DIY Grill Gazebo Plans: Make a Grillzebo!

A grillzebo is a sheltered space similar to a gazebo but designed for grilling. You and a helper can make this in a weekend.

Next Project
Time

Multiple Days

Complexity

Intermediate

Cost

$501-1000

Introduction

If you're looking for outdoor bar ideas or DIY grill gazebo plans, this 'grillzebo' is perfect. It's big enough to accommodate most standard grills, but small enough to fit on your existing patio. Customize your grillzebo with lighting, grill accessory storage, wine glass racks or built-in coolers.

Materials Required

  • 1-1/2” metal roof/pole barn screws (250-pack)
  • 1-1/4” 12d galvanized joist hanger nails (1-lb. box)
  • 1/2” x 3” concrete anchor (10-pack)
  • 14” x 10’ 6” ridge cap
  • 1x3 x 8’ pine stakes (2)
  • 1x4 x 8’ cedar (3)
  • 1x6 x 12’ cedar deck boards (10)
  • 2-in. 18-gauge galvanized brad nails
  • 2” exterior-grade trim-head screws (100-pack) (2)
  • 2x4 x 12’ (6)
  • 2x4 x 12’ pine bracing (2)
  • 2x4 x 8’ pine bracing and roofing stop (8)
  • 3” exterior-grade wood screws (1-lb. box)
  • 42” x 78” roofing panels (6)
  • 4x4 adjustable post bases (8)
  • 4x4 x 12’ cedar (2)
  • 4x4 x 8’ cedar (23)
  • 6” heavy-duty wood/structural screws (50-pack) (2)
  • 7/8” x 10’ 6” J-channel (4)
  • Construction adhesive

Make Your Own DIY Grill Gazebo

With the help of a buddy, you can build this DIY grill gazebo in a weekend. All the building materials are available at home centers.

We built our gazebo from Western red cedar because it resists rot and insects and looks great. You could save about $400 by building it with pressure-treated wood. The cedar will require some upkeep over the years, but the metal roof is maintenance free.

This beefy DIY grill gazebo project is built to last a lifetime … a lifetime of grilling bliss.

Safety

Since this is a wooden structure, keep a few safety tips in mind.

First, be sure you never push your grill up against railings, branches or other flammable items. You don’t want poor grill placement to be the reason you’re calling the fire department this summer.

Second, invest in a deck mat. This way you’ll have a barrier to catch anything hot that falls or splatters. This is a good idea no matter what kind of outdoor kitchen you have.

Third, always practice basic fire safety. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby. Make sure it’s up to date and you know how to use it. Never leave your lit grill unattended, and don’t let children or pets run around near it, especially unsupervised.

Project step-by-step (13)

Step 1

Getting Started

We poured a prestained 8- by 14-ft. slab. That left about a foot of space on the two open ends, and plenty of room for the chairs on the others.

Order the roofing components for this project at the lumber desk in your home center. Order the roof panels exactly the length you need: 78 inches.

It’s much easier to finish all the lumber with a good quality outdoor stain before you assemble the grillzebo. After the stain dries, set aside the three most twisted and bowed 8-ft. 4x4s. Save them to cut up for the smaller truss webs and angle braces (D and E). We made most of the cuts with a miter saw.

Step 2

Lay Out the Post Locations

Cut the bottom truss chords (A) to size, and line them up next to each other on a pair of sawhorses. Take a couple of 12-ft. 2x4s and line them up on the horses as well. The 2x4s will build a temporary template to locate the post bases.

Measure over 28-1/2 in. from each end of the bottom chord, and mark a pencil line using a framing square as a guide (see photo). Measure over from that line, then mark three more lines, all spaced 3-1/2 in. apart.

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Step 3

Cut and Assemble the Ends

The slab is the perfect surface to assemble the ends.

Cut the posts to size (B). Then line them up with the marks on the bottom side of the truss chord and fasten them together (see photo). Secure each post to the chords with two 6-in. structural wood screws. Completely build one end, including the truss (the next two steps), before pulling the assembly out of the way to make room for the other end.

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Step 4

Cut the Top Chords

The slope of the roof is 4/12, meaning the angle rises four inches for every 12 inches it runs horizontally. To mark the proper angle on the top chord (C), line up the outside edge of your framing square at the 4-in. and 12-in. marks (see photo).

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Cutting this long angle is a little tricky, so make this cut first. That way if you make a mistake, you can move over a bit and try again (see photo below).

Start with a standard circular saw with a 7-1/4-in. blade. However, the blade won’t cut all the way through, so you’ll have to finish the cut with a handsaw. Once all the cuts are done, line up all the top chords and make sure every angle was cut the same.

Cut the top angle with a miter saw set to a 20-degree angle. Once they’re all cut to length, lay them next to each other and mark the purlin (F) locations on the top side of the top chords. There should be a gap about 20-5/8-in. between all the purlins.

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Step 5

Build the Trusses

Fasten the top chords to the bottom chord with two 6-in. screws. Cut the webbing boards (D) a bit long with a 20-degree angle on one end. Hold the webbing boards to the center of the bottom chord and mark a cutting line on the other end using the top chord as a guide (see photo). Fasten them with one 6-in. screw in each end.

