If you’re a pizza lover, you would probably want an authentic experience when preparing your dish. Constructing an outdoor brick pizza oven is a great choice that can be stylish-looking while producing great results. But how much does a brick oven cost, and is it worth the money?
Pizza prepared in a wood-fired brick oven tastes different. Perhaps it is the distinct taste or the idea of using ancient methods. Still, you do not need to visit a restaurant to enjoy this great taste. You can bring the goodness of a wood fire to your home by constructing a brick oven.
Most people considering building a brick oven often want to know exactly how much bucks they will part with to have a complete well-functioning oven.
Cost Breakdown of Building a Brick Pizza Oven
a) The Average Cost of Building a Brick Pizza Oven
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This is the brick pizza oven cost at a glance:
- Professionally installed brick oven- Over $2000
- DIY brick oven- Over $700
- Average cost- $3500
- Highest cost- $30000
- Lowest cost- $700
The average cost of building a brick pizza oven is $3500. You can spend as little as $700 or as high as $10,000 on an oven. However, if you are constructing a commercial pizza oven, you can spend up to $30,000 for a much larger one.
The cost of constructing a brick pizza oven varies depending on the size, quality, and use of the oven. The size is the biggest cost determinant. A residential brick oven typically has a 36-inch interior diameter. However, some people prefer extra-large ovens with a 42-inch interior or larger.
Outdoor Brick Ovens Are cheaper Than Indoor Ones
Outdoor brick ovens are cheaper to install than the best indoor pizza ovens because they do not need kitchen modifications.
The type of bricks you use to construct your oven will also influence your cost. The best bricks to use in oven construction are clay bricks. However, these are less heat-resistant than other bricks and must be replaced often. On the other hand, refractory bricks are the best to build a brick oven but are more expensive.
The price of your brick oven will also be affected by the insulation you will put on it. More insulation is better because it will help keep the heat in your oven longer and save on fuel costs. This, however, comes at an extra cost.
Finally, buying a pre-assembled oven will cost you more than one you assemble yourself.
b) Cost of the Materials Needed to Build a Brick Pizza Oven
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Bricks make the best construction materials for pizza ovens because they can withstand over 1,200 degrees. This resistance is the best because you will light fires inside the oven that will raise the heat to such levels. Therefore, use fire-rated bricks to give you the best oven.
When building an average-sized brick pizza often, you will expect to spend between $700 and $4000 on the materials. Brick ovens are more expensive than clay and concrete, costing a maximum of $350 if you build them yourself. Fire bricks cost around $3 – $5 each.
Should You Opt for a Contractor?
Building a handcrafted brick oven using a contractor will increase the cost. The cost of the materials will vary depending on many factors, such as fire bricks and stone countertops.
You will need a stainless-steel insulated chimney that will cost between $150 and $500. In addition, if you are building your brick oven inside your kitchen, you will need to include the cost of a code-compliant chimney that will redistribute vapors.
c) Cost of Installing a Brick Oven
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The installation labor cost carries the bulk of the total project fee. If you hire a local contractor to help you build your oven, you will pay between $40 and $75 per hour.
If you contract a mason to build your brick oven, you will pay between $200 to $400 for the first few hours. This cost will cover travel, preparation, concept design, and material gathering expenses.
Constructing your brick oven inside your kitchen is a bigger project and will cost you more than an outdoor oven. For the kitchen bump-out addition, you will need to add a brick oven, which will cost an average of $190 per square foot. Some homeowners prefer to build small alcoves with enough space to accommodate the oven at between $2000 to $8000.
Building the brick dome is quite costly. However, your dome will not need waterproof coating and will look great.
The estimated cost of building the dome is $600, and the mortar will cost around $100.
d) The DIY Cost of Building a Brick Pizza Oven
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The cost of building a brick pizza oven yourself will depend on the oven size and if you are installing other things like a larger heath, storage, or a counter. If you build your brick oven yourself, the cost comes down, and you will only need to consider the material costs.
If you are building a stove that has a diameter of 36 inches, you will spend between $700 to $2000. Trucks will charge between $50 to $200 per day to carry heavy brick loads. Fire bricks are heavy, with each brick weighing around 8 pounds.
A brick oven may need around 200 bricks, thus a total of 1600 pounds. This is a very heavy load that will need trucks to ferry them around.
Building an outdoor brick oven yourself is easier than building an indoor oven. However, an indoor brick oven will require extra space and piping.
A brick pizza oven that you have built yourself will cost between $500 to $6000, including the cost of tools, mortar, and truck charges. The style and size of the oven determine the final price point.
