A bare patio and a grill on wheels? We pour the slab, build the block and face it in stone, so the kitchen sits solid.
Outdoor kitchen masonry in Escondido is the solid part of the kitchen. We pour a concrete slab, build a concrete block frame for the grill and counters, face that block with stone veneer and get the top ready for your countertop. The masonry is usually the quicker part, because the countertop and the gas, power and water work tend to decide when you can actually cook.
Most folks who call me have a patio, a grill on wheels and a picture in their head of something better, and they want to know what it'll take to get there. The price mostly comes down to how much counter you want and in what shape, how many appliances need openings, which stone you pick, whether we pour a new slab or build on one you have, and how far the gas, power and water have to run. The schedule turns on the countertop maker's wait, how soon the trades for those lines can come in, and whether your build needs a permit. Your own figure comes on the written estimate once I've seen the yard.
I come out to look at every job myself, so the person pacing off your layout is the one who builds it. While the work goes on, I'm on site running our crew, which keeps the gas, power and water spots we planned from getting lost between stages.
I started this business in Escondido in 2020, after years as another mason's right hand, running jobs and learning to read a wall. I'm still on the tools most days, and I'd rather build your counters the careful way than leave you a problem down the road.
We're licensed and insured, and our promise to you is satisfaction guaranteed. If you've been picturing a kitchen out back and want a straight answer on what it'll take, call (760) 546-4075 or use the form below to get me out to your place.
Send us your address, a rough layout and whether you want gas, power or a sink, and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out for a free on-site estimate, walk the patio with you and put the estimate in writing, with no pressure to book.
Escondido's permit list names attached patio covers, not flat concrete work, and it doesn't mention outdoor kitchen masonry, so that list alone doesn't settle whether your kitchen needs a permit. The city's Building Division reviews plans and is the place to ask, and if your job does need a permit, we handle the application and meet the inspector when the time comes. A licensed contractor, the owner or an agent with written permission can get the permit, and a contractor shows a City Business License and proof of workers' compensation insurance when it's issued. The city takes plans only in electronic form, and review runs about 30 calendar days for each round once a complete set is in, so a job that needs plans starts later. It's worth doing by the book, because when an inspector finds work done without a permit, the city issues a stop work order and the work either gets permitted or comes out. If your home might be historic, we'll ask you to check with the city before we schedule anything.
Parts of Escondido sit in moderate, high and very high wildfire hazard zones on CAL FIRE's updated map, and the city says new construction in the high and very high zones must meet ignition-resistant building standards, so I'll ask where your lot falls when we talk. The city also asks people doing concrete walks and patios to plan for surface drainage across the lot, which matters on the sloped backyards we see a lot around here, so we look at where your yard sheds water before we set the slab. We're based in Escondido and build in the cities around it, from Temecula and Murrieta down to Chula Vista, including San Marcos and Valley Center, plus plenty of places beyond our city pages.
One guide puts the masonry for a standard L-shaped kitchen at 7 to 12 working days, plus time to schedule the other trades. The same guide says countertop fabrication alone has a 2 to 3 week lead time, so the finished kitchen takes longer than the masonry days. A job that needs city plans also waits on the review we covered above.
Your price comes on a written estimate after I've seen the yard, because the size, layout, stone and utility runs swing it too much for a fair number over the phone. I'd rather measure your patio and give you a real figure than guess at one that changes once we start. Call (760) 546-4075 and I'll come take a look.
Look for an active license from the Contractors State License Board, which is what contractors pulling permits in Escondido hold. California's masonry contractor class, C-29, covers concrete block, natural and manufactured stone, and fire brick, which is what an outdoor kitchen is built from.
A masonry trade group's install guide says manufactured stone veneer can go straight onto concrete block that's clean and rough enough to hold mortar. If the block surface can't bond, lath, a mesh the mortar grabs onto, and a scratch coat, a first rough layer of mortar, go on first. We check the block before any stone goes up so we know which way your kitchen needs.
Ask your contractor, because California requires a home improvement contractor to disclose any subcontractors when you request it. You get each one's name, contact information, license number and classification, and the main contractor stays responsible for the whole project.
