Outdoor Kitchen Structure (no gas/electric hookup)
Outdoor kitchen structure is the Handis build that puts a real cooking counter on a Seattle deck — counter framing in pressure-treated lumber or galvanized steel studs, cement-board or natural-stone-clad weatherproof surround, marine-grade or stainless cabinet boxes, drop-in cutouts for a built-in grill and a side burner sized exactly to the manufacturer's spec, and a counter top in granite, quartzite, porcelain large-format, or sealed concrete. Seven to fourteen working days from demo to last seam-sealed. From $8,000 for a basic 8-foot straight counter with cement-board surround and a single drop-in grill opening to $25,000 for a U-shaped premium build with full natural-stone cladding, integrated cabinets, a sealed-concrete top, a side-burner cutout, and a refrigerator opening. Handis builds the structure. The gas line itself, any 120V outlet for the side-burner ignition, any 240V refrigerator or warming-drawer circuit — all line-voltage and gas work is by a licensed Washington L&I gas fitter and electrician on a scheduled visit inside the project timeline. The honest scope is named on the quote line by line.
Service
What Outdoor Kitchen Structure Covers
Outdoor kitchen structure is the carpentry-and-stone build that gives you a real cooking counter on the deck — counter framing sized to your appliance choices, weatherproof surround that survives the Pacific Northwest wet season without rot or stain bleed, cabinets that hold up to nine months of rain a year, and a counter top in the material you want. The build is fully Handis on the carpentry, surround, cabinetry, and top. The two regulated trades — gas and line-voltage electrical — are not Handis scope, ever. We pre-pull the chases and the stub-outs for the licensed gas fitter and the licensed Washington L&I electrician, coordinate their scheduled visits inside the project timeline, and name their portion on the quote line by line so you see exactly what each trade is doing and what each trade is warranting.
Counter Framing
Pressure-treated 2x4 or 2x6 framing on a deck install, or galvanized 20-gauge steel studs on a slab install where the counter sits on concrete. Counter height is typically 36 inches for a working counter or 42 inches for a counter with a bar overhang on the back. L-shaped, U-shaped, or straight runs sized to your space. Framing is set true, plumb, and level before any surround goes on — an outdoor counter that twists at the foundation telegraphs through the stone and cracks the grout within two seasons.
Weatherproof Surround (Cement Board or Stone)
Cement-board surround (HardieBacker, Durock, or Wedi Building Panel) tied into the framing with rust-resistant cement-board screws, mesh-taped at every seam, sealed at the inside corners with siliconized acrylic. Over the cement board: either a porcelain large-format cladding (12 by 24-inch or larger, set with polymer-modified thinset rated for exterior), a natural-stone veneer (stacked basalt, ledger stone, river rock — set in mortar with a wire-tied bond coat), or a brick or stucco surround. Every surround we build wraps the counter on all visible sides; the back side (facing the wall or the rail) gets the same cement-board treatment but a simpler finish — no exposed framing.
Cabinet Boxes + Doors
Marine-grade plywood cabinet boxes with stainless-steel hardware, or premium 304 or 316 stainless-steel cabinet boxes for a top-end build. Doors in stainless, weatherproof HDPE (the same material as a marine cooler), or a powder-coated steel. Drawers on stainless slides rated for outdoor use. Cabinet interiors get a sealed-and-finished interior so the storage stays dry. Drainage holes on the cabinet floor so any wind-driven rain that gets in finds its way out, not down to the deck framing.
Drop-In Cutouts (Grill + Side Burner + Refrigerator)
The opening for the built-in grill, the side burner, the refrigerator, the warming drawer, and any other built-in appliance is cut to the manufacturer's exact spec — Weber, Wolf, DCS, Lynx, Coyote, Hestan all publish a cutout dimension sheet for every model. We frame the opening with a 1/8-inch tolerance on every side, line the cutout with cement board, and rout the surround tile or stone with a clean reveal at the edge. The grill drops in, the side burner drops in, the refrigerator drops in — every appliance is supported by the surround, not the cement-board face.
Gas Stub-Out Chase + Electrical Conduit Chase
The gas line and the 120V outlet for the side-burner ignition do not exist yet when Handis is framing — they are pulled later by the licensed gas fitter and the licensed electrician on their scheduled visits. We pre-pull the chase: a 3/4-inch or 1-inch black-pipe sleeve through the framing from the existing house gas service to the grill cutout location, and a 1/2-inch EMT conduit chase from the existing electrical panel or sub-panel to the side-burner outlet location. The licensed sub fishes the gas line and the wire through the chase we pulled, sets the regulator and the outlet, pressure-tests the gas, terminations the wire to a GFCI exterior receptacle, and pulls the permit under their license.
Counter Top (Granite / Quartzite / Porcelain / Sealed Concrete)
The counter top is the last thing we install — after the surround is done, after the gas fitter has set the regulator, after the electrician has trimmed the outlet. We template the top to the actual installed cutout dimensions (every counter is slightly different after the surround is up), order from a fabricator, and set the top with a structural silicone bedding and a flush front edge. Granite and quartzite get a penetrating sealer twice a year as homeowner maintenance. Porcelain large-format does not need sealing. Sealed concrete gets re-sealed every two to three years.
