Made By Mobbs · outdoor kitchen planning
Outdoor Kitchen Guide
A practical guide to planning an outdoor kitchen in Melbourne or Sydney — costs, layouts, materials, appliances and the mistakes worth avoiding.
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An outdoor kitchen is not just a BBQ bench
A built-in grill on a slab is the visible part. What makes it work is gas and power routed before paving goes down, bench depth for prep, storage you will actually use, cover that does not trap smoke, and paving falls that keep water off the house. Skip that thinking and you get a expensive BBQ bay that nobody uses past the first summer.
This guide walks through the decisions in the order they matter on site — not the order they appear in a catalogue.
Start with the guide that matches your question
Cost, layout, materials, appliances, cover and common mistakes — each page goes deep on one part of the build so you can compare quotes on similar scope.
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Outdoor kitchen costs
Broad price bands for Melbourne and Sydney — and what actually moves the quote.
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Design and layout
Circulation, bench depth, cooking zones, cover and where smoke goes on a typical block.
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Materials
Benchtops, cladding and cabinetry — what holds up outside and what needs upkeep.
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BBQ and appliances
Built-in BBQs, fridges, sinks, gas, power and access panels for future servicing.
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Covered kitchens
Pergolas, rooflines, ventilation, rain and when you need a permit.
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Mistakes to avoid
The practical errors we see when outdoor kitchens are planned too late or too far from the house.
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What makes an outdoor kitchen actually work?
- Services in the right order Gas, power and drainage trenched while the ground is open — not cut through new paving because the kitchen moved two metres.
- Layout before stone Bench depth, fridge door swing, prep space beside the BBQ and clearances under cover fixed before cladding and benchtops are ordered.
- Materials that suit grease and weather Outdoor-rated cabinetry, sealed or low-porosity benchtops, and cladding details that do not trap water on horizontal ledges.
- Relationship to the house and seating Short trip from the pantry, guests facing the cook, lighting on the bench — kitchens at the back fence look good on paper and wear you out in practice.
- Cover with ventilation Shade and rain protection without a low ceiling that fills with smoke — open sides, hoods or higher roofs with thought about wind.
Melbourne and Sydney considerations
Both cities cook outdoors year-round when the layout suits the weather — but the details differ block by block more than city by city.
- Melbourne: Cool evenings, wind shifts and four-season use mean lighting, partial cover and wind-aware BBQ orientation matter. Gas reticulation is common; allow time for licensed connection and paving reinstatement.
- Sydney: Heavier rain bursts and stronger sun push roofed cover and afternoon shade higher up the list. Coastal sites add salt air and wind — material choice and extraction paths need extra thought.
- Both: Council rules for roofed structures, boundary setbacks and gas compliance vary by municipality — check early, not after posts are in the ground.
Where outdoor kitchens usually go wrong
- Planned after the backyard is finished — Services and slab work mean cutting new paving and patching falls.
- Too far from the house — Long trenches, dark paths and carrying hot food across the lawn.
- No prep bench or storage — A grill with nowhere to land a tray or store tongs gets abandoned.
- Cover too low or too enclosed — Smoke stains ceilings and the cook stands in a grease haze.
- Quotes compared on price, not scope — Gas, slab, cover and paving may be missing from the cheaper line item.
Layout, services and structure need to line up before stone goes on — otherwise every trade is fixing the last one's assumptions.
Planning an outdoor kitchen in Melbourne?
Speak with Made By Mobbs Landscapes about layout, paving, cover and the services that sit underneath — as one coordinated outdoor build.
Speak with Made By Mobbs Landscapes