How to plan an outdoor kitchen

What should you decide first when you plan an outdoor kitchen?

Decide how you will cook before you draw anything. Write down each appliance you want, such as a grill, side burner, ceramic smoker or refrigerator. Appliance makers set the cutout sizes, and the cabinets are built around those cutouts. Work in this order and you avoid most reorders.

Most planning mistakes come from doing the steps out of order. People pick a color, then a layout, then find the grill does not fit. The table near the top of this page lists the seven steps in a safe order. This guide walks through each one.

Start with three questions:

• Who cooks, and how many people usually stand in the space?
• Do you cook mostly with gas, or do you want a ceramic smoker or kamado-style grill too?
• Do you need cold storage and a sink outside, or will you carry items from the indoor kitchen?

Your answers set the size of the run. A grill and a prep counter fit in a short straight run. A sink, a refrigerator and seating call for an L-shape or an island.

How do you lay out an outdoor kitchen?

Lay out the kitchen in zones: cook, prep, clean, cold and serve. Keep the cook zone and the prep zone next to each other, and keep the cold zone within a few steps of both. A short, clear path between zones matters more than a large footprint.

Pick a shape

Three shapes cover most patios.

The Endura installation guide says free-standing islands must be anchored to the patio slab or deck. It calls a structural base designed to secure islands to concrete slabs or deck surfaces the most reliable method. Your installer should plan that before you order.

Give each zone room

Leave landing space on both sides of the grill, so a hot pan or a tray has somewhere to go. Put the sink near the prep area, not the grill. Keep trash and recycling near the prep area as well. Endura offers a wastebasket pull-out and roll-out trays as accessories, and each has its own installation sheet linked on the Endura RTA page.

Think about the corner

A corner is where layouts get tight. Endura lists a universal concealed corner cabinet in its RTA assembly guides, so you can use the corner for storage instead of leaving it empty. Ask your dealer how the corner opens and what clearance it needs.

Which cabinets does an outdoor kitchen need?

An outdoor kitchen usually needs grill base cabinets, base and sink cabinets, wall cabinets, fillers, a toe-kick or bare legs, and a few accessories. The Endura line lists each of these. Pick them after the appliances are chosen so every opening matches.

Here is what the Endura RTA guides and catalog list, grouped by job.

For the standard sizes, the Endura catalog lists a base cabinet height of 34.5 inches and depths of 24, 27 and 30 inches. Bar-back cabinets have a raised 6 inch backsplash and stand 40.5 inches tall. The Endura page lists total overall height as adjustable from 34 inches to 35.875 inches. Confirm all sizes with your dealer, because the catalog and the product page do not list every size the same way.

Choose the door style and color

Endura comes in five door styles: Club, Moderno, Oxford, Regent and Sedona. It comes in 14 colors in the 2025 brochure: 11 solid matte and 3 Decograin finishes. Order a sample before you decide, because screens do not show color exactly.

What material should outdoor kitchen cabinets use?

Choose a material that will not rot, swell or rust in your climate. Endura cabinets use 3/4 inch marine-grade HDPE, which the brochure says is UV and weather-resistant and never needs sanding or painting. Wood is the weak choice outdoors in humid places.

One outdoor kitchen seller that builds with concrete puts it this way: “Wood is susceptible to warping, rotting, swelling, insect damage, and not to mention” a fire risk under a hot grill. That seller has its own product to sell, so read it as one view. Many makers reach the same basic point about wood.

For a full comparison of stainless steel, HDPE, wood and stone, read the outdoor kitchen cabinet materials guide.

Endura hardware matters too. The brochure lists 304 stainless steel 6-way adjustable hinges with a soft-close mechanism, and adjustable rust-resistant 304 stainless steel legs. The legs are what lift the cabinet off a wet patio. Read the adjustable leg entry for how they level a run on a sloped slab.

How do you plan for grills, venting and heat?

Plan the grill cabinet with the grill maker’s manual open. Endura says a grill or side burner needs an insulated jacket or liner in place before you install it. Endura base grill cabinets ship with precut ventilation, and your grill maker or local code may require more.

