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Intro
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hey what’s going on it’s james with rta outdoor living and if you’re deep in your outdoor kitchen research you’re probably getting familiar with what an outdoor kitchen will cost you well today we are going to address a topic that most don’t talk about or even mention
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we are going to talk about the hidden costs involved in an outdoor kitchen that’s right we’re going to unveil the nine hidden costs of an outdoor kitchen project so you can be prepared for all expenses that go into the project and understand some costs associated with
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outdoor kitchen ownership even after the project is done [Music]
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Patio
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you’re probably thinking how would a patio qualify as a hidden cost well to start any outdoor kitchen project you must have a patio or space to put your outdoor kitchen whether you have to extend your patio space or put in a new construction patio
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this can be an area that gets overlooked when configuring the finances for your project one area that could qualify as a hidden cost is if your patio will require structural footings or additional support some outdoor kitchen materials can be very heavy and if your patio
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isn’t built to support it your patio or deck could settle or become structurally compromised over time it is always best to think through the weight of your outdoor kitchen and your patio’s ability to handle the weight while planning the project before you
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are surprised or even worse dealing with a patio or deck that becomes structurally compromised several years later one way to save on this expense is by using a lightweight system like what we have at rta that won’t require structural footings [Music]
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installation of the utility lines wouldn’t qualify as a hidden expense but the maintenance of the utility lines would as this is something that most people don’t think of water lines are probably the biggest maintenance pains especially if you live in a freeze-thaw
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climate you will want to winterize your lines to prevent them from freezing sure you could winterize them yourself which would be time out of your schedule or if you hire someone to do this it would be an ongoing expense that not all think about or consider
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let’s talk about the timing of installing your utility lines this is critically important to help you save money and unnecessary expenses the best time to install your utility lines is before your patio is installed too many times have we seen people
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install a new patio and not know where to run the utility lines so their lines end up being out of place or even worse not stubbed up at all through the patio keep in mind the more obstacles that are in the way or the more difficult the utility lines are to get into place when
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the time comes the more they will cost you to run just remember increased difficulty equals increased cost of labor and more money out of your pocket
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Landscaping
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[Music] landscaping is usually an important part of a backyard renovation and if you are sprucing up your backyard space with an outdoor kitchen upgrading the landscape around it makes a lot of sense for a lot of people what is the cost of upgrading your
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landscaping the typical landscape project is around a couple thousand dollars depending on the scope of the project landscaping is not a must but it is often a finishing touch on the backyard renovation that is really hard to resist keep in mind landscaping might not be a
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choice in some scenarios as some outdoor kitchen’s construction methods are very invasive and disruptive to your property if there’s heavy machinery involved it may rip up and destroy your current landscaping and in this case you will have to spend the money to get
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everything re-landscaped and back to looking pristine
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Change Orders
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change orders can be an unexpected cost in your outdoor kitchen project these can typically come when working with a contractor as there are times there are things that are left off the original quote or the project may evolve as unforeseen things come up another thing
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to be mindful of as you do your research is that there are some companies that don’t include certain components of the kitchen in their pricing some options will show pricing of what looks like the entire outdoor kitchen only to find out later or in the fine print that the
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kitchen doesn’t include the appliances or the countertops the most important thing here is to make sure whatever company you decide to use for your outdoor kitchen provides complete price transparency and you know exactly what to expect if you were to move forward
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you don’t want to be hit with change orders or unmentioned costs and have your project cost hundreds or even in some cases thousands of dollars more
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Appliances and Island Covers
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you may be wondering are appliance or island covers even necessary the truth is they are not a hundred percent necessary but we do strongly recommend them if you’re going to invest several thousands of dollars into outdoor appliances in an outdoor kitchen setup
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spending an extra couple hundred dollars on covers is in my opinion a really cheap way to protect your investment 304 stainless steel is high quality material that is designed to last you a lifetime but that doesn’t mean the material is indestructible
