Masonry or stainless steel outdoor kitchen: the full cost in 2026

By Loris Reale, founder of Nox outdoor kitchens · Updated on 1 October 2026

A masonry outdoor kitchen is built on a slab and priced item by item; a stainless steel outdoor kitchen arrives finished and is installed on a stable terrace. At Nox outdoor kitchens, the Nox Nova S (280 × 65 × 91.5 cm) is available from 8 400 € incl. VAT, excluding delivery, installation and crane lifting. The Nox Terrace, the best-seller with a built-in motorised canopy, starts from 14 900 € incl. VAT, on the same terms. To choose between a masonry and a stainless steel outdoor kitchen, compare the full cost of the project, not the price of a single item.

At a glance

• A masonry kitchen adds up item by item: slab, masonry, cladding, supply networks, appliances, shelter, each on a tradesman's quote.
• A complete stainless steel kitchen is priced from the catalogue, standard equipment included, excluding delivery, installation and crane lifting.
• A Nox stands on a stabilised terrace, with no foundations or masonry, fixed to the ground by its four feet.
• Above 5 m² and up to 20 m² of footprint, including any roof on posts, a new free-standing construction requires a prior declaration.
• Written Nox warranty: 10 years on the structure, 2 years on the electrical appliances.

What is the difference between a masonry outdoor kitchen and a stainless steel one?

A masonry kitchen is a structure built on site and attached to the land; a stainless steel kitchen is a piece of equipment delivered ready to install, then connected to the water, drainage and electricity supplies.

The first rests on a concrete slab: units in breeze blocks or bricks, render, cladding in tiles, stone or polished concrete, then built-in appliances, often in stainless steel. It calls on a mason, a plumber, an electrician and sometimes a tiler. A complete stainless steel kitchen brings together cooking, the sink, refrigeration and storage from the day it is delivered. Our guide to the stainless steel outdoor kitchen explains the choice of material in detail.

How much does a masonry outdoor kitchen cost, item by item?

A masonry outdoor kitchen has no catalogue price: its cost is the sum of several items, each priced by a tradesman according to your site, your materials and your appliances.

• Design and layout. Plan, dimensions, position of the supplies, check of the local plan.
• Earthworks and foundations. Excavation, hardcore base, reinforced concrete slab, curing time.
• Masonry. Units in breeze blocks or bricks, lintels, render.
• Worktop and cladding. Tiles, stone or polished concrete, joints, water-repellent treatment.
• Supply networks. Trenches, water supply, drainage, protected electrical circuit.
• Appliances. Built-in barbecue, sink and mixer tap, outdoor refrigerator, doors and drawers.
• Labour. Hours and travel for each trade, removal of rubble.
• Protection. Pergola, awning or shelter, priced separately.

No published average applies to your plot: insist on a detailed quote from each trade and add them up.

How much does a complete stainless steel outdoor kitchen cost?

At Nox outdoor kitchens, a complete stainless steel outdoor kitchen is available from 8 400 € incl. VAT, standard equipment included, excluding delivery, installation and crane lifting, which are priced in the quote.

The range runs from the Nova S, without a canopy, to the Pavillon, from 17 900 € incl. VAT, with a built-in motorised canopy; the two Loggia models come as a fixed package, at 13 900 € incl. VAT for the Light and 13 200 € incl. VAT for the Dark. The nine models can be compared on the model comparison page, and budgets in our guide to outdoor kitchen prices. On top of this come:

• Installation, 490 € excl. VAT, about 4 hours, by two Nox installers: water, drainage and electrical connections, travel and fittings.
• Delivery, priced at actual cost by the kilometre, with a minimum charge of 190 € excl. VAT; transport, wooden crate and insurance included.
• Crane lifting, on quotation, when access requires it.
• Your connection points for water, drainage and electricity, prepared by your own tradesmen before installation.

Masonry or Nox stainless steel: the comparison

Nox prices exclude delivery, installation and crane lifting.

Can you have an outdoor kitchen without masonry?

Yes: a free-standing stainless steel outdoor kitchen is installed on an existing terrace, stabilised and level, with no new slab, no foundations and no low wall, provided the base can bear its weight.

