Outdoor Kitchen Statistics 2027: What 1,000 U.S. Homeowners Told Us

The first national survey of homeowners — not renovators, not shoppers on a design platform, but the whole market — on what they own, what they actually spent, what they regret, which grills they know, and what they plan to build next. Original data from BBQ Kitchen Pros.

Survey of 1,000 U.S. homeowners · Conducted via Pollfish, September 22, 2026 · Margin of error ±3.1 points · Methodology · Download the topline data

1The outdoor kitchen market in 2027: a $10B industry growing 8–9% a year — and what the market reports miss

Most outdoor kitchen statistics published today come from two places: market research firms sizing the industry in dollars, and design platforms surveying people who have just finished a renovation. Both are useful. Neither tells you what the typical homeowner — the one with a cart grill on the patio and a half-formed plan — actually thinks, spends, or wants.

For market context, the industry analysis and growth analysis published by the market research firms are broadly consistent, and the outdoor living category keeps expanding. The global outdoor kitchen market is valued by Grand View Research at roughly USD 24 billion (24,450 USD million) in 2024 with growth forecast near 9% a year through 2030; U.S.-focused estimates put the domestic market around $10 billion in 2026 with 8–9% annual growth. The Freedonia Group and Fortune Business Insights publish similar market size and market share reports on the outdoor kitchen industry, segmented by product type (outdoor grills, cabinets, refrigeration, other outdoor kitchen appliances) and distribution channel. On the renovation side, Houzz’s 2026 Outdoor Trends Study found that 12% of homeowners upgrading an outdoor structure added or renovated an outdoor kitchen, that 95% of those kitchens were built from scratch, and that 71% of outdoor renovators hired at least one professional. The National Association of REALTORS® estimated in its Remodeling Impact Report that an outdoor kitchen recovers roughly 100% of its cost at resale.

What none of that market analysis measures is the demand side in the homeowner’s own words. So in September 2026 we commissioned an independent survey of 1,000 U.S. homeowners with a backyard, patio, or deck — owners of built-in outdoor kitchens, owners of freestanding grills, and people with no outdoor cooking equipment at all — and asked them what they have, what it cost, what they regret, and what they intend to do. The results below are the first outdoor kitchen data of this kind, and they complement the market revenue and equipment sales figures rather than replace them: the industry reports describe the supply side of the kitchen industry; this report describes the people buying it — the residential outdoor cooks and hosts who turn patios into living spaces.

226% of homeowners own an outdoor kitchen; 54% still grill on a cart

Among American homeowners with outdoor space, the built-in outdoor kitchen is established but far from universal. Just over one in four respondents has one: 17.6% own a built-in outdoor kitchen (a grill set into a permanent island or counter) and another 8.2% own a prefab or modular island delivered as a unit or kit — 25.8% combined. The largest group by a wide margin, 54.4%, cooks on a freestanding grill on a cart with no built-in counters. A further 10.3% use only a portable or tabletop grill, and 9.5% have no outdoor cooking equipment at all.

That 26% figure is, to our knowledge, the first published estimate of built-in kitchen penetration among homeowners at large, as opposed to among renovators. It also frames the growth story better than any market size number: for every household that has built one, two more are grilling on a cart next to the space where one would go.

Setups are also relatively young. Among the 905 respondents with any equipment, 41.7% have had their current setup one to three years, 32.7% four to seven years, and only 19.4% eight years or longer. Six percent bought within the past year. The typical American backyard grill setup, in other words, turns over every five to seven years — a replacement cycle that keeps demand steady even in years when new construction slows.

17% of owners built it themselves; only 6% used a specialty company

Among equipment owners, 60.9% simply bought a grill and set it up themselves. But look only at the outdoor kitchen owners and the picture changes: 16.6% of all owners built their kitchen themselves, 9.3% used a landscaper or general contractor, 6.4% hired a specialty company, 3.4% used the dealer’s installer, and 1.2% a pool or patio builder. DIY is a real share of the market, and the pattern matters for what follows on cost.

3The real cost: owners spent a median of $5,000–$10,000 — less than the cost guides say

Ask a cost guide and the answer is a contractor-installed project number: a typical figure of $16,500, with most projects between about $6,300 and $27,000. Ask the NKBA about renovating homeowners and the median lands near $13,000, with 22% spending over $30,000. Ask the people who actually own outdoor kitchens — all of them, including DIY builds and prefab islands — and the answer comes down.

