Outdoor Kitchens in Chanhassen, MN

Outdoor Kitchens in Chanhassen have a neighbor most suburbs do not: the National Weather Service forecast office for the Twin Cities sits on Lake Drive West, inside city limits. Every winter storm warning, frost advisory and severe thunderstorm watch for the metro is written a short drive from your patio. We take that as a reminder that a backyard kitchen here has to be designed for the full year of weather, not only the warm evenings people picture when they first sketch one out.

What the climate data says about your patio

Twin Cities normals for 1991 to 2020 put the average January low at 8.8°F, with January's coldest night typically reaching about 14.7 below zero, and an average of 51.2 inches of snow a year. The station in Chanhassen itself averages 54.7 inches of snow and has recorded lows down to -35°F and highs up to 100°F. Summer swings the other way: June is the wettest month, June through August bring nearly half the year's precipitation, and July dew points average about 60°F. A kitchen that lives outside in Chanhassen gets frozen, buried, thawed, soaked and baked, sometimes inside the same month. Each material we suggest is picked with that cycle in mind.

Our weather checklist for a Chanhassen build

• Below grade: footings or a thickened base that respects the 3-1/2 foot frost depth the state building code sets for Carver and Hennepin counties, so the island does not lift and crack in a hard winter.
• Countertops: materials rated for freeze-thaw, such as porcelain slab, dense granite or bluestone, with overhangs and seams detailed so water cannot sit and freeze.
• Cabinets: marine-grade polymer or stainless boxes with ventilation, so spring condensation does not rot the interior.
• Plumbing: a sink line with shutoffs and drain points you can reach, so draining it in fall takes minutes.
• Cover: a pergola or roof over the grill zone if you want to cook through June downpours.

A short season, used well

With snow possible from October into April, most of the outdoor cooking season here runs late spring through early fall. That shapes our schedule. Design, selections and permits happen over the winter, digging starts once the ground thaws, and the goal is a finished kitchen before your first summer weekend rather than in August. If you call us in fall, we can still measure, design and quote, then hold your place for spring.

Permits and digging

Gas piping, new electrical circuits, plumbing and roofed structures are generally permitted work in Minnesota cities. We confirm with the City of Chanhassen what your specific plan needs before work starts. Any excavation also requires a Gopher State One Call locate at least 48 hours ahead, not counting weekends or holidays; when you hire us, we place that request.

Fire features in a lake-and-trail town

Chanhassen has five public beaches and roughly 70 miles of city-built trails, and some backyards border open space or wooded edges. State fire code allows a recreational wood fire only if it is 3 feet across or less, 2 feet high or less, and 25 feet from buildings and combustibles. On many lots, a gas fire table or a fireplace with a proper chimney is easier to place than an open pit. We look at your setbacks first and recommend the type of fire feature that fits.

Getting started

Call (612) 451-0418 or send photos of your patio and the area you have in mind. We visit, measure, ask how you cook and how many people you host, and give you a free written estimate.

Get a Free Estimate