Outdoor Kitchens in Delray Beach, FL

Planning outdoor kitchens in Delray Beach often starts with the house, not the grill. Delray has an unusually rich mix of styles: Wikipedia lists Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival, Mission Revival, Monterey Colonial, Streamline Moderne, bungalows and Key West-style cottages, and calls the Depression era the city's golden age of architecture. A stacked-stone island with a black granite slab can look out of place behind a pastel cottage. We start with the facade and roofline and build the outdoor kitchen to match.

Matching materials to the style

• Mediterranean and Mission Revival: stucco-finished islands, barrel-tile accents, terracotta or warm porcelain countertops
• Key West cottages and bungalows: painted or white HDPE cabinet faces, lighter tops, simple pergolas with exposed rafters
• Art Deco and Streamline Moderne: clean edges, rounded island ends, smooth concrete or quartz-look porcelain
• Newer homes west of town: anything from modern slab-front cabinetry to a full covered kitchen tied to the pool deck

Historic districts and approvals

The city established five historic districts on its Local Register of Historic Places, and it has a Historic Preservation Board that administers a preservation ordinance adopted in March 1987. If your home is in one of those districts, a visible new structure such as a pergola or roofed kitchen may need review before a building permit is issued. Requirements vary by property, so we check the address with the city early and plan the design and drawings so they are ready for that review. That step can add time, which is why we raise it at the first meeting rather than after you have picked appliances.

Rain, sun and storms

Delray has a tropical climate with about 61.39 inches of precipitation a year across roughly 143 rainy days, and summer highs typically between 87 and 93 °F. That combination is hard on outdoor finishes. Our standard practice is to slope countertops slightly toward the front edge, seal natural stone, choose UV-stable materials for anything in full afternoon sun and keep electrical outlets GFCI-protected with in-use covers. Covered kitchens get gutters or drip edges planned so roof runoff does not land on the cooking area.

Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and Wikipedia records direct or near-direct hits on the city in 12 years, including 2004 and 2005. Any roof or pergola we build is engineered to Florida Building Code wind loads and permitted, with anchors set into proper footings.

An older population that entertains at home

The 2020 census put Delray's median age at 49.5, and QuickFacts lists 28.0% of residents as 65 or older. For many owners, the goal is a kitchen that stays easy to use for years: counters at a comfortable height, a bar ledge for guests, task lighting for evening cooking and no step between the house and the patio where we can avoid it.

Services for Delray Beach homes

We design and build custom outdoor kitchens, fabricate and set countertops, build grill islands and BBQ stations, install outdoor-rated cabinets, add covered kitchens and pergolas, and remodel older outdoor kitchens that have faded or rusted. Every project comes with a written scope listing materials, appliances and permit responsibilities.

Ready to talk it through? Call (561) 304-8278 or

Get a Free Estimate

and send a photo of the back of your house. We will come out, look at the architecture and the yard, and put the plan in writing.