How to Build a Barbecue Station: Easy DIY Guide

August 9, 2025, 4:59 am | Read time: 3 minutes

If you enjoy barbecueing outdoors and have enough space on your balcony or terrace, you can easily build a permanent grill station yourself. With the right instructions and some bricks and wooden planks, this project can be implemented without hassle. The DIY Academy in Cologne explains what materials and tools are needed and provides a practical step-by-step guide for building your own barbecue station.

Materials

10 bricks (40 × 20 × 20 centimeters)
10 Douglas fir decking boards (12.5 × 2.8 × 200 centimeters)
2 Douglas fir construction timbers (28 × 45 millimeters × 200 centimeters)
150 stainless steel screws (3.5 × 40 millimeters)
750 milliliters of Douglas fir deck oil
Optional for decoration: hooks, wine crates, fruit crates, furniture casters

By the way: Douglas firs are a genus of plants in the pine family. The wood is particularly suitable for outdoor use because it is weather-resistant. Its high resin content also makes it resistant to moisture, fungal infestation, and insects.

Tools

Gloves
Measuring tape, pencil, carpenter’s square
Sawhorses, clamps
Jigsaw with wood blade
Cordless drill with appropriate bit (Torx)
Joint gauge
Brush

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Guide for the DIY Barbecue Station

1. Try Out What You Like

First, stack the bricks and wood on top of each other—try out what you like. In this example, the dimensions of wine and fruit crates were considered so that they can be precisely integrated later.

Tip: Mark the spots where the construction timbers should be attached–ideally near the bricks.

2. Cut the Wood

Cut decking boards and construction timbers — First, cut the construction timbers and planks to size.

Shorten the decking boards to the desired length. Clean, right-angled cuts are best achieved with a miter or chop saw. Cut five construction timbers to a length of 50 centimeters each for later assembly. Lightly sand the cut edges to prevent tears and splinters.

3. Oil the Decking Boards

Treat the decking boards with a suitable terrace oil for Douglas fir. Apply the oil undiluted with a brush. After at least five hours of drying, apply a second coat. Since end grains are particularly susceptible to moisture, apply several coats to the cut edges. Allow the wood to dry completely before starting assembly.

4. Screw the Decking Boards

Screw four decking boards to the construction timbers. Mark the positions on the boards with a pencil and a square. A joint gauge ensures even spacing. Then fix the boards with the construction timbers. Attach these later to the long side of the top shelf.

5. Assemble the Components

Small hooks for storage on a grill station — Once the wood is completely dry, you can start assembling. Place the first wooden shelf, then stack the next layer of bricks.

Once the wood is completely dry, you can start assembling. Wear gloves and check the distances with the folding rule. Place the wooden board as the first shelf. Stack the next layer of bricks. Place the second board with the back wall on the long side of the top shelf.

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Tip: Use Remaining Materials

You can use excess materials for additional features. With some furniture casters, you can upgrade the barbecue station by building a practical rolling board for the gas bottle. This way, you always have the barbecue tongs or dish towels within easy reach.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of MYHOMEBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@myhomebook.de.