Outdoor kitchen masonry in Santa Cruz CA - a grill island with no wood frame inside
Want a built-in grill instead of a rolling cart? We build the island in block, brick or stone, shaped around the grill you choose.
What goes into outdoor kitchen masonryfor a Santa Cruz backyard
Outdoor kitchen masonry in Santa Cruz usually starts with a grill cart that's seen better days and a patio that wants something permanent. It's the island that holds the built-in grill, laid up in block, brick, or natural or manufactured stone instead of framed in wood. Done right, it mostly asks you to clean the grill.
Pick the grill first, because its vents and cutouts shape the island. One grill maker requires vent openings on the left, right and back so gas from a leak can clear out, and that decides where the walls open. We build the island in masonry all the way through, not stucco over a wood frame.
The price moves with the size of the island, how many things you build into it and whether the outside is block, brick or stone. The schedule mostly waits on the grill and on whether your address needs a permit, which we pull ourselves when it does. The estimate at your yard is where you get your own number.
You'll get a straight answer on what your island needs and what it doesn't, so give us a call at (831) 201-6259.
What we build outdoor kitchen masonry from
We pick the material for your island by how it sits with your house and yard, and by what the grill maker asks for around its vents and cutouts.
Concrete block core
Block makes a square, strong frame that doesn't burn, so we lay most islands in it and finish the outside in brick, stone or a smooth cement coat.
Clay brick
Brick suits older houses, and we work to match the color and joints of what's already there. It's the same work as our brick wall installation, sized down to a counter.
Natural or manufactured stone
Stone gives the island a heavier, older look. We set it in mortar over the block and keep it clear of the grill's vent openings.
Why homeowners call J&L in Santa Cruzfor masonry done once
You talk to me, not a salesperson, and I'd rather tell you a job isn't worth doing than sell it to you.
I look at every job myself
Nobody gets sent out to look at your island but me, and my crew does the work with me on site, not without me.
Licensed and insured for your build
We're licensed and insured, so you're not taking on the risk of an uncovered crew working in your yard.
Masonry work since 2013
We've been at this since 2013, 13 years now, mostly on older brick and stone where the repair can't be allowed to cause the next problem.
One crew for the island and the path
An island nobody can walk to gets lonely, so we can lay the walkway out to it while we're already there.
Satisfaction guaranteed
Satisfaction guaranteed is the one promise we make, and I'd rather hear a worry while the mortar's still wet than after it sets.
Your outdoor kitchen, priced on sitefree from J&L Santa Cruz
Send your address, a few photos of the yard and the grill model you want. We'll get back to you within one business day to set up a free estimate at your property, with no pressure to book.
How your island gets builtfrom first call to walkthrough
I keep this simple for you. You get a written estimate that says what we'll do and why, so there's nothing to guess at once the block starts going down.
You call or send the form
Call (831) 201-6259 or use the form, and tell me roughly where the island would go and which grill you're looking at.
I look at the yard
I come out and see the spot, the slope and how you'd get to it from the house. Then you get the written estimate.
Grill picked, permit sorted
Once your grill is chosen, I lay the island out around its vents and cutouts, and if the job needs a permit, we handle it before we start.
My crew builds it
My crew and I lay the island in masonry from the base up, with the vent openings where your grill maker wants them, and we clean up as we go.
We walk it together
I walk the finished island with you before we call it done, so you can point out anything that bothers you while the crew's still on site.
Grill island questions
Can my grill island in Santa Cruz have a wood frame under stucco?
It can, but one grill maker treats stucco or tile over a wood frame as a burnable island and requires an insulated jacket around its grill there. That maker goes by the frame under the finish, even if the grill only touches the stucco, and it doesn't recommend wood islands at all. That's why we build the island in masonry all the way through.
How much does an outdoor kitchen island cost in Santa Cruz?
There isn't one figure I can give without seeing the yard, because the island's size, the number of things built into it and the outside finish set most of the price. A sloped spot, tight access or a coastal permit adds to it, and a block island with a simple finish keeps it down. The estimate gives you the number for your yard.
Does a handyman need a license to build a grill island in California?
Yes, if the job needs a permit of any kind or the handyman hires anyone to help, because California requires a license for that work even under $1,000. An unlicensed helper fits only a small, permit-free job done alone. The state licensing board's masonry class covers block, brick, stone and fire brick for heat work, which is what an island is made of.
How do I apply for a building permit in Santa Cruz?
In the City of Santa Cruz, the Building & Safety Division issues construction permits, and permits and plans now go in online through the city's permit portal. The city suggests that you, your contractor and any designer who needs access set up accounts before the application goes in, which cuts delays. We find out first whether your address falls under the city or the county, and when the job needs a permit, we pull it and line up the inspections.
How do I know if my lot is in the Coastal Zone in Santa Cruz County?
You're likely in it if your lot sits within about 0.6 miles inland between Natural Bridges and 41st Avenue in Capitola, or within about five miles inland on the North Coast. The county says building in the Coastal Zone often needs a Coastal Development Permit, and building a structure or grading counts. Even a project that would otherwise be exempt may need one on a beach or wetland or within 50 feet of a coastal bluff, so a new island near the coast is worth checking against the county's Coastal Development Permit page.
How do I fit a propane tank in a grill island?
One grill maker's guide puts the tank in its own vented space, not under the grill and with no opening into the grill cavity. It also says that space has to be vented the way local codes require. We follow your grill's own instructions on this, so bring the model to the estimate.
Outdoor kitchen masonry beyond Santa Cruz
We're based in Santa Cruz and build grill islands across the cities around it, from the coast over the hill into the South Bay. Find your city below, or call and ask about yours.
Plan your outdoor kitchen masonry in Santa Cruzstarting with the grill
Call (831) 201-6259 or email your yard photos and grill model to hi@santacruzconcreteandmasonry.com, and I'll have read that grill's install guide before I walk your yard for the estimate.