Among the 258 respondents who own a built-in or prefab kitchen, the median spend falls in the $5,000–$9,999 range. The distribution:

Roughly 45% of owners spent under $10,000, another 19% spent $10,000–$20,000, and 18% spent $20,000 or more. The renovation-study numbers aren’t wrong — they describe professionally built projects, which do cluster in the teens and twenties. But they describe the top half of the market. The bottom half — DIY masonry islands, prefab kits, a built-in grill dropped into an existing counter — is where most owners actually live, and it costs less than the guides imply.

Homeowners guess close: 52% estimate $5,000–$20,000

We also asked all 1,000 respondents what they think a complete built-in outdoor kitchen typically costs. The public’s guess is reasonable: 26.6% said $10,000–$19,999 and 25.3% said $5,000–$9,999, together accounting for more than half of all answers. Another 15.0% guessed under $5,000 and 24% guessed $20,000 or more; 9.2% had no idea. Laid against what owners paid, homeowners slightly overestimate the typical cost, but not dramatically. The barrier to building one is not sticker shock about an imagined price. Which raises the question of what the barrier is — and the demand data suggests it is time and decision, not money.

15% would spend $5,000+ on the grill alone

The grill is the anchor appliance, so we asked what respondents would realistically spend on a 36-inch built-in gas grill alone. 58.8% would spend under $3,000 (28.7% under $1,500; 30.1% between $1,500 and $2,999). Another 19.8% would spend $3,000–$4,999. And 14.8% would spend $5,000 or more — 8.4% in the $5,000–$7,999 range, 4.9% at $8,000–$11,999, and 1.5% at $12,000-plus. That top 15% is the luxury grill market in one number: roughly one in seven affluent homeowners is a candidate for a premium built-in grill.

4Demand: 52% plan to build or upgrade within 24 months — but only 3% are ready to buy

Asked whether they plan to build a new backyard kitchen or significantly upgrade their outdoor cooking setup in the next 24 months, 28.1% said “yes, definitely” and 23.7% said “yes, probably” — 51.8% combined. Another 26.2% are considering it but undecided, and 22.0% said no. Stated intent in surveys always runs ahead of behavior, so this number should be read as the size of the interested market, not a purchase forecast — but it is consistent with Houzz’s finding that more than 60% of homeowners remodeling a kitchen also consider outdoor cooking areas.

The buying funnel: 49% researching, 27% dreaming, 3% ready in 90 days

The more useful number is how far along those planners are. Among the 780 respondents who are planning or considering, 48.6% are researching online, 26.7% are “just dreaming” with no real plans, 13.1% are getting quotes or talking to dealers, 8.8% have a design or plan in hand, and only 2.8% are ready to buy within 90 days.

Three quarters of the interested market is in the research-or-earlier stage. That is the single most important finding in this report for anyone selling outdoor cooking equipment: the demand is enormous and early. Buyers need buying guides, layout help, and honest cost information far more than they need a discount — they are not yet at the point where a discount would change anything.

Nearly 40% of planners intend a DIY or kit build

Planners are evenly split on the path. 22.9% would do it themselves from scratch, 21.7% would hire a specialty company, 16.8% would buy a prefab or modular island and install it themselves, 16.4% would hire a landscaper or general contractor, and 15.9% would buy the appliances from a dealer and hire their own installer. Add the two self-install options together and nearly 40% of planners intend a DIY or kit route — which matches the “how much does an outdoor kitchen cost” search demand that skews heavily toward “how to build” queries. Only 6.3% were unsure.

Who will design it follows the same pattern: 40.5% plan to design the layout themselves, 16.4% expect their contractor or builder to, 12.9% a landscape architect or designer, and 12.7% expect free design help from the dealer they buy the appliances from. The fact that only one in eight homeowners expects design help from the seller — while four in ten plan to wing it — is either a gap in what the industry offers or a gap in what it communicates. Probably both.

5The regret index: 91% of grill owners would change something

We asked the 905 respondents with any outdoor cooking equipment what they would do differently about their current setup, up to three answers. Only 9.1% said “nothing.” The other 90.9% named at least one change.

Two patterns stand out. First, the grill itself is the most common regret: nearly half of owners wish they had a better grill, a bigger grill, or both. People underbuy the centerpiece. Second, the next three regrets — shade, counter space, storage — are the things that turn a grill into a kitchen, and they are exactly the items most homeowners skip to save money on the first build.

