Create Your Outdoor Cooking Area: How To Build A Paver BBQ Grill Pad

Summer is here and you know what that means, it’s time to get outside and start grilling. Nothing says it’s a fun family summer day like grilling out in the backyard. In this post I’m going to show you how to build your own Paver BBQ Grill Pad, and I assure you it’s a simple project you can accomplish in just couple hours. Sounds good right?

Why a Paver BBQ Grill Pad?

I’ve never disappointed myself with the birthday gifts I’ve bought for myself. For some crazy reason I always seem to know exactly what I want. This year I decided to buy a new Pit Boss pellet grill. Now as a proud new owner I was left with the question of where should I put it?

My first thought was to put it on my back deck. I quickly ruled that out not wanting to be that guy who starts out a nice day of grilling and realized too late that his grill was melting the siding off his house.

With the decision made and me being me couldn’t just set my new grill out on the lawn and use it, no sir. I needed a proper place to put it and prepare my culinary delights. Which led me to decide I NEEDED to build a Paver BBQ grill pad.

My Paver BBQ Grill Pad Design

Now there is virtually no limit to how fancy, big, or extravagant you can make your outdoor cooking areas. I chose to build my Paver BBQ Grill Pad in my backyard near my deck. The area I chose is about 7′ x 4′, which would provide a sufficient space for my grill and space to work.

With the area identified I began designing my pad and figuring out what materials I would need. I chose a simple design using 16″ x 16″ concrete pavers and would set them a 3 x 5 configuration.

Materials and Cost

The materials required for this project are pretty simple and available at any home improvement retailer.

• Concrete Paver Stepping Stones (16″ x 16″)
• Paver Base
• Paver Sand

The total cost of materials for this project came in just over $120, making it very affordable for any budget. Your cost may vary based on regional variance, material selection, or differences in how you choose to design your paver BBQ grill pad. No matter what materials you choose this is a very affordable project.

For a full project description, material and tool list you can download my cheat sheet for this project here.

Let’s Build

As I said this project is easy to build in just a few hours. With that said, let’s get building.

Prepare the Ground

The first thing you need to do is prepare the ground where you’ll be building your BBQ Pad. This will include digging out the grass and soil, packing the soil, and leveling the area.

This step as simple as is as it sounds, using a standard shovel dig out all of the grass or other vegetation from the area and create enough depth pad. Dig down at least 2 to 3 inches to allow for the paver base, sand, and pavers you’ll be laying, and your goal is to have dig deep enough the finished surface will be near level with the surrounding ground once completed. The depth will vary depending on your soil composition. You won’t need to dig as deep in harder more compact soils as you will in softer more sandy types. (Quick Tip: The grass you dig out will provide some nice chunks of sod. Use these to fill in any bare or low spots in your lawn.)

Pack and Level the Surface

The next step is to lay the paver base and paver sand. Determining how much and how deep your paver base is will depend on your soil composition. My soil is a compact clay, which allowed me to only need about a 1 inch deep layer of paver base. Start by spreading the paver base, and then use a tamper to compact it further and create a flat level surface.

Next, with your paver based compacted pour a layer of paver sand on top of your paver base. This layer should be 1 to 2 inches deep, and like the paver base you’ll need to compact it with a tamper and try to get it as level as possible. This is the foundation of your pad where you’ll be laying your paver stones, you want it flat and level. A good tip is to use a scrap piece of 2×4 as a float to go across the sand to level it. Now you’re ready to start laying your paver stones.

Lay the Pavers

Laying the pavers is by far the most detailed part in this project. In this step you’ll be laying the pavers, lining them up, leveling each paver, and making sure the entire paver surface is level across it.

The first-row pavers become the guide for the rest, it creates the initial line and level for the rest of the project. Start laying the first paver in the corner paralleling any guides you may have. In my case the concrete pad for the deck stairs, deck and fence line were my guide.

Start by placing your first paver in the sand. Then, begin to work it in with downward pressure in twisting motion until it’s solid and doesn’t wobble. Now, it’s time check to see if it’s level using a bullet level. It’s important to check across both directions. If it’s not level you’ll need to lower or raise the paver edges. To do this work the higher side into the sand, or add additional paver sand under the lower side. Repeat the process of as much as needed and check to see if it’s level again.

With the first paver laid, complete the first row with the same process. Use a 4 foot level, or a piece of scrap lumber and your bullet level check to see if your entire row is level. If it’s level continue to the next step. If it’s not level determine which paver stones need adjusted. The process is the same as you used to level the individual stones. Adjust each stone as needed and check the level again. Now, it’s level it’s time to start laying the run.

The process to lay the run is exactly the same as the first row. Lay each paver stone, level it, check to see if the run is level, and adjust each stone as needed. The framework for your Paver BBQ Pad laid.

Now all you have to do is lay the remaining paver stones, repeating the process to level each stone, row and run. Congratulations, the hard part is done. You’re ready to move on to the next step and finish up this project.

Fill the Gaps with Paver Sand

The last step of building your paver BBQ pad is to fill the gaps between the stones with paver sand. This will lock your paver stones in place give your pad a finished look.

First, place several scoops of paver sand on your paver joints and using either your hand or a float to work the sand into the joints and create a smooth transition between each stone. Make several passes across the joints in different directions working the sand in. Next, continue the process for each joint until all the gaps are filled. The final step to brush off the excess sand using a stiff bristle broom. With that, your pad is done.

Put it to Use and Enjoy

Congratulations you built your stone paver BBQ pad. Now put your grill out there and get cooking.

Wrapping It up

As you see building a paver BBQ pad is a pretty easy project. While my BBQ pad may be simple, the process of constructing it is the same if you choose to build a larger pad or use different size pavers. No matter what you choose to do you can use this as a guide to build your own ideal grilling pad (or any other paver project). I hope this project inspires you to go out and build your own and tackle other bigger projects.

Happy Building!