Outdoor kitchen masonry in Brentwood CA - a base built to fit your grill and appliances
Tired of cooking on a rolling grill parked by the back door? We build a solid block base with room for the gear you picked.
Request an estimate
What goes into building an outdoor kitchen in Brentwood?
Outdoor kitchen masonry in Brentwood is the block and concrete base that holds your grill, counters and appliances. We lay CMU block, the plain gray concrete masonry block you've seen in garden walls, on a reinforced concrete slab, then finish it in stucco or stone so the rest of the kitchen has something solid to sit on.
Most folks call us once they've got a picture in their head and a grill catalog open. The price moves with how long the counters run, whether you finish in stucco or stone, and how block and stone get into your yard. The schedule turns mostly on things outside the masonry, like when your appliances are picked, how long the countertop shop takes and when the other trades can come. Your written estimate puts your own figure on it, with photos of what I looked at.
How we build outdoor kitchen masonry
It starts before any block goes down. Pick your grill and appliances first, because I build the openings around their real sizes, and a wrong opening means tearing out block. Then we dig out and pour a reinforced concrete slab, pitched so water runs toward the yard and not back at your house. Our crew lays the block on that slab, and we add drain holes in any closed sections so rain doesn't sit inside the base. Once the block is up and any lines are in, we finish it in stucco or stone veneer.
An outdoor kitchen usually ties into the rest of the yard somehow. If you need a path out to it, our walkway construction work gets you there on solid footing, and brick wall installation can give the space a seat wall or a backdrop.
Building outdoor kitchen masonry on Brentwood ground
Most of the mapped soil in Contra Costa County is rated high for shrink-swell, which means a lot of the ground around here swells when it gets wet and shrinks back as it dries. A heavy block island sitting on that kind of ground leans hard on the reinforced slab under it. So I look at the ground at your house before we settle the slab, and I'll walk you through what I'm seeing and why it matters. We meet the same ground on jobs in Oakley and Antioch.
The Contractors State License Board lets someone without a license take a small job, and the cap on that is now $1,000, up from $500. That only holds when the work needs no permit and the person has nobody working for them, so a block-and-stone kitchen built by a crew falls outside it, and whoever builds yours needs a license.
- Call (925) 503-1047
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
- Brentwood, CA 94513
What happens when you call Allied Brentwood Masonry and Concrete in Brentwood?
Call or send the form
Tell us roughly what you have in mind and which appliances you're looking at. We set a time for me to come out to your house.
I look the yard over
I walk the spot with you, point out what I'm seeing and measure for the layout. Afterward you get a written estimate with photos, so you can see what's priced and why.
We build, then walk it
Before work starts we check with the city or county office for your address, and if a permit is needed we pull it and set up the inspections. When our crew finishes, we walk the kitchen together and I show you what to keep an eye on.
Why Brentwood homeowners call Allied Brentwood Masonry and Concrete for outdoor kitchens
I come out to every job
We're based in Brentwood, and I look at every job myself, write the estimate and come back to set the layout and check the work as our crew builds. You deal with the person who measured your yard from start to finish.
Trained under older masons first
I learned the trade working for years under older masons before I started this business in 2021, and a lot of our calls since have been mortar and chimney repair. Fixing other people's cracks teaches you where a base usually goes wrong.
Licensed and fully insured on every job
We're licensed and fully insured. That matters on a job like this, where pallets of block and stone are coming through your yard and our crew is working there for days.
On an outdoor kitchen, the base is the part you can't redo cheaply once the counters are on, so it pays to get it right the first time. Send us your plans or call (925) 503-1047, and I'll come take a look.
Request an estimateGet a written outdoor kitchen estimate with photos
We respond within 1 business day, and I set a time to come out, look over where the kitchen will sit and talk through your appliances. The quote is free, written up with photos, and comes with no pressure and no obligation.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Phone
- (925) 503-1047
- Location
- Brentwood, CA 94513
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
Questions about outdoor kitchen masonry in Brentwood
How much does outdoor kitchen masonry cost in Brentwood, CA?
It comes down to the size of the layout, the finish and how hard your yard is to reach, and we put a figure on it in the written estimate after I've seen the spot. Access matters more than people expect, because carrying block and stone through a side gate takes a lot more labor than unloading by machine in a driveway. If you tell us which way materials would come in when you call, the estimate will reflect it.
Should I choose stone veneer or stucco for my outdoor kitchen?
Stone veneer is the most popular finish, and stucco over the block is the most economical, so it's a choice between the look you want and what you want to spend. Veneer is a layer of stone set in mortar over the block, and stucco is a plaster coat over that same block. If money's tight, I'd rather see a well-built base in stucco than a rushed one in stone, since the block underneath is what holds everything up.
How long does it take to build a masonry outdoor kitchen?
The masonry for a standard L-shaped outdoor kitchen usually takes 7 to 12 working days. Countertops add a 2 to 3 week wait for fabrication, and other trades need scheduling, so the whole project runs longer than the block and stone alone.
Who can build an outdoor kitchen in California?
For the block and stone, hire a licensed masonry contractor, the class the state licensing board uses for work with concrete and clay block, natural and manufactured stone, and fire brick. The small-job exemption covered above won't cover a crew-built kitchen, so ask for that license when you get bids.
Does a built-in grill need insulation inside a masonry island?
One estimating guide says it should, calling for non-combustible insulation between the grill firebox and the masonry around it. If you're putting in a built-in grill, ask how the plan includes that layer, and I'll go over it with you on the visit.
How do I plan utility lines for a masonry outdoor kitchen?
Plan for the lines to go in after the block structure is up and before the stone veneer goes on. That means other trades will be working at your house between those two stages, so let us know what you're running and we'll line up the timing with them.
Work that often goes with an outdoor kitchen
Walkway construction
A good path from the back door to the grill keeps you off wet lawn with a full plate, and it ties the new kitchen into the yard.
Brick wall installation
A low brick wall can give the cooking area a backdrop, a place to sit or some cover from the neighbors, built to sit well beside the kitchen.
Send your appliance list for an estimate
Tell us which grill and appliances you've picked and whether materials would come through a side gate or the driveway, so I show up ready to size the openings and plan the delivery.
Request an estimateCall (925) 503-1047