Just last week, someone asked me why his fixed barbecue was drawing poorly after two months. The answer was in the plan he never made. He had chosen a nice spot against a wall, facing the prevailing wind, with a flue that was too short. Nothing could be fixed without rebuilding the masonry. It's the kind of mistake that costs a weekend and several bags of mortar.
A fixed barbecue or an outdoor wood-fired oven can't be moved. Once built, it stays put. So all the useful work happens beforehand, on paper, with a tape measure and a few decisions made in the right order. Here's how to prepare your project so it gets off to a good start.
Where to start before buying anything
Before looking at models, answer three questions. Where will it go? What are you going to cook? Who is doing the work?
These three answers determine almost everything else. The location affects draft, safety and neighborhood constraints. The Type of cooking decides between a Grill alone, a wood-fired oven, or a combination of both. And depending on whether you build it yourself or hire a craftsman, you'll need different documents.
My advice: don't start with the catalog. Start with the actual space. I've seen too many people fall in love with a model, only to discover that it didn't fit, or that it heated up the neighbor's fence.
Choosing and measuring the location
The location is the most important decision, because it's the only one you can't correct afterward.
A few practical checkpoints to verify on site:
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Distance from combustible materials. Wooden wall, pergola, fence, dry hedge, garden furniture. Leave generous clearance. A wood-fired oven reaches very high temperatures and radiates heat from the front as well as the sides.
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Prevailing winds. Work out which direction the wind usually comes from at your place. You don't want the smoke to blow consistently toward the table, the house or the neighbor. It's a detail people underestimate, and it spoils every meal.
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Type of ground. A masonry structure is heavy, sometimes several hundred kilos for an oven. You need a stable, level slab. A slatted deck on pedestals is not enough for a heavy model.
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Access. Think about how the prefabricated parts will be transported to the site. A narrow gate or a few steps can change the logistics.
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Proximity to water and the kitchen. Not essential, but carrying dishes twenty meters in the rain wears down your motivation.
Grab a tape measure and note the available width, depth and clear height. Also note the height under any roof overhang. These numbers will narrow down the possible models far better than your memory will.
Slab, base and weight: the part you can't see afterward
Once the barbecue is in place, nobody looks at the slab. Yet it's what holds everything up.
For a light to medium fixed barbecue, a flat, level concrete slab does the job. For a wood-fired oven, which concentrates a lot of weight on a small area and goes through heating and cooling cycles, the base must be designed for it. Check the recommended slab thickness in the manual for the model you have in mind, as it varies with the appliance's mass.
A few points I always check:
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Is the slab level? An Oven that tilts means uneven cooking and a door that closes badly.
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Is the surface stable over time? Clay soil that shifts, recent poorly compacted fill, nearby roots: all of these move.
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Is there enough clearance around the base to move around and allow for radiant heat?
If you have the slightest doubt about load-bearing capacity, now is the time to talk to a mason, before buying and not after.
Flue, smoke and draft
Draft is what separates a pleasant Oven from one that fills you with smoke every time you light a fire.
The basic rule is simple: smoke must escape upward without obstruction, and the flue must be tall enough to create a draft. A flue that is too short, or stuck under a roof overhang, draws poorly. A flue placed in a turbulent zone, for example right next to a taller wall, can send smoke back down.
If the barbecue is built against a wall of the house or close to openings, think about the path the smoke will take toward upstairs windows and the neighborhood. These are frequent sources of disputes with neighbors, and they can be avoided in advance.
For precise flue height and cross-section requirements, refer to the manual for the model you choose. Each appliance has its own requirements, and this is not something to improvise.
Built-in Grill, fixed Barbecue grill or wood-fired oven
The choice depends on what you really want to cook, not on what looks most impressive in a photo.
|
Type |
Ideal for |
Main point to watch |
|---|---|---|
|
Built-in Grill |
Build charcoal or wood cooking into an existing or planned masonry layout |
Masonry frame and clearances around the firebox |
|
Fixed masonry Barbecue grill |
Regular grilling, permanent structure in the garden |
Location, draft and slab |
|
Outdoor wood-fired oven |
Pizza, bread, slow cooking, dishes cooked over the fire |
Weight, thermal inertia, flue height |
Many people can't decide between a barbecue and an oven, then realize they want both. It's a common setup, and it's exactly where choosing a built-in Grill makes sense: it fits into a masonry structure that you can combine with an Oven. At MY BARBECUE, this is precisely the kind of complete fixed cooking project the range covers, designed to be integrated into a structure rather than sit alone in a corner.