DIY vs. Hiring a Brick Oven Builder
Although building a brick pizza oven yourself is cheaper, it needs the correct know-how to bring out a beautiful centerpiece. If you hire a bricklayer, they will ensure that your brick is beautiful and functional.
The weight of the brick has some safety concerns and can even collapse if not properly constructed. A professional specializing in outdoor kitchen construction will help you follow the right direction.
Building Alternatives: Brick Ovens Vs. Portable Ovens
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A brick pizza oven costs twice as much as a portable oven. A portable oven will cost you between $300 to $2500, while a DIY brick pizza oven will cost you anywhere from $700 to $10,000.
The benefit of portable ovens is their portability. You can use them inside your house or outside. They are made from metal or may contain ceramic components.
Brick ovens are stuck where you build them and will use them there.
Cost Factors for a Brick Oven
A brick oven is naturally weatherproof, making it the perfect choice for an outdoor oven. It is a very rewarding project that you can put up in your home to bake pizza and improve your home appearance. Plus, if properly constructed, a brick oven can last for decades.
The following factors will influence the cost of your pizza oven.
1. Size
A large oven will use more materials to complete. Consequently, it will need more time to complete, leading to more costs.
2. Location
If you live in high-end areas where the cost of living is high, labor and materials will cost more.
3. Outdoor or Indoor
Building your pizza oven outdoors does not need a lot of modifications. However, building it inside your house or kitchen will require remodeling some parts to give it enough space.
3. Design
A simple design is less costly than a complex one. However, including counters, sinks, and other built-in amenities will cause the cost to go up.
How to Reduce Costs of a Brick Pizza Oven
Brick pizza ovens can be quite costly to build, considering the high cost of materials. If you want to have your desired brick oven without breaking the bank, consider these cost-saving tips to
1. Request for Quotes from Multiple Contractors
If you are outsourcing the construction of your brick oven, getting a quote from one contractor may not give you the best prices. Instead, get quotes from multiple contractors and compare their packages. You can solicit pricing from three different sources, check how much they charge and choose the best value option.
2. Complete Prep Work Yourself
The contractors charge the preparation work for laying your pizza. This is something that you can do yourself to cut down on this cost. Since a brick pizza oven needs to be built on a clear, flat surface, do this preparation by building a concrete slab yourself.
3. Condense the Size
A 36-inch pizza oven is the standard size of a pizza oven, but you can go smaller and still get the same functionality as an oven.
You can build a 24-inch pizza oven that can comfortably serve 12-inch pizzas and reduce the cost of labor and materials.
Advantages of a Brick Oven
1. High Temperatures
Wood-fire ovens generate and maintain higher temperatures than normal ovens, and the brick interior walls absorb the heat. These temperatures are ideal for foods like pizza that need to achieve a perfect crust and texture.
1. Versatile
A brick pizza oven is versatile because you can cook various dishes, including roast dinners, seafood pizza, and desserts.
2. Economic
A brick oven is economical and efficient, as you can cook more than one pizza at a time and cook other foods apart from pizza.
4. Entertaining Space
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Outdoor pizza oven kits are great places for your guests to sit around and socialize while seeing the chef in action.
Disadvantages Of A Brick Oven
1. High-Cost
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Brick pizza ovens are more expensive than other types of ovens. This is because their materials are costly, and the installation process is more involving.
2. Requires Special Skills
Brick ovens require special skills and materials to build and maintain. You will need someone with masonry skills to build them to be safe and function well.
Frequently Asked Questions on the Cost of Building a Brick Oven
1. Which are the best bricks for brick ovens?
The best type of bricks for building brick ovens are fire bricks or refractory bricks. They are best used in places with high temperatures, like fireplaces and furnaces. However, they are costlier than clay bricks because of the high silica content, making them better insulators.
2. Can you add a brick oven to your kitchen?
Masonry experts are the best people to build brick ovens that are strong and safe. However, if you purchase the pre-build ovens that are almost complete, you can use a general contractor to put them in place.
3. Is it worth investing in a brick oven?
Brick Pizza ovens are attractive and luxurious and can enhance the look of your home. In addition, they can save you time in other ways of making pizza due to their high temperatures.
They can form great outdoor entertaining areas next to a covered patio.
A brick pizza oven made with rustic fire bricks is a stylish focal point in your garden. Woodfire pizza ovens, compared to gas ones, improve the taste of food, making many people turn to brick pizza ovens. They give you an authentic experience making them worth the cost.
4. Can you add a brick oven to your kitchen?
You can add a brick oven to your kitchen by creating more space or removing some counters. However, the chimney and the extra space eaten up by the oven need a bump.
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