Buy or Build ... help

[bbqmom]

Split by moderator from HERE. Please start a new thread to ask you own questions. This lets you get answers dedicated to you and results in less confusion. Thanks, jblizzle

I think you could save quite a bit if you build it yourself. My outdoor kitchen cost me about $5500, including all of my grilling equipment (egg, grill, side burner), beverage center, trash, sink, doors, pergola, lighting, stools, etc. It was a large kitchen though and a comparable pre-built or custom built would have been at least $15,000 (at least that is what I like to tell myself :lol: )

I did all of the work myself though, and I won't lie to you, it was a lot of work. I enjoyed it though and would do it again in a heartbeat.

If you would like some assistance with some ball park pricing then post a sketch and I can help you get an idea of what it should cost.

Riles

Hi I am new to this forum and need help deciding to buy the steel forms (like bbq coach) or build the forms myself or what. I costed the island with bbq coach and with everything it's going to be about $9,000 Too much so I m trying to find an alternative. Please help?

 

[Riles_J]

Re: Build vs. Buy

With basic construction skills you can build it yourself for a fraction of that. It all depends on what appliances you want, how big, and taste for finishes. A little more information on what you are looking for will help.

Riles

 

[nugimon]

Re: Build vs. Buy

I agree with Bobrss, my buddy bought a prebuilt one that cost him 8k, and tiles are falling off, hairline cracks in the stucco. It's only 3 years old.

I got a few quotes as well just to build the metal frame with backboard. That quote was ridiculous at $4000, NOT INSTALLED and or LEVELED etc. that would be an additional charge of $1000!

I went with a precast solution from El Dorado Stone that was on sale 25%off, that saved me a lot of time on the framing piece, but you could save a lot if you built everything from scratch. If you do it yourself, It will for sure take longer, and yes it was challenging, but also fun and incredibly rewarding, and everything will be custom and exactly the way you want it!!



In total I spent more than I had originally anticipated, but that was because with all the money we saved with labor, by doing it myself, my wife felt like we could splurge on very high end finish materials. But if you keep your wife out the picture, you could save lots . example. Granite tile would have cost $500 with me doing the labor, but a granite slab with fabrication cost $5000. I do like the slab better however so she was right. It will all boil down to your tastes and finish materials that will dictate the final costs.

My Pool builder quoted me after he saw what I had done, he said he would have easily charged $35-40k for that build with those finish materials, same with my paving company. So I feel somewhat better about the upgrades even though it took me a few years to complete.

Here is a breakdown of my cost for my Kitchen/Fireplace build.


Outdoor Kitchen El Dorado Pre made cement/fiberglass 16' $2,200.00
Outdoor Fireplace El Dorado Pre-made cement/fiberglass $2,050.00
Ravacast custom Stone Caps for Fireplace seats and Crown molding $1,700.00
Tile/ Mosaic Tile (kitchen backsplash and TV back wall) $1,000.00
Crystal Ridge natural stacked stone veneer for Fireplace+Kitchen $1,500.00
Definitive Tech outdoor speakers/Yamaha Receiver $1,500.00
Miscellaneous, electrical, plumbing, cables, outlets, mortar etc $1,000.00
Granite counter top (116"x77"=62.03sqft. price $14.35sqft) $1,935.00
Granite Fabrication labor (undermount sink, mitered edge no bullnose) $2,500.00
Lighting / transformers, Fans, LED rope and spot lights $400.00
Fireplace Stainless steel back $240.00
Fireplace glass $250.00
TV and Grill covers $100.00


Total $13,875 materials (Not including Grill/Side burners/doors etc...tack on $6k for that)
Labor $2500 (Granite fabrication)