31% of cart-grill owners wish they’d built in

Isolate the 544 respondents cooking on a freestanding cart grill and 30.9% say they wish they had upgraded to a built-in kitchen. That is not a hypothetical interest number; it is people looking at what they own and naming the thing they would rather have. It quantifies the upgrade market at roughly one in three of the largest segment of American grill owners.

“The regret list is the conversation I have on the phone every day, in reverse. People call wanting to know how to spend less. A year later they call wanting to know how to add the counter, the storage and the shade they didn’t build.”— Matt Jackson, owner, BBQ Kitchen Pros

6Inside the 2027 build: appliances, layouts, materials and fuel

Lighting (46%) edges out the grill (45%) as the most-wanted feature — how homeowners use their outdoor spaces is changing

Asked which features their kitchen includes — or would include if they built one — respondents described their outdoor living spaces as something closer to a second kitchen than a grill station. Lighting (46.1%) edged out the built-in grill itself (45.0%) as the most-wanted feature, followed by a griddle or flat-top (43.3%), a sink (40.1%), an outdoor refrigerator (37.2%), a smoker or pellet grill (36.6%), an outdoor TV (35.4%), and a pizza oven (34.4%). Bar seating (30.5%), a pergola or roof (29.6%), and a side burner (28.3%) rounded out the top eleven.

Two merchandising insights hide in that list. Griddles and smokers now outrank the traditional side burner — the “second appliance” slot is being won by cooking versatility, not by a burner for a pot of corn. And lighting at number one says the space is an evening room; the industry sells it as a daytime one.

55% want a mid-size kitchen; the L-shape leads layouts at 36%

The typical planned or existing kitchen is mid-size: 55.1% describe theirs as a grill plus two or three appliances, 23.5% as compact (a grill plus a little counter), and 14.8% as a full kitchen with four or more appliances and seating. The L-shape is the dominant layout at 35.5%, followed by the U-shape (21.5%), a single straight run along a wall or fence (15.8%), a freestanding island (10.6%), and a galley of two parallel runs (6.0%); 10.6% were unsure.

Masonry leads at 32%; HDPE cabinets register at just 1%

Masonry with stone or brick veneer remains the default at 31.6%, followed by stainless steel cabinets (22.9%). Stucco-finished masonry (5.5%), wood or composite cabinetry (5.4%), tile (4.7%), powder-coated aluminum (4.7%), and prefab islands (5.8%) trail. HDPE, or marine-grade polymer outdoor cabinets, registered at just 1.2% — despite being one of the fastest-growing product types in the industry’s own sales data. Nearly one in five (18.2%) didn’t know what their base was or would be. The gap between HDPE’s trade momentum and its near-zero consumer awareness is one of the clearest opportunities in this report for manufacturers and dealers of outdoor cabinets.

Hybrid grills draw 24% — nearly matching natural gas

Asked which grill fuel they use or would choose for a new setup, propane led at 29.7%, but the second choice was not natural gas. Hybrid grills — gas plus charcoal or wood in a single unit — drew 24.0%, edging natural gas at 21.7%. Charcoal alone drew 10.8% and wood pellet 7.7%. For a category that barely existed a decade ago, hybrid demand at nearly one in four homeowners is a signal the market for outdoor grills is moving toward flexibility over fuel loyalty.

42% would run a natural gas line; 56% want electrical

For the kitchens people have or would build, 56.0% include electrical outlets, 50.1% a propane tank, 42.3% a natural gas line, 41.7% plumbed water or a sink, and 30.2% a drain. Only 4.9% would run none. The 42% planning a gas line is worth noting alongside the 21.7% who name natural gas as their fuel: a large share of homeowners want the line run even when the grill they picture runs on propane.

7Grill brands: Weber at 74% awareness, no premium brand above 28%

We showed respondents 19 grill brands sold through outdoor kitchen dealers and asked which they had heard of, then which they would consider. Weber dominates awareness at 73.9% and consideration at 66.5% — no other brand approaches it. Among premium and built-in specialists, American Made Grills (27.5%), Wolf (27.2%), Artisan (17.2%), Blaze (15.8%), Delta Heat (14.8%), and Fire Magic (13.6%) led awareness, with Twin Eagles, Lynx, Alfresco, Coyote, Bull, Napoleon, Summerset, Lion, Hestan, Kalamazoo, DCS, and Wildfire each between roughly 4% and 13%.

