Outdoor kitchen masonry in Riverside CA - a block base built around your grill
Grill stuck on a cart and counter space on a folding table? We build a solid block and stone base that fits your appliances.
Call about your outdoor kitchen build
We're based in Riverside and work in the cities around it, so call (951) 462-2880 even if your city isn't on our list.
What goes into building an outdoor kitchen in Riverside?
Outdoor kitchen masonry in Riverside, CA is the structure under your grill and counters. It's a concrete block base on a reinforced concrete slab, covered with a finish such as stone veneer that gives the kitchen its look.
Most folks who call us have a grill on a cart and a plan sketched on a napkin. The price moves with the kitchen's size and shape, how many appliances and openings the block has to fit, the finish you pick and whether the slab is new or already there. The schedule turns mostly on the countertop, which is made to order, and on fitting the other trades into the build. After I measure, your written estimate says what we'll build and how.
Why Riverside homeowners call Keystone Riverside Concrete and Masonry for outdoor kitchens
The owner measures your space
I come out myself, measure the space and write the estimate, and a lead mason runs our crew on site. The person who priced your kitchen is the one answering for it.
Building in Riverside since 2017
I laid block for a big commercial outfit before starting this company in Riverside in 2017. That taught me to build what's behind the stone first, since pretty veneer on a bad base doesn't stay pretty.
Licensed, insured and happy to show it
We're licensed and fully insured, and you can ask to see both before we start. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job, and I'd rather earn that than argue about it.
On an outdoor kitchen, what matters most is the slab and block nobody sees once the stone's on. Tell us about your kitchen and I'll come take a look.
How we build outdoor kitchen masonry
Pick your grill and appliances before we lay any block, because building the base around the wrong sizes is the expensive way to learn that lesson. Once we have the specs, we get the reinforced slab right and lay the block base to fit each opening. If you're adding a built-in grill, there should be non-combustible insulation between its firebox and the masonry, usually calcium silicate board, and you can ask to see that layer in the plan. The gas, plumbing and electrical lines go in after the block is up and before the stone, so expect a few different crews in your yard for a stretch. Then we set the stone in mortar over the block with the joints full, because half-filled joints are how veneer ends up in your flower bed.
A kitchen at the back of the yard usually needs a good way to reach it, so we often pair it with walkway construction from the back door. Some yards also call for brick wall installation to close in the cooking area or match the house.
Stone veneer over block
This suits a kitchen you want to look like it belongs in the yard, and the stone goes on after the block base is built. It takes more mortar work than a plain face, which shows up in the estimate.
Brick face over block
This suits a house that already has brick on it, so the kitchen matches the walls instead of fighting them. It gives a crisp, even look with tight joints, which happens to be our favorite kind.
How do you know it's time for outdoor kitchen work?
A grill still on wheels
Your grill lives on a cart and the counter is a folding table. That usually means you cook outside enough for a real kitchen, and the cart isn't getting any steadier.
Stone coming off the base
Loose or missing stone on an existing kitchen usually means the mortar gave up or water got behind it. Wait, and more stone lets go with every rainy season.
Cracks running up the block
A crack climbing the base usually means the slab under it moved or was never reinforced. Left alone, it widens and can take the countertop along with it.
New grill won't fit
A replacement grill that's an inch off the old opening usually means cutting block or rebuilding a section. Measure before you buy, because changing an order is cheaper than changing masonry.
What happens after you call about an outdoor kitchen in Riverside?
Call and I come measure
You call or send the form, and I come out to look at the space and measure it. You get a written estimate that says what we'll build and how.
We handle permits, then build
If the kitchen needs a permit, we take care of it before we start. Then a lead mason runs our crew from the slab up, working around the other trades' visits.
I check it before we finish
When the stone's set, I check the work myself before we call it finished. That means the openings, the joints and the cleanup, not just the photo angle.
Outdoor kitchen questions we get
Here's what Riverside homeowners usually ask before they build. If your yard raises a question that isn't covered here, ask me at the estimate and I'll give you a straight answer.
How long does it take to build an outdoor kitchen in Riverside?
One pricing guide puts the masonry for a standard L-shaped kitchen at 7 to 12 working days, and the countertop adds a 2 to 3 week lead time while it's made. Add time for the gas, plumbing and electrical trades who come in between the block and the stone.
How much does outdoor kitchen masonry cost in Riverside?
Your price is set by what the base has to hold and how it's finished, so I give it in a written estimate after measuring. A straight counter with a grill and a plain face costs less than an L with a sink, a side burner and stone on every side, and a new slab adds to it too.
What is the best way to finish an outdoor kitchen block base?
Stone veneer is the most popular finish, with the stone set in mortar over the block. It goes on after the base is built and the lines are in, so the finish choice can wait a little longer than the grill choice.
Do I need a permit to build an outdoor kitchen in Riverside?
Ask the city first, because Riverside's building official issues permits to build a structure or install gas or electrical systems, and its exempt list names countertops, not outdoor kitchens. Plans may also go through Planning, Public Works, Fire or the Health Department, and the city's Permit Counter says which reviews apply when they're submitted. When the answer isn't clear, we check with the city before we start, not after.
Who can pull a building permit for an outdoor kitchen in Riverside?
In Riverside, many permits can go to the property owner, their authorized agent or a licensed contractor. A contractor taking one out shows proof of a license the Contractors State License Board can check, plus a current City of Riverside business license.
Can an unlicensed handyman build a small outdoor kitchen in California?
Only for work up to $1,000 that needs no permit, done by someone who hires no one. Any job that needs a permit falls outside that rule whatever its size, and a kitchen with gas or power run to it is worth checking with the city before anyone picks up a trowel.
Get a written estimate for your kitchen
Send your appliance list and sizes, plus a photo of the space if you have one. We reply within one business day to set a free on-site visit with no obligation, and I measure and write up your estimate.
Outdoor kitchen masonry ideas
Work that often goes with it
Walkway construction
A kitchen at the far end of the yard needs a solid path to it, so nobody's carrying a tray of burgers across wet grass.
Learn moreBrick wall installation
A low brick wall can close in the cooking area, block the wind off the grill or tie the new kitchen to a brick house.
Learn more