Paver Guides
Outdoor Kitchens on Paver Patios in New Orleans
A New Orleans area outdoor kitchen needs a base that won't settle under its weight. Plan the patio, utilities, and drainage before the counters go in.
Written by Big Easy Paver Patios
Key Takeaways
- An outdoor kitchen is a heavy, permanent structure. The patio base under it has to be built for that load before anything is set.
- Utilities go in before the pavers. Retrofitting gas, water, drain, or electrical means lifting the surface you just paid for.
- Cover it. In this climate shade and rain protection are what determine whether the kitchen gets used.
- Choose materials for relentless humidity: quality stainless, sealed masonry, and finishes that clean easily.
- Big Easy Paver Patios builds outdoor kitchens across the metro. Call (504) 688-4244.
The Base Decision Comes First
Quick Answer: An outdoor kitchen puts concentrated, permanent weight on one section of patio. Masonry counters, appliances, stone or tile finishes, and stocked cabinets add up quickly, and all of it bears on the area under the run. On the soft alluvial soil and high water table found across much of the metro, from Metairie to River Ridge, a standard patio base under that load will settle, and when it does the counter cracks and the doors stop closing square. The fix is to design the structure and the base together, before construction.
This is the single most common thing we correct on outdoor kitchens built by someone else: a beautiful island sitting on a patio base that was never intended to carry it.
Utilities Before Pavers
Everything that runs underground has to be in place before the surface goes down. That means deciding early:
- Gas. Line size and routing for the grill and any side burner.
- Water and drain. If you want a sink, the drain is the harder half. Where does it go, and is that legal on your property?
- Electrical. Outlets, appliance circuits, lighting, and a fan if the space is covered.
- Conduit for the future. Cheap to add now, expensive later. Run a spare.
Retrofitting any of these means lifting pav