Building a homemade brick barbecue grill can be completed in an afternoon or longer, depending on the scope of your project. There are many free plans available online to suit both modest and grand designs.
Considerations
Once you've decided to go ahead with a backyard barbecue, the first step is planning where to locate it. While you'll want to set the brick barbecue close to your house, don't put it so close that it's in the way of children, pets or guests who might step out into the yard.
Take a few moments to test the direction of the wind and notice if it usually blows in a certain direction. Avoid setting the barbecue station somewhere where the smoke can blow inside the house or, worse, in your eyes.
Lastly, make sure there is nothing in the way that could get charred by the barbecue. This could be plants, trees or even house decorations. Consider any annual holiday decorating that might be a factor in other seasons. Choose an area that is flat and, preferably, paved with pea stones, cement or some other level and non-flammable surface. You may have to spend time leveling the ground and laying bricks if you don't have an even grade.
The height of your backyard barbecue grill is another important consideration. You don't want to be stooping to a low station; you want something that fits you. You may need to modify plans to fit your body type so be conscious of this when buying materials.
Resources
Don't overlook resources in your community when preparing your backyard barbecue plans. Many home goods stores, including Home Depot, offer classes and instruction manuals on topics including backyard building projects. Talk to the salesman when you're buying materials to see if he has any additional considerations for your specific region.
If you've always dreamed of a barbecue grill outdoors but don't think you have the construction skills, consider taking an adult education class in masonry. Once you've finished the class you'll surely have ideas about personalizing your brick barbecue plans.
You can always search for a handyman or a contractor online who will construct the barbecue for you if you're short on time.
Types of plans
It's easy to find free online plans for a simple backyard barbecue. Most of the simple designs consist of a brick chute with grill insets placed on strategic slabs of brick. There are also backyard barbecue designs that consist of a shell for you to slide your existing electric grill unit inside. More ambitious plans feature a portico and entire outdoor kitchen station, complete with running water.
Gardeners' World offers a do-it-yourself plan for a small backyard barbecue station. With some bricks, cement, a level, barbecue racks and a large stone slab to serve as prep table, you can build a column to house two to three grill racks. This project is small enough in scope to be completed in a day and the materials are relatively inexpensive, though it offers no protection from the elements.
Renovation Headquarters offers three homemade barbecue plans, another simple style like the one above, a combination smoker-barbecue grill and a tower style where you insert a gas grill unit.
Woodworkers Woodshop has more than 30 plans available for free. These include plans for outdoor kitchens, plans for covered and exposed tower units, combination barbecue-fire pit plans and many more.
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