Chesterfield · Ladue · Kirkwood · Webster Groves · Wildwood
Custom Outdoor Kitchens for St. Louis Backyards
From a built-in grill island to a full outdoor kitchen with a wood-fired oven and bar, we match St. Louis Metro homeowners with vetted local builders who work from a real design plan — not a doorstep upsell.
Free project matching — no obligation, no cost to homeowner
Free Project Matching
No cost, no obligation to homeowners
Vetted Local Builders
Licensed and insured, St. Louis Metro-based
Written Scope Before Work Starts
Itemized plan, not a lump-sum estimate
Before You Call a Builder
Two Bids, One $12,000 Gap, and No One Explained Why
Outdoor kitchen bids swing wildly because they're rarely pricing the same job — a stub-out grill cart and a full masonry island with a pizza oven and bar look identical in a sales pitch and nothing alike on an invoice. We help you get an itemized scope before any contract gets signed.
“One quote was $18K, the other was $31K, and when I finally asked for line items the cheap one didn't even include the gas line run. Wish I'd asked that on day one.” — r/HomeImprovement
Request a Free Match
Get Matched With a St. Louis Outdoor Kitchen Builder
One intake form, matched to a vetted local builder who designs from your actual backyard, not a catalog layout.
- 01 Written, itemized scope before any deposit
- 02 Zero-obligation design consultation
- 03 Licensed, bonded, insured builders only
- 04 Permit and gas/electrical handled correctly
What We Help You Build
St. Louis Outdoor Kitchen Projects, Start to Finish
Outdoor Kitchen Cost Guide
Real St. Louis price ranges by build size, materials, and appliance package.
Permits & Code in St. Louis County
What triggers a permit for gas, electrical, and structural work — and what doesn't.
Gas vs. Wood-Fired
Which cooking system actually fits how you use your backyard.
Design Ideas: Ladue & Chesterfield
Layouts and finishes that fit larger West County and Ladue lots.
Blog: What Actually Drives Cost
The line items homeowners forget to budget for, explained plainly.
Get Matched Free
One intake form, matched to a vetted local builder — no cost, no obligation.
Where We Match Homeowners
Serving the St. Louis Metro
Common Questions
Outdoor Kitchen Questions St. Louis Homeowners Ask
How much does a custom outdoor kitchen cost in St. Louis?
Most St. Louis Metro custom outdoor kitchens land between $15,000 and $45,000 depending on footprint, materials, and appliance package. A simple masonry grill island with a small counter run starts near the bottom of that range; a full build with a pizza oven, bar seating, refrigeration, and a covered structure moves toward the top. Gas line rough-in, electrical, and site prep (grading, a slab or paver base) are the line items homeowners most often forget to price in up front.
Do I need a permit to build an outdoor kitchen in St. Louis County?
Usually yes, and it depends on scope, not size. A gas line running to a built-in grill or a new 240V circuit almost always needs a permit and a licensed trade to pull it, even in unincorporated St. Louis County or a municipality like Chesterfield or Town and Country. A freestanding cart grill with no gas or electrical tie-in typically does not. Municipalities inside the county (Ladue, Kirkwood, Webster Groves, Clayton) each run their own permit desk, so the requirement is set locally, not countywide.
Gas or wood-fired — which is right for a St. Louis backyard?
Gas wins on weeknight usability: instant start, consistent heat, no ash cleanup, which matters across a St. Louis summer where you might cook outside four nights a week. Wood-fired (especially a pizza oven) wins on flavor and on being the centerpiece of a build meant for entertaining, but it needs more clearance and a slower learning curve. Many St. Louis builds run both — a gas grill for daily cooking and a wood-fired oven as the anchor feature.
How long does a custom outdoor kitchen build take?
Design and permitting typically run 3-6 weeks before any masonry starts, longer if the municipality is slow or the scope needs an engineered gas line. Construction itself usually runs 3-8 weeks depending on complexity — a straightforward island can close out in under a month, while a full outdoor living structure with a roof, bar, and multiple appliances can run into the fall if it starts mid-summer.
More questions answered in the full outdoor kitchen FAQ.
Free, No-Obligation Matching
Get Matched With a Builder Who Designs From Your Backyard
Written, itemized scope before any deposit — not a sales-visit estimate.