An outdoor kitchen in Northeast Florida is not a summer project. With mild winters and long evenings for most of the year, a well built one gets used more than almost any other part of a backyard.
It also lives in one of the harshest settings anything in your house will face. Salt air drifts inland from the beaches. Summer storms drop an inch of rain in an hour. The sun bakes everything from spring to fall, and the humidity never really leaves. The outdoor kitchens we see looking tired after a few years rarely failed because of the design. They failed because something in them was the wrong material for this coast.
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So there are two sets of decisions. First, what the kitchen sits on and what goes over it. Then, what it is made of.
The short version. Put the kitchen on a surface that can carry its weight and shrug off grease and water: pavers or concrete at ground level, or a deck framed for the load. Cover at least the cooking and prep area, because Florida sun and afternoon storms are hard on people and appliances alike. Then choose materials for the coast: 316 marine grade stainless near salt air, masonry, polymer or powder coated aluminum cabinets instead of wood, and a countertop rated for sun, such as granite or porcelain, rather than standard quartz. Run the gas, power and water before the surface goes down.
What the kitchen sits on
Pavers are our favorite base for a ground level outdoor kitchen. They carry the weight of masonry islands and appliances easily, they handle water and grease, and if an area gets stained or damaged, those pavers can be lifted and replaced. The kitchen area can be laid in a pattern or color that sets it apart from the rest of the patio. See the range on our paver installation page.
Concrete is a strong, clean base, especially under a cover where a smooth, easy to clean surface makes sense. Like any slab, it can crack as the ground moves, and a stain on concrete is there to stay. Our concrete installation work includes slabs designed for this kind of use.
A deck works well when the kitchen needs to sit at the level of the back door, or the yard slopes. Countertops, islands and appliances are heavy, so the framing under the kitchen has to be designed for that weight rather than for people and furniture. Around the grill, follow the grill maker’s clearances, protect the boards from grease and heat, and check the decking manufacturer’s guidance on heat sources. Plenty of homeowners combine the two: a deck off the house with a paver kitchen area a step down.
What goes over it
In Florida, the question is not whether to cover an outdoor kitchen. It is how much.
A pergola gives filtered shade and a defined room. It takes the edge off the afternoon sun but lets rain straight through, so the appliances still need covers. A pavilion, with a solid roof, protects the whole kitchen and lets you keep cooking through an afternoon storm. It also keeps the countertops and cabinets out of the worst of the UV, which adds years to their life. See our pergola and pavilion pages for what we build.
Cooking under a solid roof brings its own rules. Grills need the clearances their manufacturers specify, and under a roof that usually means a properly sized vent hood and attention to what the ceiling above the grill is made of. That is far easier to design in from the start than to add once the roof is on. Ceiling fans and lighting are worth planning at the same time.
What salt air does to stainless steel
Stainless steel is not one material. The two grades you will see in outdoor kitchens are 304 and 316.
304 is the common grade, and it does well inland. Near the coast, salt settling on it can cause brown surface staining, often called tea staining, within a season or two. 316, often sold as marine grade, contains molybdenum, which makes it far more resistant to salt. If you are anywhere near the beaches or the Intracoastal, it is worth asking for 316 on appliances, doors, drawers and hardware.
Whatever the grade, fresh water is the best maintenance. Rinsing stainless down regularly keeps salt from sitting on the surface. Covers help too, as long as they breathe. A cover that traps damp air against the steel can do more harm than good.
Cabinets and countertops that last here
Cabinets and islands. Masonry islands, block finished with stucco or stone, are about as durable as it gets. Marine grade polymer cabinets and powder coated aluminum are the other good options. Wood, and anything built from particle board or MDF, is a poor choice in Florida humidity, however well it is finished.
Countertops. Granite handles sun and heat well and has been an outdoor kitchen staple for years. It needs sealing periodically. Porcelain and sintered stone slabs are UV stable, heat resistant and very low maintenance. Concrete countertops work when sealed. The one to avoid in direct sun is standard engineered quartz. The resin that binds it can yellow or fade under UV, and many quartz makers exclude outdoor use from their warranties. A few make outdoor rated lines, so check the spec before you choose.
Gas, power and water
The utilities are the part to plan first, because they go under the surface. A natural gas line or a propane setup, electrical circuits for the refrigerator, lighting and outlets, and water and drainage for a sink all have to be run, usually to code and under permit, before pavers or decking go down.
Outdoor outlets need ground fault protection. Sinks need somewhere for the water to drain. And it is worth adding a spare conduit or two for whatever you decide you want next year. Running them now costs far less than cutting into a finished patio later.
Layout for Florida heat
A few layout choices make a big difference here:
- Watch the west sun. The cook ends up facing into the low afternoon sun on a west facing layout unless the cover handles it.
- Keep the smoke away from seating. Our prevailing breezes shift, but the grill should not sit upwind of the table.
- Give the grill landing space. Counter space on both sides of the grill makes the kitchen usable.
- Think about the walk to the house. A kitchen far from the back door means more trips with full hands.
Storms and the off season
Before a named storm, secure or bring in anything loose: grill covers, cushions, small appliances and propane tanks. Shut off the gas and the power to the kitchen. A pergola or pavilion built to Florida wind requirements stays put; the furniture under it will not.
After the storm, rinse salt and debris off the stainless and check that drains are running. Built with the right materials, an outdoor kitchen here comes through storm season looking the way it did going in.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best surface for an outdoor kitchen?
Can you build an outdoor kitchen on a composite deck?
What stainless steel is best for an outdoor kitchen near the beach?
What countertop is best for an outdoor kitchen in Florida?
Does an outdoor kitchen need a permit in Jacksonville?
Plan the kitchen and what is over it together
The best outdoor kitchens we build were planned as one project: the surface, the cover, the utilities and the kitchen itself. Planned that way, the gas line is where the grill goes, the pavilion is tall enough for the hood, and nothing has to be torn up later.
Coastal Outdoor Construction builds outdoor kitchen patios, decks, pergolas and pavilions across Jacksonville and St. Johns County. See what we build on our outdoor kitchen patios page.
If a fire feature will sit near your cooking area, see how a propane fire pit compares with natural gas and wood before the patio is poured.
Written By:
Coastal Outdoor Construction
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