Outdoor kitchen masonry in Yuma AZ - a block island built to fit your grill
Tired of cooking on a rolling cart at the edge of the patio? We build a solid block and stone island around the grill you pick.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What goes into building an outdoor kitchen in Yuma?
Outdoor kitchen masonry in Yuma is the slab, the concrete block structure and the stone or brick face that hold your grill, side burners and countertop, built as one solid island that stays put for years.
Most people who call me have a grill on a cart and a clear picture of what they'd rather have. The price moves with the size and shape of the island, how many appliances it holds, the face and countertop you choose, and whether gas, power or water has to reach it. The schedule turns mostly on things outside the block work, like when your appliances arrive, how long the countertop takes to make and any inspections along the way. An island with gas or power usually means a permit, and we take care of that part. When I come out, I walk the spot with you and write up an estimate that lays out the island, the materials and the steps for your yard, so you're working from your own figure instead of a guess.
How do you know it's time for a built-in outdoor kitchen?
Grill rusting on its cart
A freestanding grill sits out in the weather on thin shelves and wheels, and the cart usually gives out long before the burners do. Every year you wait is another year of patching or replacing the cart instead of setting the grill into something that lasts.
Wood frame around the grill
Some older islands were framed in wood and covered with stucco or tile, which puts dry lumber right next to a hot firebox. That's a frame we'd replace with block rather than patch, because it only gets drier and more brittle with time.
Cracks and loose stone
Cracked block, stone pulling away from the face or a countertop that rocks usually means the base moved or water is getting in behind the veneer. Left alone, water and heat keep working those cracks wider until pieces start coming off.
How we build outdoor kitchen masonry
Before we lay out a single block, we ask you to pick your grill and other appliances, so the island is built to fit them the first time, because building around the wrong sizes means tearing out block and starting over. With those sizes in hand, we check or pour the slab, then lay the block structure with each opening sized to its appliance. Once the block is up, the gas, power and water lines get roughed in, which just means they're set in place before anything covers them. Then the stone or brick face goes on, the countertop is set, and we clean up the site.
Manufactured stone veneer over block
Manufactured stone has the look of natural stone but is made from concrete, so it suits people who want a stone island that matches its pieces from end to end. It's the face most people ask about.
Brick face
Brick suits a house that's already brick, or anyone who likes a cleaner, more regular look. It's the work I've done most of my career, so I can match coursing and mortar color to your house.
Straight run or L-shape
A straight island fits a smaller patio and keeps the grill and a stretch of counter together in one line. An L-shape gives you more counter and room to keep prep work off to the side of the heat.
Get a free estimate for your outdoor kitchen
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come to your house, walk the yard with you and write up a free estimate, with no pressure to book.
(928) 271-5129- Based in
- Yuma, AZ 85364
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–10 PM
What happens when you call about an outdoor kitchen in Yuma?
Here's how a job runs from your first call to the day you cook on the new island, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Tell us your plans
Call (928) 271-5129 or send the form with a few lines about the kitchen you have in mind and any appliances you've already picked. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
Walk the yard with me
I measure the spot, look at the patio and where gas, power and water would come from, and explain what I see as we go. Then I write up an estimate with the island layout, the materials and the permits and inspections your job will likely need.
Build it in stages
My crew builds the island stage by stage, from slab to block to face. Under a City of Yuma permit, all work is inspected before it's covered and the next step begins, so we leave room in the schedule for those visits.
Set the counter and finish
As each stage wraps up, I tell you what comes next, whether that's the countertop going on or the appliances sliding into their openings. When we're done, we clean up and walk the finished island with you.
Why Yuma homeowners call J&L Yuma Concrete and Masonry for outdoor kitchens
The owner measures your yard
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, and I work alongside my crew on the build. The person who measured your grill opening is the same one making sure the block matches it.
Building in Yuma since 2013
We've been in business for 13 years, and I started out laying block and brick on new homes before moving to adding onto houses people already live in. That's taught me how to tie new block into an existing patio and house without fighting what's already there.
