Outdoor kitchen masonry in Redondo Beach CA - a grill island built into your yard
Tired of rolling the grill out every weekend? We build a block and stone island that stays put, with room for gas, power and water.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
How is an outdoor kitchen island built in Redondo Beach?
Outdoor kitchen masonry in Redondo Beach usually means a built-in grill island, a concrete block frame set on a slab, faced with stone and left ready for countertops, so you end up with a cooking area that's part of the yard instead of a grill you wheel out of the side yard.
Usually the people who ask me about an island already have a patio and a grill on a cart, and they've started picturing counters, a sink, maybe a fridge. The price mostly moves with how big the island is, how many appliances go in and whether you face it with natural or manufactured stone, because a full kitchen with a sink, fridge and stone counters costs more than a grill island on its own. The schedule turns less on our masonry than on the other trades, since the plumber and electrician have to fit their work in between our block and our stone, and counters take a while to make. When I come out, I'll look at your yard and give you a figure for your island, not a guess from a chart.
How do you know it's time to build or rebuild a grill island?
Grill cart by the door
If the grill lives on a cart and you set plates on a folding table every time you cook, you've probably outgrown the setup. A fixed island gives you prep space and a proper spot for the gas, and putting it off mostly costs you more weekends of hauling things in and out.
Stone coming loose
Pieces of stone cracking or falling off an older island usually mean the face didn't bond well to the block or water got in behind it. Each piece that drops lets more water reach the frame, so a few loose stones left alone can turn into a full refacing.
Cracked or shifted counters
A crack across the top or a gap opening where the counter meets the island often means the frame underneath has moved or wasn't built solid. Waiting lets a small crack run through a stone top, and then you're replacing the counter instead of fixing what's under it.
Our outdoor kitchen masonry, from slab to stone
We start with the slab the island sits on, then build the concrete block frame on it in the shape you've picked. That's where we pause the masonry on purpose, because the gas, power and water need room to go in before the stone face covers everything, and we'll help you line up those trades so nothing has to be torn out later. Once their lines are in, our crew sets the stone on the clean block, gets the top ready for your countertops and cleans up the site before we call it done.
Most islands sit at the end of a path or against a wall, so the work around them often comes up on the same visit. If the route from your back door is uneven or just lawn, our walkway construction can tie the island to the house, and if you'd like a backdrop or a divider for the cooking area, we do brick wall installation as well.
Natural stone face
Real quarried stone, every piece a little different, suits you if the island needs to match stone already on your house or in your yard. It's heavier to set and usually costs more, so I'd pick it when the match matters more than the budget.
Manufactured stone face
This suits most of the grill islands I'm asked about, because it gives you the look of stone in lighter, more even pieces that are easier to set. It's the one I'd lean toward when you're keeping the price in check and nothing nearby has to match.
Get a price for your grill island
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, look at the spot and give you a free estimate on site, with no obligation.
Call (424) 265-1368What happens after you call about an outdoor kitchen in Redondo Beach?
Here's how a grill island job runs from your first call to the last cleanup, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send the form
Call (424) 265-1368 or use the form, and we'll get in touch to set up a visit. Tell us roughly what you have in mind, even if it's just a grill and some counter space.
I look at your yard
I come out myself, look at where the island would go and walk through the stone, the layout and the appliances with you. The estimate gives you our price for the masonry and a plain picture of where your plumber, electrician and counter maker fit in, so you can budget the whole project and not just our part.
We sort out the permit
If you go ahead, we sort out the permit steps with your city or county office before any work starts. You won't have to chase that paperwork yourself.
We build while I check
Our crew pours the slab, builds the block frame and stops so your other trades can run their lines, then sets the stone and gets the top ready for counters. I check the work as it goes, and we clean up before we leave.
Why Redondo Beach homeowners call CJ Redondo Beach Concrete & Masonry for outdoor kitchens
On an island, the part that matters most is the frame nobody sees once the stone is on, so the best time to talk is before you book the gas line or order counters. Ask for an estimate or call (424) 265-1368, and bring every question you've got.