At Nox outdoor kitchens, the kitchen is fixed to the ground by its four feet. The installers inspect the base, mark out the position with you and check the access routes. In the catalogue, in standard configuration, the Nox Studio weighs 650 kg, the Nox Terrace 850 kg, the Nox Pavillon 1 050 kg and each Loggia 400 kg. Before installation, you prepare:

• stabilised, level ground, at least 30 cm from a wall for access and maintenance;
• an electrical junction box with 3G2.5 mm cable, ready for connection;
• a Gardena-type or G 3/4 male water connector, specifying cold water only or hot water;
• a drain, connected at Ø 40 mm to the trap outlet.

A supply that is not ready on installation day may lead to extra charges and to the appointment being postponed.

How long do the works take in each case?

A masonry kitchen strings together several jobs that depend on one another and on the weather; a stainless steel kitchen delivered finished is installed in one day, once the supplies are ready.

The slab must cure before the units go up, the render before the cladding, and the plumber and the electrician have to fit in between.

At Nox outdoor kitchens, “we do not guarantee a lead time, we guarantee an installation date”. You choose your slot as soon as you request a quote; a 1 500 € booking deposit secures it after your call with a project manager.

Masonry or stainless steel: which stands up best outdoors?

Exposed masonry ages through its joints and render, where water seeps in and then freezes; stainless steel of a known grade, under a suitable coating, mainly needs cleaning without abrasives.

Frost after frost, microcracks can work tiles or brick slips loose.

At Nox outdoor kitchens, the structure combines anti-fingerprint 304 stainless steel with a marine-grade PVDF coating, designed for coastal climates: UV, sea spray, rain and intense heat, without fading or rusting. Marine grade describes the coating, not the steel. The panels have six layers, with an aluminium honeycomb core. The worktop is brushed stainless steel as standard, or sintered stone at 490 € excl. VAT. On the models with a motorised canopy, the roof closes over the whole kitchen: our guide to the covered outdoor kitchen compares it with a pergola, and our guide to the enclosed or closable outdoor kitchen covers the kitchens that close up.

What maintenance does a masonry or stainless steel outdoor kitchen need?

A masonry kitchen needs the upkeep of a built structure (joints, water-repellent treatment, render) on top of that of its appliances; a Nox stainless steel kitchen is cleaned with a damp cloth.

On masonry, every winter tests the joints and corners: a porous worktop needs protecting, a cracked tile replacing. On a Nox, never use steel wool or abrasives, which scratch stainless steel.

What planning rules apply to an outdoor kitchen?

It all depends on the footprint: below 5 m² outside protected areas, no formalities; up to 20 m², a prior declaration; above 20 m², planning permission.

These thresholds are set out in article R421-9 of the French town planning code. Article R*420-1 defines the footprint as the vertical projection of the volume of the construction, all overhangs and projections included: a masonry kitchen under a pergola or a roof on posts is measured together with its roof.

An awning against the house remains under prior declaration up to 40 m², subject to conditions, in an urban area covered by a local plan (R421-17). In a remarkable heritage site, near a historic monument or in a listed site, the declaration becomes the rule (R421-11). The local plan may also impose siting rules: check with your town hall before ordering. The Service-Public page on the prior declaration explains the procedure.

At Nox, the footprint of the models with a motorised canopy stays below the 5 m² threshold, outside protected areas: 2.07 m² for the Studio, 2.52 m² for the Terrace, 3.27 m² for the Pavillon.

What warranty and what resale value does each solution offer?

A masonry kitchen combines the warranty of each tradesman with that of each appliance, and stays attached to the land; a Nox is covered by a written commitment from the brand.

A professional builder must give you their ten-year liability insurance certificate before work begins, as the Service-Public page on builders' ten-year liability points out. Nox outdoor kitchens guarantees the structure (frame and cabinets) for 10 years and the electrical appliances for 2 years.

When the house is sold, a kitchen standing on its feet leaves no slab to break up and no low wall to demolish.

What mistakes should you avoid before choosing?

The first mistake is comparing a mason's quote without appliances with the price of an equipped kitchen; the others concern access, supplies and planning rules, checked too late.