If the built-in Grill option is what appeals to you, I recommend first reading the checklist to complete before you start building, because the frame measurements are decided before installation, not during it.
Documents and checks to gather
This is the least fun part and the most worthwhile. Gather everything before you start.
The manual for the model you have in mind. It contains the exact dimensions, the weight, the safety clearances, and the slab and flue requirements. Without it, you're working blind. Ask the seller for it before buying if it isn't available online.
The actual measurements of your space. Width, depth, clear height, distance to combustible materials, position of neighboring windows.
A simple plan. Even a hand-drawn sketch will do. Location, orientation relative to the wind, smoke path, access. This plan avoids half of the unpleasant surprises.
The regulatory question. Depending on your municipality, your type of housing and the nature of the construction, local rules may apply. Distances to property boundaries, urban planning rules, condominium regulations, fire prevention depending on the region and the season. I won't give you a specific figure here, because these rules vary from place to place and change over time. Ask your town hall or the relevant planning department, and keep a written record of what they tell you. It's the kind of check that protects an entire project.
A frank word on this: I'd rather tell you to "check locally" than give you a general rule that would be worthless where you live. The regulatory requirements specific to each situation can't be summed up in one line.
Build it yourself or hire a professional
There is no universal right answer. There is only your situation.
Building it yourself works well when the model is prefabricated, when the slab is already sound and level, and when you're comfortable with a few tools and a bit of mortar. Many modular fixed barbecues are designed for exactly that.
Call in a mason or an installer when you need to pour a slab, when the weight is significant, when the flue calls for a proper draft study, or when you have any doubt about the load-bearing capacity of the ground. A professional's fee is almost always lower than the cost of redoing everything.
What I recommend even to confident DIYers: have a professional validate your plan and dimensions before you begin. An hour of advice at the right moment is worth more than a weekend of fixing mistakes.
In what order to prepare the project
If I had to redo the preparation tomorrow, I would do it in this exact order:
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Choose and measure the location. Wind, combustibles, access, ground.
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Decide on the Type of cooking. Grill, barbecue, oven, or a combination.
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Check local rules with the town hall and keep a record.
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Get the manual for the model you have in mind and note the weight, dimensions, and slab and flue requirements.
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Compare the manual's dimensions with your actual space. It either fits or it doesn't.
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Decide on the slab and support based on the weight.
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Validate the flue and the draft according to the manual.
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Decide between DIY assembly and hiring a craftsman.
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Have the plan reviewed by a professional before starting the work.
This order avoids the classic trap: buying first, measuring afterwards. The other way round, the model adapts to your space, not the reverse.
FAQ
Do you need a concrete slab for a fixed barbecue?
For most masonry models, yes, and it must be flat and level. For a wood-fired oven, it's non-negotiable because of the concentrated weight. A light barbecue on an already solid terrace can sometimes do without one, but check the load-bearing capacity rather than assuming.
What distance should I keep between a wood-fired oven and a wall or fence?
It depends on the model, and it's specified in its manual. An oven radiates a lot of heat from the front and sides. Don't rely on an estimate by eye: use the manufacturer's clearance value and add extra margin if you're unsure.
Do I need permission to install a fixed outdoor barbecue?
Maybe, and that's precisely why you should ask before you build. The rules vary depending on the municipality, the type of housing, the co-ownership and sometimes the season. Contact your town hall, ask the question in writing and keep the reply.
Is a built-in Grill simpler than a complete fixed barbecue?
Not necessarily simpler, but more flexible. It fits into a worktop or a masonry structure that you can complete with an oven. The tricky part comes beforehand: the dimensions of the built-in frame must be exact before you start building, because they can't be fixed afterwards.
To go further
Once the project is under way, the real fun begins in the kitchen. If you're looking for ideas for what to do with your new fireplace, the blog recipes offer practical ideas for both a wood-fired oven and a Grill.