Outdoor Kitchen Planner: Best Online Tools, Configurators & Design Resources

The Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens online planner is the most polished manufacturer outdoor kitchen planner on the market. Available free at brownjordanoutdoorkitchens.com, it lets you choose from L-shape, U-shape, straight, and island layouts, then drag and drop modular stainless-steel cabinet bases in widths of 18, 24, 30, 36, and 42 inches. The tool renders a real-time 3D walk-through and outputs a quote that typically falls between $12,000 and $45,000 depending on configuration.

What Brown Jordan does best is brand-accurate dimensions — every cabinet is the actual 304 stainless steel powder-coated unit they ship, with real cutout sizes and real Lynx, DCS, or Hestan grill compatibility. The tool generates a printable PDF with elevation views, a plan view, a complete materials list, and rough utility requirements (gas, water, electrical). Limitations: the planner only models Brown Jordan products, so you cannot mix-and-match third-party cabinets. Quotes also do not include site work, masonry, countertops above standard, or installation labor — expect those to add 40 to 70 percent. Use it as a baseline spec and pricing tool, not as construction documents.

NewAge Products operates the most accessible outdoor kitchen planner for budget-conscious homeowners, available at newageproducts.com. NewAge sells modular outdoor kitchen kits in three lines — Aluminum Slate, Stainless Steel Classic, and Bold Series — with kits ranging from $2,500 for a small grill cabinet to $15,000 for a complete L-shape with grill, fridge, and bar.

The NewAge planner uses a guided wizard format. You answer questions about layout (linear, L-shape, U-shape), grill brand, refrigeration needs, and bar seating, and the tool generates two or three pre-engineered configurations matching your answers. Each configuration shows a rendered 3D image, a parts list with SKUs, total price including freight, and an estimated assembly time (most kits assemble in 8 to 16 hours with two people). The advantage is speed — you can go from blank slate to detailed plan in 20 minutes — and the kits ship in flat-pack form with all hardware included. The drawback is rigidity: NewAge kits do not allow custom widths between modules, so if your patio is 11 feet wide you may need to buy 10 feet of cabinet plus a custom-built filler. Best for DIYers wanting a complete buy-and-assemble outdoor kitchen under $15,000.

BBQGuys offers two outdoor kitchen planner options — a free online configurator and a paid custom design service. The free tool at bbqguys.com/outdoor-kitchens lets you choose island shape, dimensions, and brand of grill, then auto-populates a recommended configuration. It is less polished than Brown Jordan's but covers a wider product range, including grills from Blaze, Bull, Coyote, Napoleon, Lynx, DCS, Summerset, Twin Eagles, Alfresco, and Hestan.

The standout BBQGuys offering is their complimentary professional design service for projects over $4,000. You submit photos of your space, a rough sketch with dimensions, and a budget. Within 5 to 10 business days, a BBQGuys designer returns a complete 3D rendering, a detailed shopping list, and an itemized quote. There is no fee — BBQGuys earns commission on the products you ultimately buy. The designs are conservative (they steer you toward in-stock SKUs to ship fast) but technically sound. Designers will spec gas line sizes, electrical requirements, and ventilation, though they explicitly do not produce permit-ready construction documents. Excellent value for homeowners building a $5,000-$30,000 modular kitchen with mainstream-brand appliances.

Several other manufacturers run their own outdoor kitchen planner tools worth considering. RTA Outdoor Living at rtaoutdoorliving.com offers a clean visual configurator focused on their masonry-look concrete-and-stucco islands ($3,500-$18,000). The tool is excellent for picking finishes — they offer 12 stone-look colors and three countertop options — and produces a delivered-and-installable kit with all components.

Coyote Outdoor Living at coyoteoutdoor.com offers a configurator emphasizing their professional-grade C-Series and S-Series grills with matching cabinets. Lynx and Hestan both run dealer-locator tools rather than DIY configurators — these brands sell exclusively through authorized dealers who handle planning in person. Summerset Grills at summersetgrills.com has a basic visualizer that pairs their grills with their refrigeration and storage line. Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet handles all planning through a dedicated design consultant — no free online tool exists because their average build runs $80,000 to $200,000. Bull Outdoor Products offers a downloadable PDF planning guide rather than an interactive configurator, useful for sketching layouts on paper before consulting a dealer. Alfresco publishes a 60-page design idea book with reference dimensions for every appliance in their catalog. Manufacturer planners are generally the fastest path from idea to quote when you have already chosen a brand, but they lock you into that ecosystem and rarely reflect realistic installed pricing once labor, gas, electrical, and patio surfacing are added.

If manufacturer outdoor kitchen planner tools feel too restrictive, general-purpose 3D design apps offer maximum flexibility. SketchUp Free (web-based at app.sketchup.com) is the gold standard among professional designers. Its 3D Warehouse contains thousands of free, downloadable outdoor kitchen models — search 'outdoor kitchen' and you get pre-built grills, cabinets, pergolas, and entire islands you can drop into your plan. The learning curve is moderate; expect 4 to 8 hours to become productive. SketchUp Pro ($349/year) adds dimensioning, layout output, and export to AutoCAD.

