As you work on your outdoor kitchen plans, you are going to face many decisions. None of those decisions can be made, or should be made, until you have determined what your budget for the project will be. You will be dealing with factors such as the size and shape of the cabinets, plus a huge number of available outdoor kitchen appliances, and you are wasting your time if you make any decisions prior to going through the budgeting phase.
Once you have determined a budget, you should develop a list of the things you want in your plan. Try to see as many different outdoor kitchens as you can, and consult an outdoor kitchens guide in order to help you through the planning and building process. Once you have an idea of the things you want in your kitchen, you can get a sense for how large the cabinet areas need to be. In addition to the list of appliances, you should think about bar space, if there is going to be a bar. How many stools do you want to fit at your bar? Figure two to two and a half feet per barstool and you can figure this out pretty quickly.
Once you know the basic shape of your project, it is a good time to have a couple of contractors come in. Not that you are ready to sign them up to handle the job, but this is a great chance to see where you stand with your budget versus your wish list. Any reputable contractor should offer a free visit to talk about your plans. They should be willing to share references and be able to show you pictures of completed jobs. Within a couple of days they should be able to supply you with both a written estimate and drawing of the proposed project. They should be able to produce licensing and insurance information. If they cannot or will not do any of those things, move on to the next contractor. An outdoor kitchen is a real addition to your home, so it needs to be treated seriously. There is electrical work and probably plumbing work that will be done as part of the project. If this work is handled wrong, there are serious possible safety worries. There is also the worry about improper work leading to your inability to sell your house in the future.
Follow a plan when dealing with a project like this and you will be much better off than if you try to approach it willy nilly. In the end, the finished project will be the result of your plan, so it pays to take the time to develop your outdoor kitchen plans correctly.
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