• Forgetting the drain. The trench has to be planned from the outset.
• Overlooking access. A Nox is delivered via a road accessible to a 19-tonne lorry; without direct access to the garden, crane lifting is studied in advance, after a site visit.
• Pouring the slab before asking the town hall. The local plan and protected areas are checked before any order.
• Starting without a ten-year liability certificate on any masonry work.

Masonry or stainless steel: which should you choose?

Choose masonry for a made-to-measure structure integrated into the building, and stainless steel for a complete kitchen at a price known in advance, installed in one day, with no structural work.

• If you are extending an existing wall or want a built-in wood-fired oven, choose masonry.
• If the slab and low walls already exist, clad them rather than demolish them.
• If you want a known price and an installation date, choose a complete stainless steel kitchen.
• If your terrace gets rain, leaves or sea spray, choose a model with a motorised canopy.

Which Nox outdoor kitchens model can replace a masonry project?

Three models suit projects that started out as masonry: the Nova M for an open kitchen, the Terrace for a protected kitchen, the Pavillon for large gardens.

• Nox Nova M, 308 × 65 × 91.5 cm, from 8 900 € incl. VAT: 36″ four-burner barbecue, sink, 24″ fridge and two three-drawer units as standard. No canopy.
• Nox Terrace, best-seller, 269 × 93.5 × 235 cm, from 14 900 € incl. VAT: motorised canopy, extractor hood, 32″ TV, 21″ glass-door fridge. For a garden and 6 to 8 people.
• Nox Pavillon, 350 × 93.5 × 235 cm, from 17 900 € incl. VAT: motorised canopy, 42″ TV, Bluetooth speakers. For a large garden and 8 to 12 people; see the one in Auterive.

Prices exclude delivery, installation and crane lifting. Still undecided? A project manager configures your kitchen with you by video call, with no commitment, and your quote is sent within 48 to 72 working hours of the configuration being submitted. Book a discovery call.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a masonry outdoor kitchen cost?

There is no catalogue price: a masonry outdoor kitchen costs the sum of its items, each priced by a tradesman according to the site. Add up the design, the slab, the masonry, the worktop cladding, the trenches and supply networks, the built-in appliances, the labour, then the shelter. Compare this total, not the mason's quote, with the price of a complete stainless steel kitchen plus its delivery and installation.

Can you install an outdoor kitchen without masonry?

Yes. A free-standing stainless steel outdoor kitchen is installed on an existing terrace, stabilised and level, with no new slab or low wall to build. At Nox outdoor kitchens, it is fixed to the ground by its four feet, at least 30 cm from a wall. All that remains is to prepare an electrical junction box with 3G2.5 mm cable, a water supply and a drain, ready for connection.

Do you need a concrete slab to install a stainless steel outdoor kitchen?

Not necessarily. An existing terrace is suitable if it is stabilised, level and able to bear the kitchen: in the catalogue, a Nox Terrace weighs 850 kg and a Nox Pavillon 1 050 kg in standard configuration. The Nox installers check the base before installation. Soft, sloping or cracked ground is put right before delivery.

Do you need a prior declaration for an outdoor kitchen?

It depends on the footprint. Under article R421-9 of the French town planning code, a new free-standing construction of more than 5 m² and up to 20 m² requires a prior declaration, and planning permission above that. In a protected area, the declaration becomes the rule. The Studio, the Terrace and the Pavillon stay below 5 m², a threshold that applies outside protected areas. Check the local plan with your town hall.

What warranty comes with a masonry or a stainless steel outdoor kitchen?

For a masonry kitchen, each tradesman is liable for their own work and must provide their ten-year liability insurance certificate before work begins; each appliance carries its own warranty. Nox outdoor kitchens guarantees the structure, frame and cabinets, for 10 years, and the electrical appliances, refrigerator, TV and sound, for 2 years, through a written commitment supplied with every kitchen.

How much does the installation of a Nox kitchen cost?

The Nox installation fixed fee is 490 € excl. VAT, for about 4 hours: water, drainage and electrical connection, travel for two installers and connection fittings. Delivery is priced at actual cost, by the kilometre to the site, with a minimum charge of 190 € excl. VAT. Crane lifting, studied with you in advance, is priced on quotation when access requires it.

Is your terrace ready? Choose your installation slot as soon as you request your quote.

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