeling on the outdoor kitchen showroom floor and get a feel for the build quality of the materials and equipment – all before making a commitment to move forward.
Get Started with Your Outdoor Kitchen Build Today!
Making the decision to add the beauty, value, and functionality of an outdoor kitchen to your home shouldn’t be taken lightly. An outdoor kitchen is more than just another addition to your home, it is an important part of your home where lifetime memories will be formed, where your culinary prowess will be honed, and a entice your guests during late evening dinner parties. Make sure you take the time to thoroughly research your contractor to ensure your new outdoor kitchen becomes the beating heart of your home.
