Outdoor kitchen masonry in Lansing, MI - built to fit your patio and your grill
A grill on a bare patio and a kitchen in mind? We build a block and stone kitchen that fits your space and stays put.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What goes into building an outdoor kitchen in masonry?
Outdoor kitchen masonry is the concrete slab, block frame and stone facing that hold your grill, counters and storage, and Craftsman Lansing Concrete and Masonry builds them for homeowners in Lansing, MI and the cities around it.
Most people call with a grill already on the patio and a picture in their head of counters, maybe a sink or a fridge, built around it. The price moves with how big the layout is, what it has to hold and the stone you pick. The schedule turns on the weather and on how soon the gas, electric, plumbing and countertop people can fit you in. When I see your patio, I'll put where your project lands on all of that into an estimate you can think over.
How we build outdoor kitchen masonry
We build to fit your patio and your grill, not a catalog size. We start with the slab, pouring a new one or building on yours if it's sound, then lay up the concrete block frame that carries the weight. Then we stop, because the gas, power and plumbing need to be run in before any stone goes on, so nobody has to tear into finished masonry later. Once those lines are in, we set the stone veneer, prep the top for your countertops and clean up. The stone maker's instructions decide what goes behind the veneer, and one maker's guide calls for exterior-grade cement board and a complete waterproofing layer before the stone goes on.
An outdoor kitchen usually ties into more of the yard. A path from the back door or the driveway is often the next thing people ask about, and our walkway construction work can match the kitchen's stone. If you want a low wall to close in the space or give people a place to sit, we do brick wall installation too.
Grill island on one straight run
This suits a smaller patio or someone who mostly wants the grill set in stone with counter space on each side. It keeps the slab, block and utility work simple, so it's the easier build to plan.
L-shaped kitchen with prep space
This suits people who want a sink, a fridge or a side burner along with the grill, because the corner gives you room to prep and a natural spot for bar seating. It means more lines run in under the stone, so the planning up front matters more.
Outdoor kitchen masonry permits and patios in Lansing
Lansing's Building Safety Office reviews building plans, and the city wants building permits in place before construction starts. Most of the extra permits land at the utility stage, after the block goes up and before the stone goes on, because the city requires a mechanical permit for gas piping, an electrical permit for things like fixtures and a plumbing permit for residential plumbing. Outside the city limits it can be different, since some nearby cities and townships run their own building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes. Before work starts I check with the office that covers your address, and if the job needs a permit, we work out the paperwork with you before anyone picks up a trowel.
Around here, most of these kitchens go on a patio that's already there, and a lot of those slabs were never poured to carry block and stone. I check the slab and where the water sits before I plan anything, because a slab that settles takes the stone with it. We see the same kind of back patios in Okemos and Holt, and we build the same way there.
Why Lansing homeowners call Craftsman Lansing Concrete and Masonry for outdoor kitchens
I'm on site while it's built
I come out to look at your patio and give the estimate, and I work alongside our crew while the kitchen goes up. I've run this as a full-time masonry business in Lansing since 2023, and having the person who planned the job on site means problems get caught before the stone covers them.
A license you can check
We're licensed and fully insured. Michigan lists the trades a contractor can practice right on the license, so you can check with the state licensing board that masonry is on it before you hire anyone.
Stone goes on a clear base
We lay masonry only on a base that's clear of snow and ice, because movement as a frozen base thaws will crack the work. After a Lansing winter that sometimes means waiting on the ground, and it's worth the wait.
On an outdoor kitchen, getting the order of the work right is what keeps finished stone from being torn open later. Tell us about your patio and I'll come take a look.
Request a quoteGet a free on-site estimate for your outdoor kitchen
Send the form with your patio size and the grill you have in mind, and we'll reply within one business day to set up a time. I come out, look over the patio and put what I'd build, what I'd do first and what can wait into an estimate you can think over. There's no obligation.
What happens when you call about an outdoor kitchen in Lansing?
Call or send patio photos
Call (517) 237-5922 or use the form, and send a few photos of the patio and the grill or appliances you're planning on. That tells me what I'm walking into before I come out.
I look over the patio
I come out myself, check the slab, measure the space and look at where gas, power and water would come from. Then I tell you what I see, what I'd build first and what can wait, and put it in an estimate you can think over.
We build, clean up, walk through
Once you say go, we sort out any permits, build it in stages and clean up when the masonry's done. Before we call it finished, we look it over together.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an outdoor kitchen cost in Lansing, MI?
The cost of a masonry outdoor kitchen comes down to its size and shape, the appliances it holds, the stone you choose and how far gas, power and water have to travel to reach it. The two things people don't expect are a patio slab that can't carry the weight and has to be replaced, and long utility runs. I'll look at both on site and put your number in the estimate.
How long does it take to build an outdoor kitchen?
One estimating guide puts the masonry for a standard L-shaped outdoor kitchen at 7 to 12 working days, with the stone veneer taking the biggest share at 3 to 4 days. The same guide adds a 2 to 3 week lead time for countertop fabrication, and booking the gas, electric and plumbing trades adds time too. Ask any contractor who books those trades and when.
Can you build an outdoor kitchen in cold weather in Michigan?
It can be done, but it takes extra steps. A concrete masonry trade group treats 40 to 90°F as normal for masonry work, and below 40°F the masonry specification calls for special construction procedures to protect the finished work. I'd rather tell you a build can wait for warmer weather than push a winter job you don't need.
Do I need a permit for an outdoor kitchen in Lansing?
If your kitchen has gas, power or water run to it, plan on city permits for that work, as laid out in the permit section above. Lansing residents apply and pay for permits online through the city's AccessMyGov site and schedule inspections online as well. I check what your address needs before we start.
Is a prefab outdoor kitchen island a good fit for my patio?
A prefab island can work if your patio and appliances fit the maker's standard sizes. One outdoor kitchen guide points out that prefab islands are locked into those sizes, so an odd-shaped patio or a non-standard grill may not fit. Measure both before you buy.
What is the best way to keep water from pooling around an outdoor kitchen?
Slope the slab away from the house and give the base somewhere for water to go. One estimating guide advises sloping the concrete slab away from the house and adding drain holes to enclosed base sections so water can't stand inside them. I look at how water moves across your patio before I lay anything out.
Other work that goes with an outdoor kitchen
Walkway construction
A kitchen out back gets a lot more foot traffic, and a solid path from the door or driveway keeps people off the wet grass while carrying plates and grill tools.
Brick wall installation
A low brick wall can close in the cooking area, cut the wind across the grill or give guests a spot to sit near the action.
Lansing, MI
Plan your outdoor kitchen with a site visit
Have your patio size, the appliances you want and where your gas, power and water would come from ready, and the first visit gets a lot further.