How the Outdoor Kitchen Build Works
Six sequential phases from pre-build measure to seam-seal — the actual working sequence we run on every outdoor kitchen build, with the licensed gas fitter and electrician on scheduled visits inside the timeline.
Pre-Build Measure + Appliance Spec Lock + Sub Schedule
Estimate visit confirms the counter footprint, the appliance selections (grill model, side burner, refrigerator, warming drawer), the surround material (cement board with porcelain, stacked basalt, brick, or stucco), the top material (granite, quartzite, porcelain, sealed concrete), and the gas-service location. We lock the licensed gas fitter's visit (typically day eight or nine) and the licensed electrician's visit (day nine or ten) at contract signing.
Framing + Cutouts + Chases
Pressure-treated framing or galvanized steel studs set true, plumb, and level. Grill cutout, side-burner cutout, refrigerator cutout framed to manufacturer spec with a 1/8-inch tolerance on every side. Gas-pipe chase and electrical conduit chase pulled from the existing house service or sub-panel to the cutout locations. Days 1 to 3.
Cement-Board Surround + Mesh-Tape + Seal
Cement-board panels (HardieBacker, Durock, or Wedi) tied to the framing with cement-board screws, mesh-taped at every seam, sealed at the inside corners with siliconized acrylic. The grill, side-burner, and refrigerator cutouts are lined with cement board with a clean reveal at the edges. Days 3 to 5.
Stone or Tile Cladding + Cabinet Install
Natural-stone veneer (basalt, ledger stone, river rock), porcelain large-format tile, brick, or stucco cladding installed with polymer-modified thinset rated for exterior. Marine-grade plywood or stainless cabinet boxes installed, doors hung, drawers slid on stainless rails. Days 5 to 8.
Licensed Gas Fitter + Licensed Electrician Visits
The licensed Washington L&I gas fitter arrives on day eight or nine. They pull the gas line through the pre-pulled chase from the house service to the grill location, set the regulator, pressure-test the line, and pull the permit under their license. The licensed Washington L&I electrician arrives on day nine or ten — pulls the 120V circuit through the conduit chase for the side-burner ignition, lands the GFCI exterior receptacle, and pulls their permit. We do not touch gas or line-voltage electrical.
Counter Top Template + Fabrication + Install + Final Walk-Through
With the surround done and the appliances seated in the cutouts, we template the counter top to the actual dimensions, order from a local fabricator (typical fabrication lead is 7 to 10 working days for granite or quartzite, 5 to 7 for porcelain, 3 to 5 for sealed concrete poured on site), and set the top on structural silicone with a flush front edge. Final walk-through with you, hand-off of warranty paperwork, permit copies from the gas fitter and electrician, sealer instructions for the counter top.
Outdoor Kitchen Structure Pricing
Final pricing depends on counter length (straight, L-shape, or U-shape), surround material (cement-board with porcelain, stacked basalt, brick, or stucco), top material (granite, quartzite, porcelain, or sealed concrete), and cabinet selection (marine-grade plywood, HDPE, or stainless). The licensed gas fitter and electrician portions are included in every quote — not surprise line items. Permits pulled by the licensed parties under their licenses are inside the project total. Request a free in-home estimate for an accurate quote.
Tell us the appliances you want and the deck you have — we will quote the structure and name the licensed gas fitter and electrician on the same number.
Why Homeowners Book Handis for the Outdoor Kitchen Structure
An outdoor kitchen build only finishes clean when one company holds the schedule for the three trades involved — carpentry and stone (Handis), gas (the licensed gas fitter), and 120V electrical (the licensed Washington L&I electrician). The pattern that wrecks these projects is the homeowner trying to coordinate three independent companies. The gas fitter shows up to a counter framed to the wrong cutout depth. The electrician arrives before the cement board is sealed, has nowhere to land the outlet, and reschedules a week out. The counter-top fabricator templates over a surround that has not been finally sealed and the top sits 3/16 high in two corners. None of these are exotic mistakes; they are the production-line gaps that happen when no one owns the calendar. Handis runs the calendar, the cutouts are right when the gas fitter arrives, the conduit is pulled when the electrician arrives, and the top templates over a finished surround. The licensed subs do their licensed work and we do ours.
Cutouts to the manufacturer's spec, 1/8-inch tolerance on every side
Every built-in grill, side burner, refrigerator, and warming drawer has a published cutout dimension sheet from the manufacturer — Weber, Wolf, DCS, Lynx, Coyote, Hestan. We download the sheet for your specific model, frame the opening to the dimensions on the sheet with a 1/8-inch tolerance on every side, and line the cutout with cement board with a clean reveal at the edge. The appliance drops in supported by the surround, not balanced on the cement-board face. A cutout that is 1/2 inch too small wedges the appliance and binds the slide. A cutout that is 1/2 inch too large needs a custom filler strip that always looks wrong. We measure twice and frame once.
