Outdoor Kitchens: McLean

Outdoor Kitchens have become a very popular luxury item for many McLean families. They can take many different shapes and forms and therefore many different cost price points which may make it of value to you as a home owner.

The first logical step is to determine and prioritize what components you want on your outdoor kitchen. You may be somebody that simply wants a nice grill and some countertop space. Conversely you may want a sink, refrigerator, raised bar, side burner, etc.

Once we know what your goals and priorities are, it’s our job to plan a layout that addresses these goals and building an expectation of associated cost. The more components you decide to implement results in a diverse number of price points that you may not have considered in your initial planning process. For example, if you want a natural gas grill and a sink with running water, you now will also need a plumbing company to come and see if you have the capacity to run these items from your existing home utilities. You’ll need a gas line extended, water line extended, and sewer line run for your dirty water. This can ultimately escalate an outdoor kitchen cost quickly from roughly $8,000.00 to $20,000.00 very quickly. It’s our job to work with you, determine your wants, build this price expectation and then reconsider if these wants are still in line with what you want to spend and if it is of value to you.

Once we craft a plan that meets all of your needs from a functional, aesthetic and budgetary standpoint, we can then get into the details. We want your McLean, VA outdoor kitchen to be beautiful and functional. What kind of countertop material do you want? Which brand appliances do you want? What is the façade of the outdoor kitchen going to be comprised of? Where in relation to your indoor kitchen does this kitchen need to be located so that we maximize convenience? Where can we locate this kitchen in order to minimize the cost in extending your utilities? Will the smoke from the grill, green egg, pizza oven or side burner negatively impact the dining/gathering spot on your patio? These are all things that need to be considered during the planning phase.

Generally it’s smart to visit a local vender together to look at some current kitchen configurations and appliances to make sure you desire all of the options that are being selected. We’ll also want to send you to the local countertop fabricator so that you can select the best countertop.

There are many options to choose from for countertops. You can go with marble, sandstone, concrete, wood and many other options. Having said that, the best and most popular choice is to go with some form of granite. Granite generally offers the most dynamic set of options to choose from as far as color and density. Granite is less likely to stain or bleach from the sun. Although granite is expensive, it’s typically worth the investment and in the grand scheme of things won’t push you over your budget.

Once the countertop type and thickness is selected and the components are determined, we’ll want to look at what type of façade is installed. Do you want brick, natural stone, SRW concrete block or stucco? This is typically determined by the existing façade of your home and how we can complement your existing elements. Stone and brick are by far the favorite choices but stucco is oftentimes a great option as it can keep labor costs down.

Once all of your options and materials are selected, we will finalize the cost for you and hopefully execute an agreement. From this point forward, the most important thing to know as a homeowner is that there is a systematic installation process that has to be followed which oftentimes results in a longer than normal installation process relative to something more basic such as a patio. The first thing we will have to do is pull permits for specialized trades such as gas, water and electric. We’ll then need to have the gas, water and electric lines installed in the ground from each individual energy source to the future location of the outdoor kitchen. We’ll then need to install the outdoor kitchen body for you. There are a number of ways to build this kitchen body. It is our job to create a method of construction that makes the most sense from a durability and construction cost standpoint. Once this framework is installed, we can then install the components into the framework to make sure everything fits together seamlessly. We’ll make sure the location relationship of all components meets your needs, can be connected properly with the utility lines and that you have the amount of counter space that you need after seeing the construction in person.

The final step is to coordinate the countertop fabricator to come out and measure the final post construction dimensions and cutouts for all of your components so that we can be sure the countertop is built to the exact size that you need it including desired overhang. The toughest part for homeowners is to know that it takes two to three weeks to then fabricate the countertop properly. Once the countertop is fabricated, the countertop fabricator will come to install the countertop. This is typically a one day installation. Now you are ready to use your outdoor kitchen!

Once your outdoor kitchen is up and running, we have a local relationship with an appliance sales company and chef to come and show you how to care for all of your components carefully. This includes cleaning properly and addressing winterization and spring start-up properly (most notably for water running lines, refrigerator’s, sinks, dishwashers, etc.). If you’re interested in an outdoor kitchen for your McLean home, contact us today.