The short version
Built in is a different appliance
A built in grill is not a freestanding grill with the cart removed. It is a different unit, built with an insulated jacket and designed vent paths so the heat it makes has somewhere to go once it is surrounded by stone. That difference is the reason this page exists, and it is the mistake we see most often in DIY islands.
Grills are also the biggest single lever on the budget. The unit alone typically spans $3,000 to $20,000, which is a wider range than any other component in the kitchen.
What it costs
Appliance pricing
| Component | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Built in grill | $3,000 to $20,000 |
| Outdoor refrigerator | $675 to $2,500 |
| Side burner | $330 to $1,300 |
| Sink with plumbing run | $900 to $4,000 |
| Countertop surface | $40 to $200 per sq ft |
The appliance package is where an outdoor kitchen budget is won or lost. Full component pricing and complete project ranges are in the DFW outdoor kitchen cost guide.
Getting it right
What a proper install includes
- An insulated jacket where the manufacturer calls for one. Not optional, and not something to eyeball. Follow the clearance spec in the manual, not the mason's habit.
- Vents in the island for propane. Propane is heavier than air. A sealed masonry cabinet with an LP tank inside is exactly the wrong place for a leak.
- A licensed plumber on the gas line. In Texas this is licensed work and it gets permitted and inspected. Covered on the permits page.
- Access to the shutoff without demolition. You should be able to reach the gas valve and the connections through a door, not through a sledgehammer.
- A hood only if there is a roof. Under open sky you do not need one. Under a covered patio you generally do.
- Stainless rated for outdoors. Indoor grade stainless will rust and streak. 304 grade is the common outdoor standard, and it is worth asking which one you are getting.
Good to know
Common grill questions
Can I build my existing freestanding grill into an island?
No, and this is the most important thing on this page. A freestanding grill is designed to sit in open air and vent heat out its sides and back. Enclosing one in masonry traps that heat against combustible parts and the gas supply. Built in grills are engineered with insulated jackets and vent paths for exactly this. Buy a built in unit, or leave the freestanding one freestanding.
Natural gas or propane?
Natural gas if the line can reach, because you never run out mid cook and you never haul a tank. It costs more up front since a plumber has to run and permit the line. Propane is cheaper to start and portable, but it needs a ventilated cabinet, since propane is heavier than air and will pool in a sealed enclosure rather than dissipate.
Do I need a vent hood?
Only if the grill sits under a solid roof or a covered patio, and then yes, you generally do. Open sky needs no hood. A ceiling above the grill traps smoke and grease and sends both back down onto everyone, and grease on a wood ceiling is a fire issue, not just a cleaning one.
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