Fully licensed and insured in Arizona
We're fully licensed and insured, and we're glad to show you. Arizona keeps unlicensed builders off any job that needs a local building permit, which is spelled out in the questions below.
Getting the sizes right before the first block goes down saves the most trouble on this job. When you're ready, have your appliance list and their cutout sizes handy and get in touch to set up a visit.
Outdoor kitchens, walkways and yard walls in Yuma
Inside the city, the City of Yuma's Building Safety Division handles permits and inspections, and it generally requires a permit for new construction and for electrical, mechanical and plumbing work, which is where the gas, power and water for an island come in. If your home falls under Yuma County instead, the county requires a residential building permit for remodels and additions on existing homes and lists patio covers and fences or walls among its examples. Whether your island needs one comes down to what's in it and where you live, so I check with the right office for your address, and when a permit is needed, we handle the application, set up the inspections and tell you what to expect before work starts.
Most outdoor kitchens we build go next to an existing patio, so part of my walk-through is checking whether that slab is sound enough to carry block or whether we pour a new pad beside it. We see the same kind of backyard layouts on jobs in Fortuna Foothills and Somerton, and the planning runs the same way there.
Questions about outdoor kitchen masonry in Yuma
Do I need a permit for an outdoor kitchen in Yuma?
Plan on a permit if your island includes gas, electrical or plumbing work, because the City of Yuma generally requires one for that work and for new construction. Homes under Yuma County's rules need a residential permit for additions such as patio covers and walls. I check which office covers your address at the estimate, and we take care of the application from there.
Who can legally build an outdoor kitchen in Arizona?
A licensed contractor, for any job that needs a local building permit. Arizona law lets an unlicensed person take on a project only when the total price is less than $1,000 and the work is casual or minor, and that exception ends as soon as a permit is required. Ask any builder you're considering whether they're licensed before you sign anything.
How long does it take to build an outdoor kitchen?
One pricing guide puts the masonry for a standard L-shaped outdoor kitchen at 7 to 12 working days. The countertop is often the longer wait, since that same guide gives fabrication a 2 to 3 week lead time, plus time to line up the other trades. Inspections between stages add time too, so I'll walk you through the order for your job at the estimate.
What should a built-in grill island be made of?
Non-combustible material all the way through, if your grill maker calls for it. Napoleon, for one, designs its built-in grills for non-combustible enclosures only, with the frame, cabinet and countertop all non-combustible, and says a qualified installer should set the grill in to local codes. That's why we build in block with a stone or brick face, and why I read your grill's install manual before laying anything out.
How much does an outdoor kitchen cost in Yuma?
Your cost comes from the size of the island, how many appliances and utility lines it has and the finishes you pick, so the real number is the one I write for your yard. A straight run with a grill and some counter costs less than an L-shape with a sink, side burner and fridge, because every opening and every line adds work. Reusing a sound patio slab instead of pouring a new one, or picking a simpler face, can bring it down, and I'll show you those choices at the estimate.
How do I pick the right time to build an outdoor kitchen?
Aim for days between about 40 and 90°F, because a national masonry trade group treats that range as normal for masonry work, with no special steps or protection needed. One veneer maker also calls for protecting new stone from drying out too fast in very hot, dry or windy conditions. That's a fair question to ask any crew, including us.
Related services that pair with an outdoor kitchen
Walkway construction
A solid path from the back door means nobody's carrying hot plates over gravel or wet grass, and it ties the new island into the rest of your yard.
Brick wall installation
A low brick wall can frame the cooking area, give guests a place to sit and block the wind from the grill, all built to match the island's face.
Service areas for outdoor kitchen masonry
J&L Yuma Concrete and Masonry is based in Yuma, AZ, and we build outdoor kitchens across the cities around it. Four of those cities have their own page here, including Fortuna Foothills and San Luis, and we reply to calls from all of them within one business day.
Yuma, AZ
Plan your outdoor kitchen around your grill
Call (928) 271-5129 or send the form with your appliance list and sizes, so the estimate I write is based on the exact pieces going into your island.