Planning an outdoor kitchen and not sure where to start? We build the block base around your chosen appliances, so the openings fit.
Outdoor kitchen masonry in Rancho Cucamonga means building the base that holds your grill, counters and storage out of concrete block, set on a reinforced concrete slab and finished in the look you pick, so you end up with a solid cooking station that's part of the yard.
The block is CMU, the standard concrete building block, and grout poured into some or all of its hollow cores adds strength to the walls. That's why a masonry base is a heavier, more permanent thing than a store-bought island, and why it's worth getting the plan right before anything goes up.
The price moves with the size and shape of the kitchen, how many appliance openings it has, the finish and the countertops, and the schedule turns mostly on countertop fabrication and when the other trades can get in. Your own figure comes with the written estimate after I've seen the yard. Before we start, we check what the city asks for on your kind of job, and when a permit is needed we handle the online application with Rancho Cucamonga's Building and Safety Department and line up the inspections.
Here's how it goes from the first conversation to the day we hand the kitchen over.
I come out myself to look at the space, hear what you want to cook out there and answer your questions. I started this business in 2023 after years running a supply yard that sold brick, block and stone to local masons, so I'm happy to explain any material on the plan.
After the visit, I send a written estimate for the layout and finish we talked through. Once you say yes, we sort out the city side before any work starts, so the paperwork isn't hanging over the build.
We're licensed and insured, and California's contractor licensing board has a masonry classification covering block and stone, which is worth asking any contractor about. I run the work on site with our crew, an experienced mason leads the block and stone work, and we walk the finished kitchen with you before we leave.
I ask you to pick your grill and other appliances before we set the first block, because the openings get built to their sizes and a base built to the wrong dimensions means tearing out block later. With those chosen, we lay out the kitchen, pour the slab, raise and grout the block walls with the openings where your plan puts them, and finish the outside once the other trades have done their part.
An outdoor kitchen usually ties into the rest of the yard, so we can do the walkway construction that gets you from the back door to the grill. If you want a low seat wall or a privacy wall to match, that's our brick wall installation work.
The masonry goes in stages, and other trades fit in between them, so here's the order and why.
We start with a reinforced concrete slab, so the heavy block base sits on a solid, even footing. Everything after this gets built on it.
We lay the concrete block to the layout, leaving the appliance openings where they belong. Grout goes into the cores the plan calls for to stiffen the walls.
Gas, power and water lines have to be in before the veneer goes on, so those trades come in once the block is up and before any stone is set. We plan our schedule around that gap.
We set the stone or other finish in mortar and prep the top for your countertop installer. Then we clean the site so it's ready for the counters.
Send the form or call (909) 360-4010 with your appliance list, a rough sketch of the layout and your address, and we'll reply within one business day. I come out to look at the yard, answer your questions and send a free written estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
(909) 360-4010A typical outdoor kitchen usually costs about $5,000 to $30,000 per job across the US, so treat that as the national range, not a local quote or our price. Where yours lands depends on the size, the number of appliance openings, the finish and the countertops. The written estimate gives you the figure for your own yard.
The masonry on a standard L-shaped outdoor kitchen usually takes 7 to 12 working days. Countertops add their own 2 to 3 week fabrication wait, and the other trades need their turn, so plan on a longer stretch from the first block to the first meal.
Stone veneer is the most popular finish, set in mortar over the block base. Because it's the common choice, it's a good place to start when you compare looks, and we can talk through other options at the estimate.
Shrinkage cracks in concrete block aren't a structural concern. They come from the block and mortar drying, and they're common in masonry. If you're not sure what kind of crack you're looking at, send us a photo and ask.
If your home is in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, Rancho Cucamonga requires the design to comply with a specific section of the California Residential Code. You can check where your address falls on the city's fire hazard severity zone map, which is online and also at Fire Headquarters, 10500 Civic Center Drive, and it's worth doing before we settle the design.
We're based in Rancho Cucamonga and build across the cities around it, including Upland, Ontario, Fontana, Chino and more. If your city isn't listed, ask us.
With your grill picked and a rough sketch in hand, I can check the yard against your plan on the first visit, so call (909) 360-4010 or use the form.
If you're still deciding where the grill should go, send me your questions and I'll talk you through the options.
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