A note on interpretation: generically named brands (“American Made Grills,” “Artisan”) and names shared with indoor appliance lines (“Wolf”) are likely inflated by name recognition rather than product familiarity. Treat those three as upper bounds.

The premium built-in category is, by these numbers, largely unknown to the homeowners most likely to buy into it. Apart from Weber, no grill brand is recognized by even a third of affluent homeowners with outdoor space. That is a marketing problem for manufacturers and a genuine advantage for dealers who can educate — a buyer who has heard of one premium brand is a buyer who can be introduced to the rest.

Performance (58%) and price (54%) beat brand; dealer support scores 7%

Asked to pick the three factors that matter most in a grill brand, respondents ranked cooking performance first (57.8%) and price second (53.6%), followed by build quality or stainless steel grade (40.7%), brand reputation (30.6%), design and looks (26.8%), made in the USA (21.7%), online reviews (21.4%), and warranty length (18.1%). Dealer support and service scored just 7.3%, and a contractor’s recommendation 4.7%.

The low score for dealer support deserves a second look next to the regret data. Buyers say they don’t value it; owners’ regrets (wrong grill size, no counter, no storage, no shade) are precisely the mistakes a good dealer prevents. People do not know they want design help until they have paid for not having it.

8Where homeowners buy: 34% big-box, 16% specialty dealer, 16% undecided

The distribution channel question produced the clearest verdict in the report about how the industry reaches its customers. Asked where they bought, or would most likely buy, their grill and appliances, 33.8% said a big-box home improvement store. 16.1% said an independent specialty dealer, 11.9% a large online retailer, 11.8% directly from the manufacturer, and 9.9% through their contractor. A notable 16.5% did not know.

Big-box is the default for a third of the market, which tracks with the awareness data: a buyer who knows only Weber goes where Weber is sold. But the specialty dealer share (16.1%) is meaningful, and the undecided share (16.5%) is the swing vote — one in six buyers has not yet picked a channel. Combined with the finding that 40% intend to design the kitchen themselves and only 13% expect help from the seller, the industry’s opportunity is not to out-price the big box; it is to be the place a homeowner goes when they realize they need a plan.

9Resale value: 81% say an outdoor kitchen increases a home’s value

REALTORS® have estimated that an outdoor kitchen recovers roughly all of its cost at resale. We asked homeowners — the buyers and sellers of those homes — how they think one affects a home’s resale value. 34.2% said it increases value significantly and 46.9% said it increases it somewhat: 81.1% combined. Only 13.2% said it has no real effect, 5.0% were unsure, and less than 1% (0.7%) believe it decreases value.

Agent estimates and homeowner beliefs point the same direction from opposite sides of the transaction. Whatever the precise cost recovery in a given market, the near-universal perception that it adds value means it functions as a selling feature regardless — buyers expect to pay for it. Paired with the regret data, the “worth it” question resolves into something more specific: the kitchens owners regret are not the ones they built, but the ones they built too small.

10Season length: 36% get only 5–7 months of outdoor cooking

Backyard kitchens are used in the weather the homeowner has. Asked how many months a year the weather is good enough to cook outdoors, 17.2% said year-round, 37.9% said most of the year (8–10 months), 35.9% said about half the year (5–7 months), and 9.0% said four months or fewer. Respondents skewed suburban (55.2%), with 24.7% urban, 13.1% rural, and 7.0% in small towns.

The 36% with a five-to-seven-month season are the addressable market for outdoor heating — and they overlap with the 24.6% who want a patio heater in their kitchen and the 27.8% of owners who wish they had shade or a roof. Roughly a third of American backyard kitchens sit idle for half the year in climates where a heater and a cover would recover two or three of those months. For an industry looking for growth beyond the grill, that is the most under-served adjacent product category in this data.

11How this report compares with other published research

Every figure below is placed next to the closest published benchmark so readers can judge it against the established sources. Where the numbers differ, the difference is explained by who was surveyed, not by disagreement about the facts.

Benchmarks are the publishers’ own figures; see linked sources in Section 1. Differences in cost reflect sample definition: renovation and cost-guide data describe contractor-installed projects, while this survey includes every owner, including DIY and prefab builds.

12Technical questions homeowners ask us — answered by the owner

The survey shows 40% of homeowners plan to design their outdoor kitchen themselves. These are the questions Matt Jackson fields most often on the phone, with the answers he gives. They are general guidance; local code and your installer have the final word.

Frequently asked questions