Most backyards out here cop a flogging from about October through to April. The block's there. The view of the escarpment's there. But there's nowhere proper to cook, sit, or get out of the southerly when it kicks up of an afternoon — and that's the gap an outdoor entertaining build fills.
I'm Dave. I build these across Wollongong and the whole Illawarra — BBQ areas, alfresco zones, bar and bench seating, privacy screens, the lot. Owner-run, so it's me you're dealing with from the first look right through to the last screw.
What we actually build out the back
Usually it kicks off with a built-in BBQ run. A framed bench at the right working height, a cut-out for your barbecue or a built-in unit, storage tucked under, and a benchtop that'll cop heat, fat and weather without throwing a fit. From there it grows to suit the block and the budget — might be a full outdoor kitchen with a sink and a fridge cavity, bar seating off the end, or a sheltered alfresco bit so you're not chased inside the second it starts spitting.
Privacy screens are a big one in the newer estates around Shell Cove, Calderwood and Horsley, where the neighbour's window sits about three metres off your fence. Slatted spotted gum or treated pine, spaced so you get cover without turning the yard into a box. Closer to the city it's a different story — those old fibro and brick post-war places, where the job's usually about carving a flat, usable zone out of a backyard that slopes off at a stupid angle.
A rough idea on cost: a tidy built-in BBQ bench with storage tends to land somewhere around $3,500 to $7,000, depending on size and what you go for on the benchtop. Bigger alfresco zone with screens and seating, it climbs from there. I'll give you a fixed quote once I've had a look at the space. No surprises halfway through.
Built for Illawarra summers, and the muck in between
No point building something that looks the goods in March and's fallen apart by next December. Coastal salt air eats cheap fixings, and the sun off a west-facing yard will cook untreated timber till it splits.
So the boring stuff is where it's won or lost. Framing gets kept off the ground or flashed properly. Fixings are stainless or marine-grade — the few extra dollars now saves you a rebuild in five years' time. For the surfaces you actually touch and lean on, I'll usually point you at merbau, spotted gum, or a composite if you'd rather not be re-oiling every season. Composite stings a bit more upfront, but then you just give it a hose and walk off.
And don't forget the southerly buster. A bit of thought up front about where the screens and the roof line sit, and you can still sit out there when the wind swings round at four o'clock, instead of grabbing your beer and bolting inside.
Tying it into your deck or pergola
Half these jobs aren't starting from scratch. There's already a deck or a pergola, and the new BBQ area needs to look like it was always meant to be there. That's where getting the details right earns its keep:
- Same timber and finish, so the new bench or bar doesn't shout "added later"
- Heights and lines carried through off the existing deck boards
- Screens and posts picking up the pergola's spacing instead of fighting it
If the structure that's already there is past it, I'll tell you. I'd sooner flag a soft deck now than bolt a heavy new bench onto something that's on its way out. And if you're doing the deck or pergola at the same time, even better — we can set the whole lot up to work together from the framing stage.
Fully licensed and insured, and I cover the lot from Helensburgh down through the Gong, Shellharbour and Kiama, to Nowra and the Shoalhaven.
Got a backyard that's wasted half the year? Give me a call on 0414 007 351, or send the details through for a free quote. Happy to come have a squiz and talk through what'd actually work for your block — no pressure either way.
Common questions
- Do I need council approval for an outdoor kitchen or alfresco build?
- A lot of the carpentry side — bench frames, privacy screens, a roofed alfresco under a certain size — falls under exempt or complying development. But once you add a roof, run gas or plumbing, or build near a boundary, your council (Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama or Shoalhaven) may want a CDC. I'll tell you straight where you stand before we start.
- What materials hold up best near the coast around here?
- Salt air is brutal on cheap fixings and soft timber. I use marine-grade or stainless screws, treated pine framing kept off the ground, and merbau, spotted gum or composite for the surfaces you touch. Stone or tiled benchtops over a properly sealed frame beat raw timber for a BBQ run.
- Can you tie a new BBQ area into my existing deck or pergola?
- Yeah, that's most of what I do. We'll match the timber and the height so the new bench, bar or screen reads as one build, not a bolt-on. If the old deck's getting tired I'll flag it before we connect anything new to it.