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Backyard Business

June 6, 2019

Market Research Analyst: Tricia Zach; Text: Dianne M. Pogoda

The outdoor kitchen is definitely “a thing” — and exclusive NKBA research reveals what’s driving the phenomenon. Here’s a smattering from the latest report, just released this week, on what homeowners want, where challenges and opportunities exist, top choices in materials, products, features, lifestyle, usage and more. To order the report, click here.

15 Stats to BBQ By in the Outdoor Kitchen

  • Bottom Line: Typical spend is about $13,000 on an outdoor kitchen, but about 22 percent of homeowners are building very high-end kitchens ($30,000+)and 14 percent spend between $20,000 and $30,000.

  • Size Matters: Most outdoor kitchens (66 percent) are between 100 and 400 square feet, including a sitting area in the meal preparation space. 22 percent are more than 400 square feet, and just 12 percent are under 100 square feet.

  • Do It Right: Nearly all homeowners (84 percent) use professional installers for at least part of their outdoor kitchen installation.

  • Fuel the Fire: 31 percent of homeowners have two grills in their outdoor kitchen. 44 percent use propane, 45 percent connect to natural gas, 22 percent are charcoal.

  • Finishing Touches: Stainless steel is the grill hood finish of choice, by 77 percent of homeowners. 75 percent have additional burners, 57 percent have warming racks, and 50 percent have a rotisserie.

  • Look Up: About half of homeowners install some fixed overhead structure (52 percent); 30 percent install a pergola, and 13 percent have an adjustable/retractable structure; 12 percent have no overhead structure.

  • Border Patrol: 60 percent choose stone or brick, about 24 percent choose trees and shrubs; 23 percent use wood or lattice.

  • Creature Comforts: 62 percent of outdoor kitchens have a TV; 62 percent have built-in storage or cabinets; 58 percent boast a fire pit.

  • Helping Hands: 64 percent percent of homeowners used a designer, 41 percent used a landscape or garden architect/specialist, 10 percent used an architect.

  • Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Natural stone is the choice of 57 percent of homeowners for outdoor countertops, followed by quartz at 23 percent.

  • Not Invited: The biggest challenges in the outdoor space are keeping out bugs (29 percent), protection from full sun (24 percent) and keeping out animals/rodents (21 percent).

  • Cheers! 26 percent feature a wine refrigerator; 25 percent install an ice maker, 15 percent have a beer dispenser/tap system.

  • The Big Idea: 70 percent came up with project ideas on their own; 45 percent from friends’/neighbors’ homes, 45 percent from home-improvement retailers; 40 percent from home or design magazines; 39 percent from TV home-improvement shows.

  • “I wish I’d spent more time/money on…”: Shelter/shade enclosure, 12 percent; A bigger space, 10 percent; Counter, 9 percent; Atmosphere/temperature/lighting control, 7 percent; Cabinets/storage, 5 percent.

  • But Who Cleans Up? The male head-of-household takes the lead in outdoor cooking 75 percent of the time.