Outdoor Kitchens in Lake Clarke Shores, FL

Outdoor kitchens in Lake Clarke Shores are mostly about the view. The town covers just 1.03 square miles, and 0.11 square miles of that is water, according to Wikipedia. It began as a waterfront community: in the late 1940s attorney Walter Travers bought 250 acres and started developing homes along the water. For lakefront and canal-side owners, the right outdoor kitchen lets the cook face the water instead of a wall, and that one decision shapes the whole layout.

Orienting the layout

We often flip the usual arrangement. Instead of an island backed against the house, the grill and prep counter sit so the cook looks out toward the lake, with a raised bar ledge on the far side for guests. A few other choices we weigh on waterfront lots:

• Sun angle. A west-facing view means hard late-day sun across the counter; a pergola or louvered roof helps.
• Smoke direction. We consider prevailing breezes so smoke does not drift into the house or your seating.
• Sightlines. A tall refrigerator column or vent hood can block the view; we keep those to the side.

Humidity next to the water

Homes along the lake and the West Palm Beach Canal sit in damp air for much of the year. That favors non-porous countertops like porcelain or sealed granite, HDPE or powder-coated aluminum cabinets in place of wood, and quality stainless with drain holes so water does not pool in drawers. Lighting and outlets are wet-rated with in-use covers.

A quiet, settled town

Lake Clarke Shores is primarily a bedroom community. It had 1,414 households in 2020, 55.8% of them married couples, and just 4.3% of its 1,478 housing units were vacant, with a homeowner vacancy rate of 0.9%. Homes rarely turn over, so owners tend to invest in projects they will use for years: a full kitchen with a sink and refrigerator, a covered dining area, or a remodel of a grill island installed decades ago.

The canal that shaped the town

Completion of the West Palm Beach Canal in 1917 reduced Lake Clarke to a marsh, and a bridge across the canal finished in 1953 spurred population growth. Today the canal and lake frontage are part of what makes properties here valuable. Before we design near the water, we confirm setbacks and any easements on the survey so the kitchen and any cover stay where they are allowed.

Storm-ready covers

Shade is welcome on a lakeside patio, but a roof is a structure that must meet Florida Building Code wind requirements. We engineer pergolas and solid covers with proper footings and connectors and permit them, rather than relying on light kits that are not designed for hurricane season.

Permits and services

Gas, electrical, plumbing and roofed structures need permits. Lake Clarke Shores has its own town government, so we check with the town and Palm Beach County to confirm which office reviews your project, then prepare drawings and schedule inspections. We handle custom outdoor kitchens, countertops, grill islands, outdoor cabinets, covered kitchens and pergolas, and remodels.

Call (561) 304-8278 or

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. The town borders West Palm Beach, so a visit to look at the lot, the view and the survey is easy to schedule.