Linear Outdoor Kitchen Ideas & Layouts

A linear outdoor kitchen - also called a straight-line outdoor kitchen - puts the grill, prep counter, storage and, if you want them, a sink and refrigerator in one straight run. It is the most space-efficient outdoor kitchen layout: against a wall it needs only about 6 ft of patio depth, it is the easiest to plan around doors and paths, and it can be extended a module at a time later.

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Linear outdoor kitchen designs

Is it right for you

Who a linear layout suits

  • Patios and decks where the kitchen runs along the house wall, a fence or a railing.
  • Long, narrow spaces - a side yard, the edge of a pool deck, a deck along the back of the house.
  • One main cook who wants grill, prep and storage within a step or two.
  • A first outdoor kitchen you plan to grow: a straight run is the easiest shape to lengthen.

Planning

How much space a linear outdoor kitchen needs

Most linear outdoor kitchens run 7 to 10 ft. In the SKOL360 system that is a grill cabinet (35 or 43 in wide) plus two to four cabinets from 11 to 35 in; the linear designs on this page measure 7 ft 7 in to 9 ft 10 in.

The run itself is about 27 in deep. In front of it, plan a 42 in working aisle for one cook, or 48 in if two people cook at once - the NKBA work-aisle guidance, which is a sensible minimum outdoors too. Against a wall, that comes to roughly 5 ft 9 in to 6 ft 3 in of patio depth in total.

If the run stands free and people will walk behind it, add at least 36 in of walkway behind it as well - about 9 ft of depth overall.

Typical length
7-10 ft
Run depth
about 27 in
Counter height
about 36 in
Clear floor in front
42 in (one cook) - 48 in (two)
Patio depth against a wall
about 6 ft
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Trade-offs

Linear outdoor kitchen pros and cons

Pros

  • The smallest footprint of any full outdoor kitchen - it fits where an L or a U cannot.
  • Traffic flows past the kitchen instead of through it.
  • The simplest utility runs when it backs onto the house: one gas line, one water line and one circuit can serve the whole run.
  • The easiest layout to extend - add a module at either end later.

Cons

  • All the counter is in one run, so a sink, refrigerator and big grill compete for the same length. Past about 10-12 ft, walking end to end starts to cost steps.
  • The cook faces the counter - often the house wall - with their back to guests, unless the run stands free facing the seating.
  • Seating is limited to one side. Any run can be given an extended countertop in the SKOL360 designer to make it a bar, but on a single run the stools face the cook across the grill line - better on a freestanding run than one against a wall.
  • With everything in one line, two cooks end up working shoulder to shoulder rather than in separate zones.

Get it right

Planning tips for a linear layout

  1. Order the run by zone: cold (refrigerator) next to wet (sink), then a dry prep counter, then hot (grill). Food then moves fridge to sink to counter to grill without doubling back.
  2. Avoid putting the grill at the very end of the run if you can. Outdoor-kitchen designers recommend landing space on both sides of a grill - about 24 in on one side and 12 in on the other - so there is somewhere to set down a platter either way.
  3. If the run backs onto the house, keep the grill away from doors and windows, put it downwind of the prevailing breeze, and follow the grill maker's clearances to combustible siding and overhangs.
  4. When the run stands free, turn it so the cook faces the seating or the view rather than a wall.

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When another layout is a better fit

L-Shaped outdoor kitchens →

You want a second counter for prep or serving without making the run any longer, or you have a corner to fill.

Galley outdoor kitchens →

Two people cook together and you want hot work and prep on separate counters - a second run facing the first doubles the counter in the same length.

Island outdoor kitchens →

You want the kitchen out in the patio facing your guests, not against a wall.

Small outdoor kitchens →

You have less than about 7 ft of run - a compact grill-plus-one-cabinet setup still works.

Questions

Linear outdoor kitchens, answered

How long should a linear outdoor kitchen be?
For a grill with useful landing space on both sides, plan about 7 to 8 ft. Add about 2 to 2.5 ft for a sink cabinet and 2 ft for an under-counter refrigerator. Most linear outdoor kitchens end up between 7 and 10 ft; the SKOL360 linear designs measure 7 ft 7 in to 9 ft 10 in.
How much space do I need in front of a linear outdoor kitchen?
At least 42 in of clear floor in front of the run for one cook and 48 in for two. With a 27 in deep run against a wall, that is about 6 ft of patio depth. If the run is freestanding and people walk behind it, add 36 in behind it.
Can a linear outdoor kitchen go against the house?
Yes - it is the most common place for one, because utility runs are short and the wall shelters the kitchen from wind. Keep the grill away from doors and windows, place it downwind if you can, and follow the grill manufacturer's clearances to combustible siding or a roof overhang.
Linear or L-shaped - which is better?
Linear is better when your space is long and narrow, when the kitchen has to run along one wall, or when one person does most of the cooking. An L-shape is better when you have a corner, want cooking and serving on separate counters, or want room for two cooks - but it needs a roughly square footprint of about 11 x 11 ft or more.

Explore

More to explore

U-Shaped outdoor kitchens →

A U-shaped outdoor kitchen wraps three connected runs around the cook, delivering maximum prep, storage, and built-in seating.

All outdoor kitchen ideas

Browse every real, buildable design and open any one in the designer.

The modular system

See what these kitchens are made of and how the modules lock together.

Design from scratch

Start with a blank footprint and build your own layout in 3D.

Clearances follow the NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines; footprints are worked out from SKOL360 module sizes. Last updated .

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