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Step 6

Lay Out the Post Locations and Install the Bases

Cut two 2x4s (pine lumber) at 72 inches. Line them up with the outside post lines you made on the two 2x4s you marked along with the top chords. Fasten them together with 3-in. wood screws. The inside diameter of the frame should be 72 in. by 87 in. Square and center the frame, then mark the post locations (see photo).

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Metal bases like these keep the posts secure and off the concrete so the wood doesn’t wick up water and prematurely rot. Drill the holes for the bases and slide them into position. Tap the anchors into the holes and tighten the nuts (see photo).

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Step 7

Raise and Brace the Ends

Raise one end and slip the posts into the bases. Temporarily brace the end upright with 2x4s run from the posts to stakes in the ground. Fasten the posts to the bases with joist hanger screws.

After securing the posts to the bases, plumb all the posts both ways with a 4-ft. level, adjusting the temporary braces to keep them from moving (see photo).

Once one end of the grill gazebo is secure, raise the other end and keep it upright and plumb by running 2x4s from the bottom chord of the first end over to the bottom chord of the second. Fasten two 2x4s straight across and a third at an angle.

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Step 8

Install the Angle Braces

Cut the angle braces (E) to size, with 45-degree angles on each side. Make sure the angles sit flush on the post and bottom chord. Fasten the braces on each end with two 3-in. exterior-grade screws (see photo).

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Step 9

Cut and Install the Purlins

Ripping down metal roofing is no fun, so we cut the purlins (F) to fit the roofing panels. The panels we used were three feet wide, but we increased the overlaps, so the total width of the three panels was as close to eight feet as possible (92 in. in our case). Then we cut the purlins to that size (see photo).

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The top and bottom purlins line up with the top and bottom edge of the top chord, and the center two purlins will line up with the marks you made earlier. Install the top and bottom purlins first and check to see that all four overhangs are the same (see photo).

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Step 10

Install the Roofing

Attach a scrap 2×4 with a couple of screws to the outside edge of the bottom purlin. Fasten another 2×4 to the first except hold it up an inch (see photo). This will create a stop that you can slide your roof panels down to, resulting in a perfect 1-1/2-in. overhang.

Install all the J-channels before the roofing panels. Line them up flush with the outside edge of the purlins. Cut them to length with a snips so they meet at the peak and butt into the temporary stop. Secure the J-channels with 1-1/2-in. pole barn screws.

Slide the first panel into the J-channel and down to the 2×4 stop. Fasten it with 1-1/2-in. pole barn screws. Follow the screw pattern recommended by the manufacturer. Slide the next two panels into place before fastening them down so you know they fit nicely in the J-channel on the other end.

Let the ridge cap overhang four inches at each end. Center the cap and fasten it down with pole barn screws into the top purlins. Space the screws according to your manufacturer’s recommendation. Trim back each side of the ridge to the J-channel.

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Step 11

Trim the Bottom of the Posts

The metal post bases will prevent the 1×4 trim boards from fitting snugly against the posts. Before cutting the trim boards (G), run the full-length cedar 1x4s vertically through a table saw a couple of times until about 3/16-in. of material has been removed.

Fasten the trim boards to the posts with an 18-gauge trim gun fitted with 2-in. galvanized brad nails (see photo). Strengthen the joint by applying construction adhesive before nailing them together. Secure them with brad nails at the top of the boards and through the miters. Install them up away from the ground to keep them dry.

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Step 12

Assemble the Tabletop and Shelf Frames

Cut the table frame ends and center braces to size (H and J). Use a square to mark a line on both posts up 41 inches from the slab. That will be the top of the frame.

Install the ends one inc. away from the outside edge of the inside post, and secure them with 3-in. exterior wood screws, two in each post. Measure and cut the table frame sides to size (K). Install the board with screws angled into the post. This keeps them from being visible after the top is installed.

Measure the distance between the posts and cut the cedar 2×4 that will serve as the skirt nailer (L). Center it on the outside post, which leaves one inch on each side. This will make the skirt boards flush with the outside edge of the posts.

Install the center braces (J) 20 inches in from each post. Secure them by angling two screws into the side boards (so they’re not visible) and one down into the skirt nailer (see photo).

Cut the shelf frame ends and centers to size (M and N). Use a square to mark a line on both posts up 15 inches from the slab. That will be the top of the shelf frame.

Install the end pieces so they overlap onto each post one inch. Cut the shelf side boards (P). Secure them to the end boards with screws. No need to angle these screws because the outside screws will be covered with the skirt boards, and the inside ones are too low to notice. Install the shelf center boards 20 inches in from both posts.

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Step 13

Install the Tabletop, Shelf and Skirt Boards

Cut the deck boards for the table top (Q) to fit between the posts at each end. Secure them with two 2-in. exterior-grade trim-head screws through each deck board. Keep the screws about one inch from the edges of the deck boards.

Start with the table-top board closest to the inside, and line it up with the edge of the inside posts (see photo). There’s no need for a gap between the boards.

Measure and cut the shelf boards (R) to length. Rip two of them down to four inches. Install the cut end flush with the outside edges of the shelf frame so they’re hidden by the skirt board.

Cut the skirt boards (S) to length. Center the first one between the posts and install it with two trim-head screws to the skirt nailer and shelf frame. Work your way in each direction, and trim down the last skirt boards to fit flush with the posts.

Remove all the temporary braces and touch up all the cut ends of the boards with stain. All that’s left sliding your grill into place and inviting the neighbors over for a backyard party.

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