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for your outdoor kitchen structure it should be built out of materials that are engineered to withstand all outdoor elements but if you’re not going to be using it for an extended period of time why not keep it covered think of an island cover similar to a pool cover
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your appliance covers will be used more for everyday use whereas your island cover will be used in the off season if your outdoor kitchen will be out of commission for a few weeks or even a few months for appliance covers you can usually find these through the appliance
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manufacturer you bought your appliances through as they will be custom designed to fit your appliances most grill covers will cost anywhere from about fifty dollars to a hundred dollars island covers you can usually custom order through different companies
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these island covers can range anywhere from three hundred dollars to seven hundred dollars and up for more elaborate layouts
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Range Hood
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hoods aren’t necessary for all projects but there are certain setups that you will have to invest in a range hood range hoods aren’t something a lot of people are educated on especially when it comes to outdoor applications the general concept is a range hood helps exhaust the smoke
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and contaminated air your grill puts off from an undercover structure or confined area if your outdoor kitchen is going under an overhead structure or up against the wall you will want to invest into a range hood setup without one the smoke will eventually build up and stick to
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your wall or ceiling of your coverage structure and create a real mess the other thing to consider is to ensure that your guests and the people you’re cooking for and entertaining aren’t engulfed in smoke and contaminated air that could be harmful to them and at the
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very least just not pleasant to be around your house can quickly go from the hangout spot to a smoky disaster in an unhealthy and unsafe space if you choose to go without a hood setup the whole package for a hood can cost anywhere from two to four thousand dollars for
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the hood the flue and the blower plus the labor cost to install it if you hire a contractor
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Lifetime Warranty
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you may be thinking my appliances have a lifetime warranty why would i need to replace parts and components shouldn’t they last a lifetime most lifetime warranties on outdoor appliances cover the housing and the structure of the appliances the burners
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and some components but a lot of other parts won’t be covered under that warranty the other parts and components are typically covered for a period of one to five years and after that warranty period is up on the different parts you will be responsible for covering the cost if
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anything goes wrong some common parts that could need to be replaced or serviced down the road are things like refrigerator compressors grill lights electrical components valves and cooking grids some are small ticket items that will only set you back
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about 15 or so however a refrigerator compressor will run you anywhere from fifty dollars to three hundred dollars it’s important to work with an appliance manufacturer that will always have parts readily available in the event something goes wrong down the road
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Hosting
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we couldn’t help but include this one after all you are investing into a space where you can host family and friends you will be naturally inclined to host more than you ever have hosting frequently can lead to additional expenses food meats beverages and other party
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needs can certainly add up it is likely what you signed up for and is something you are aware of but it’s an expense that is incurred with outdoor kitchen ownership
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Maintenance
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[Music] starting with maintenance outdoor kitchens in general are a fairly low maintenance item but they do require some maintenance and upkeep most countertops require resealing countertop materials that are more porous like concrete require resealing as often as once per year
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depending on the countertop material you end up going with you will want to plan on purchasing the sealer and factor in the time it will take you to reseal the countertops when the time comes let’s talk about repairs probably the thing that most people fear the most
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high quality outdoor kitchens should not require any repairs however since not all outdoor kitchens are created equally and since there are outdoor kitchens that aren’t built for the long haul you will be stuck with the repair costs when something goes wrong
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repairs can be quite costly depending on what needs to be done and we have seen worst case scenarios where islands are in such bad shape they need to be totally replaced stones that delaminate stucco cracking and flaking off loose or broken tile countertops are just some of the things
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that can go wrong over time doing your due diligence on the material you choose to use for your outdoor kitchen is extremely important as you surely don’t want your dream outdoor space to turn into a giant nightmare in an ongoing cost center we recommend
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choosing a company that builds out of premium grade materials and offers a lifetime warranty to protect your investment so you are not concerned about ongoing repairs or even worse buying an outdoor kitchen twice if your first one doesn’t stand the test of time outdoors
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thank you so much for watching today’s video subscribe to our channel to continue to receive outdoor kitchen value and education and feel free to comment below if you have any questions as always i’m james with rta outdoor living and we’ll catch you on the next one [Music] you