The Endura installation guide gives these points in plain words:

1. Use a grill insulated jacket or liner with Endura cabinetry. The guide says to always do this for proper insulation and safety.
2. Remove the doors and the false-front of a grill cabinet to make installation easier.
3. Cut the false-front for the liner according to the grill or burner maker’s instructions. Account for the countertop thickness when you mark the cut.
4. Add ventilation if the appliance maker or code requires more than the precut openings.
5. Hire a licensed professional for gas appliances and insulated jackets. Many grill retailers offer installation.

Another cabinet maker states the same rule for its own product: “Always follow the appliance manufacturer’s installation requirements.” Treat that as the rule for every brand.

Put vent covers on the end cabinets

Side ventilation openings are standard on all Endura base cabinets. The Endura vent cover sheet says the final cabinets in a run must be fitted with vent covers for proper airflow, and that at least two covers are required. It also warns that uncovered openings may let debris, pests or small animals into the grill base. The vent cover sheet shows the four steps.

If the grill cabinets sit against a wall, the Endura filler sheet explains how to keep the vents from being blocked. It uses a 3 inch by 30 inch filler cut into strips. Your installer should read that sheet before the cabinets go in.

What do code and permits mean for your plan?

Local building codes come first. The Endura installation guide tells you to observe local building codes before you install cabinets and appliances. Gas, electrical, plumbing, fire and wind rules can all apply. Confirm the rules with your local building department or installer before you order.

The Florida Building Commission site states that the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), took effect on December 31, 2023. The same site announces an update cycle, so ask your building department which edition applies to your permit. This guide does not give legal or code advice.

Wind is a Florida concern. The Endura guide says that in regions prone to high winds, such as rooftops or tornado and hurricane-prone areas, building codes may require securing the cabinetry to an immovable structure. That could mean a wall, a floor or a concrete base. Your installer and building department decide what applies on your site.

How should you prepare the site and the cabinet run?

Prepare a level, solid base and check the slope before cabinets arrive. The Endura guide says to check the floor pitch side to side and front to back, find the highest point, and start there. The first cabinet sets the level and the height for every cabinet after it.

The Endura installation guide asks for a level, square and plumb run. It warns that skipping this step leads to doors and drawers that will not adjust well and to trouble fitting the countertop. The base cabinet target is 34 1/2 inches before the countertop.

Gather these before the install day:

The guide says that using unauthorized fasteners will void product warranties. See the full steps in the Endura RTA assembly and installation guide.

What about the countertop, appliances and utilities?

Order the countertop after the cabinets are set and level, and have a pro fabricate and install it. The Endura guide strongly recommends professional fabrication and installation. Utilities are separate work. Turn off the electrical, water and gas supplies that the work affects before you start, and use licensed trades for the connections.

Endura cabinets have dog bone shaped openings in the front cabinet rail. The guide says to fill each one with a suitable countertop adhesive before you set the countertop. This helps the countertop bond to the cabinet.

Plan utility runs on paper first:

• Where does the gas line enter, and where does the propane pull-out sit if you use one?
• Where do the power outlets and lighting go, and are they protected from weather?
• Where does the sink drain, and what is the slope?

Your licensed trades answer these. Cabinet planning only needs the openings and the clearance.

How do you care for an outdoor kitchen after it is built?

Clean Endura cabinets with soap and water and a soft cotton cloth. The care sheet lists acceptable cleaners, including hand washing liquid soap, glass cleaner and a 10 percent chlorine bleach dilution. It tells you to avoid abrasive cleaners and chemical sprays. A pressure washer may be used at no greater than 1500 PSI.

Keep open containers of caustic chemicals out of the cabinets. The care sheet says they can corrode the hinges. For the warranty terms, the Endura RTA warranty sheet states that hinges and leveling legs carry a five year limited warranty. The brochure lists a limited lifetime warranty for the line. Register your warranty on the warranty page after your dealer installs the kitchen.

Next step

Take your appliance list and a sketch of the patio to a dealer. They can check the cutouts and order the right Endura parts. See the Endura outdoor kitchen cabinets and then find a dealer near you.