Planner 5D (planner5d.com) is more beginner-friendly and produces photorealistic renderings. It has a smaller library of outdoor-specific objects but enough for basic layout testing. Roomstyler 3D Home Planner (roomstyler.com) is browser-based and free, though its outdoor library is limited. Floorplanner (floorplanner.com) handles 2D plan views well and exports to PDF. For mobile, HomeByMe and Live Home 3D work on iPad and produce decent renderings. Use these tools when you want to test multiple layouts, mix-and-match brands, or experiment with pergolas, fire features, and landscaping without locking into one manufacturer's ecosystem.

For builds over $30,000, hiring a human outdoor kitchen planner is almost always worth the cost. Three professional categories serve this market. A Certified Outdoor Living Designer (COLD) through the National Association of Landscape Professionals charges $1,500 to $4,000 for a complete plan with elevations, materials list, and product specifications. A Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD) through the NKBA, primarily indoor-focused but increasingly competent outdoors, charges $2,500 to $6,000 for similar deliverables plus ergonomic optimization.

A licensed landscape architect (the highest credential, typically required for builds over $75,000 or any project involving structural roofs, retaining walls, or coastal/wildfire zones) charges $4,000 to $15,000 for stamped construction documents that satisfy permit review in any U.S. jurisdiction. To find a qualified pro, search the Houzz Pro directory filtered to 'Outdoor Kitchen Design,' the AOLP (Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals) member list, or your state's licensed landscape architect registry. Always interview at least three candidates, request references for projects in your budget tier, and ask to see permit documents from a recent build — if they cannot produce one, they have not actually navigated the permit process.

Whether or not you use a software outdoor kitchen planner, work through this DIY checklist to ensure no detail falls through the cracks. Site (10 items): measure full backyard with property lines, mark setbacks, call 811 for utility locates, check sun and shade at 10am/2pm/6pm, identify prevailing wind direction, locate existing gas meter and electrical panel, verify slope and drainage, photograph the site from 4 angles, confirm distance to nearest combustible siding, check HOA architectural rules.

Program (10 items): count typical and maximum guest counts, list cooking styles (grill, smoke, bake, fry), specify required appliances by brand and model, decide on indoor/outdoor refrigeration ratio, choose layout shape, decide single or double sided, plan dining area location and capacity, determine shade strategy (pergola, sail, roof), choose lighting approach, set total budget with 10% contingency. Specifications (10 items): finalize cabinet width run, confirm all appliance cutouts against PDFs, size gas line BTU load, count required GFCI circuits, locate water supply and drain stub, choose countertop material, choose flooring/patio surface, specify ventilation, finalize HOA submittal package, file permit application. Complete this checklist before signing any contractor agreement.

The most useful outdoor kitchen planner output is a complete budget calculator. Build yours in a spreadsheet with these line categories. Site preparation: grading ($800-$3,000), foundation slab ($6-$12 per square foot), drainage ($500-$2,500), patio surfacing ($8-$25 per square foot). Utilities: gas line extension ($25-$50 per linear foot plus $300 connection), electrical sub-panel and circuits ($1,500-$4,500), plumbing rough-in and drain ($1,500-$4,000).

Cabinets/structure: modular kit ($2,500-$15,000) or custom masonry ($150-$300 per linear foot). Appliances: grill ($800-$15,000), refrigeration ($800-$3,500), side burner ($300-$1,200), pizza oven ($800-$8,000), ventilation ($600-$3,500). Countertops: granite ($40-$100/sf), concrete ($65-$135/sf), Dekton or Neolith ($80-$150/sf), porcelain slab ($45-$95/sf). Finish: lighting ($800-$3,500), landscaping ($500-$5,000), sound and TV ($500-$4,000), bar stools and dining furniture ($800-$5,000). Add 10% contingency, 8-9% sales tax (varies by state), and 15-25% contractor markup if using a general contractor. Sum everything and you have a defensible total. Update the spreadsheet weekly as quotes come in. Most homeowners' final cost lands within 5% of a properly built calculator.

Match your outdoor kitchen planner choice to your budget tier for best results. Under $5,000: skip software, sketch on graph paper, source a portable grill cart and prep table, build a cinder-block base in a weekend. $5,000-$15,000: the NewAge Products planner with pre-engineered modular kits is the strongest fit, with guaranteed parts lists and 8-to-16-hour assembly. RTA Outdoor Living competes if you prefer a stucco-and-stone aesthetic. $15,000-$40,000: use the BBQGuys free human design service — their designers spec a complete plan within 5-10 business days. Brown Jordan's configurator is a strong runner-up for all-stainless modular cabinets. $40,000-$100,000: hire a Certified Outdoor Living Designer or landscape architect for $3,000-$8,000; their fee returns multiples in avoided change orders and superior layout decisions. Over $100,000: work directly with a Kalamazoo, Hestan, or Lynx authorized dealer for white-glove planning, project management, and lifetime support, paired with an independent landscape architect for the surrounding hardscape, pergola, and lighting plan.