I do your estimate myself
I come out to look at the yard and give the estimate, and I'm back on site checking our crew's work while they build. You get your answers from the person who priced the job, not someone reading off a sheet.
Running this business since 2017
I grew up mixing mortar for my uncle and started this business in 2017, so we're nine years in. Coming back to the trade after time away taught me to explain each step before we start, and no question about your island is too small to ask me.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured, and the state licensing board counts concrete block and both natural and manufactured stone as masonry work, which is exactly what a grill island is made of. In California, an unlicensed person can only take on minor work up to $1,000 that needs no permit and where they employ no one, so anything bigger or anything that needs a permit calls for a licensed contractor.
Outdoor kitchens, walls and walkways in Redondo Beach
In Redondo Beach, the city's building and safety office takes permit applications online, and its list of quick over-the-counter permits names reroof, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work but not outdoor kitchen masonry. That list doesn't settle whether your island needs its own permit, and I won't guess, so we check with the city before work starts and take care of the permit when the job needs one. When a job does carry a building permit, the city also requires a waste management plan, which spells out where the broken block, scraps and other debris end up, and we work that in along with the permit.
We're based in Redondo Beach and work across the cities around it, and a lot of the back yards we see are tight, with the patio close to the house and a narrow side gate as the only way in. We size the island so you can still walk past it with a plate in hand, and we carry block and stone through by hand when a gate is all we've got, the same way we plan jobs in Torrance and Hermosa Beach.
Questions about outdoor kitchen masonry in Redondo Beach
How much does a built-in grill island cost?
A built-in grill island installed across the US usually costs about $3,000 to $10,000 per job, and that's a national range, not our price. It's a fair yardstick for budgeting, and your own number comes from the estimate once I've seen the spot.
How long does it take to build an outdoor kitchen island?
One contractor estimating guide puts the masonry for a standard L-shaped outdoor kitchen at 7 to 12 working days, and you should plan extra time beyond that to schedule the other trades. The same guide says countertops take 2 to 3 weeks to make, so it's worth asking early when yours will be ordered.
Is manufactured stone veneer real stone?
No, manufactured stone veneer is made from concrete and shaped to look like natural stone. Masonry industry guidance says it can go straight onto concrete block that's clean and rough enough for the mortar to bond, so it pairs naturally with a block frame.
When do the gas, water and electric lines go in on an outdoor kitchen?
They go in after the block frame is finished and before the stone face goes on, according to one contractor estimating guide. That's the window to book your plumber and electrician for, so they can run their lines through the open frame instead of cutting into finished stone.
How do I compare bids for a block grill island?
Ask each bidder how many of the block's hollow cores they plan to fill with grout, because grout in some or all of the cores adds strength to a block wall whether or not it's reinforced. It's a fair question to put to anyone, me included, along with which stone they've priced.
What causes white powder on a brick outdoor kitchen?
That white powder is efflorescence, and on brick it most often comes from compounds in the materials touching it, such as mortar, grout, block, concrete or soil. It usually brushes off, but if it keeps coming back, it's worth having someone look at where the water is getting in.
Work that often goes with a grill island
- Walkway construction
A solid path from the back door to the grill keeps guests off wet grass and gives you steady footing while carrying hot food.
- Brick wall installation
A low brick wall can close in the cooking area, give guests a place to sit and tie the island into the rest of your yard.
Cities we serve around Redondo Beach
CJ Redondo Beach Concrete & Masonry is based in Redondo Beach, California, and builds outdoor kitchens across the cities around it, including Manhattan Beach and Lomita. These are the 12 cities with their own page, and we work in others nearby too.
Redondo Beach, CA
Plan your grill island before booking trades
Bring a rough idea of where the island goes and what you want in it, and we can work out the frame, the stone and the trade schedule in one visit.