Cement-board surround sealed at every seam, never bare framing exposed
Every cement-board joint gets mesh-taped and thinset-bedded; every inside corner gets siliconized acrylic; every fastener gets covered. The whole cement-board envelope is sealed before any stone or tile goes on so the surround acts as the weather barrier. A cement-board surround with un-sealed joints and exposed fasteners wicks water into the framing within two seasons and the counter foundation rots from the inside.
Gas line and electrical wire by licensed Washington L&I trades, permits via them
Gas line work in Washington requires a licensed L&I gas-fitting contractor and a permit from Seattle DCI or your city — the licensed gas fitter pulls the line from the existing house service, sets the regulator, pressure-tests, and pulls the permit under their license. Line-voltage electrical (the 120V outlet for the side-burner ignition, any 240V circuit) requires a licensed Washington L&I electrician — they pull the circuit, land the GFCI exterior receptacle, and pull their permit. Handis pre-pulls the chases at the framing stage so the licensed sub does not have to fight the build to land their work; we do not touch gas or line-voltage wiring ever.
Counter top templated to the finished surround, not the framed surround
The counter top gets templated after the surround is done, the cabinets are in, the appliances are seated in the cutouts, and the gas fitter and electrician have signed off. Templating earlier — at framing or at surround — guarantees a 1/8 to 3/16-inch gap somewhere on the counter that no amount of caulk hides. We template last, we let the fabricator cut to the actual dimensions, and the top sets flush at the front edge with structural silicone bedding.
Insured, background-checked, 30-day workmanship + 2-year surround warranty
Every Handis carpenter carries liability insurance and has cleared a background screening. 30-day workmanship guarantee covers caulk joints, fastener heads, and any cosmetic finish. The 2-year warranty on surround-and-counter covers stone-cladding bonding, cement-board seam integrity, cabinet door alignment, and counter-top seam silicone — if any of those fail within 2 years from our installation, we come back and fix at no charge. The licensed gas fitter and the licensed Washington L&I electrician each warrant their own portion under their own license terms; we put all three warranties in writing at project close.
Estimate
Tell us the deck (existing footprint, age, board material), the counter shape you have in mind (straight, L-shape, or U-shape), the appliance selections (built-in grill model and brand, side burner yes or no, refrigerator opening yes or no, warming drawer), the surround you prefer (cement-board with porcelain tile, stacked basalt, ledger stone, brick, or stucco), the top material (granite, quartzite, porcelain, or sealed concrete), and the gas-service location at the house. We send back a clear estimate including the licensed gas fitter and electrician portions named line by line.
Customer Reviews
Outdoor kitchen structure reviews from real Seattle-area Handis customers.
10-foot L-shaped outdoor kitchen on our raised cedar deck in Redmond. Handis framed the counter, did the stacked-basalt surround, set the marine-grade cabinet boxes, and cut the grill cutout to the Weber Genesis II spec — it dropped in with a 1/8-inch reveal on every side. The gas fitter came on day eight, ran the line from the house service, set the regulator, pressure-tested, pulled the permit. The electrician came on day nine for the side-burner outlet. Quartzite top templated on day eleven, installed on day twenty after fabrication. We have been grilling weekly since.
U-shaped premium build with a sealed-concrete top poured on site in our Bellevue back yard. The build sits on a 4-inch reinforced concrete slab that Handis poured first. Drop-in grill, side burner, under-counter refrigerator opening with proper ventilation. The concrete top cured for ten days under plastic before they pulled the forms and sealed it. Looks like it has been there for ten years and we have only had it eighteen months. The gas-fitter handoff was clean — he labeled his stub-out, Handis pulled the chase, and the line slid through in twenty minutes.
Basic 8-foot straight counter on our Magnolia deck with cement-board and porcelain tile surround, porcelain large-format top, drop-in Coyote grill, and marine-grade plywood cabinets with HDPE doors. Came in right at $8,400. The crew was clean — drop cloths down every day, vacuumed at the end of every day, the rest of the deck stayed usable. The gas fitter visit took half a day on day seven. Inspector signed everything off the following week.
We had three other contractors quote our outdoor kitchen. Two refused to touch the gas line and the third one said he would do it but had no L&I gas-fitting license. Handis was the only one honest about it — they said they only do the carpentry and the surround, and they have a gas fitter they have worked with for years who is licensed and pulls the permit himself. That honesty is why we picked them. Twelve days for a full L-shape with stone and a granite top, plus the gas fitter and electrician visits coordinated.
Top-end U-shape with full 316-stainless cabinet boxes, quartzite top, refrigerator opening framed and faced, drop-in grill, side burner, and warming drawer. Fourteen working days for the build, plus eight days for the quartzite fabrication. The stainless cabinet boxes were a substantial part of the cost but they look as new as the day they went in after two Seattle winters. Worth every dollar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about outdoor kitchen structure — scope, gas and electric handoff, materials, scheduling, permits, weatherproofing, and what to expect.