Video by Craig Phillips. Craig is a trained bricklayer and long-standing BBC DIY expert, and this guide to building a brick barbecue is a good example of his clear, practical style. He covers bond pattern, mortar consistency, and fitting the grill supports — worth watching in full before you mix your first batch.
1. Plan the size and choose the position
Decide how many people you're usually cooking for. A barbecue that's comfortable for four uses a cooking area of roughly 60 cm wide by 40 cm deep. Bigger is tempting but means more bricks, more mortar, and more to clean.
Position matters a great deal. Keep it at least a metre from fences and overhanging plants. On a firm, level patio slab is ideal. On soil or grass, you'll need a concrete base. Mind you, most Kent gardens already have a patio or existing hard standing that's more than suitable.
2. Lay a proper base
If you're building on an existing concrete slab or paving that's in good condition, you can start straight off it. On soil, dig down 150 mm, compact the base, add 100 mm of compacted hardcore, and pour a 75 mm concrete slab on top. Let it cure for at least 48 hours before laying any bricks.
The base wants to be level in every direction. A slight slope is much harder to correct once you're three courses up.
3. Mix your mortar
For a barbecue, use a mix of 1 part cement to 4 parts building sand. It needs to be stiff enough to hold shape when you squeeze a handful — sloppy mortar means bricks that sink and joints that take forever to set.
Mix small batches. In warm weather mortar goes off faster than you'd expect. Keep it covered between uses.
4. Lay the first course dry
Before any mortar, set out the first course of bricks without any adhesive to check the fit and settle on the layout. This is the moment to confirm the width of the firebox opening and how the corner bonds will work.
Most simple designs use a stretcher bond — the same as a standard garden wall — with a U-shaped plan open at the front. Mark the perimeter on the base with a pencil or chalk, then start the mortar.
5. Build up to grill height
Lay each course with consistent 10 mm mortar beds. Check level across the top of every course, and check for plumb on the front face every two or three courses. Small corrections now save a lot of head-scratching later.
Most designs reach charcoal-grate height at around four to five courses. This is where the lower set of angle irons goes in — typically 40 × 40 mm mild steel, sitting on corbelled bricks or built into the joints.
6. Fit the grill supports
Angle iron sections span the width of the firebox and carry both the charcoal tray and the cooking grill. Build the lower set in at charcoal level, then continue brickwork up another two courses and build in the upper set at grill height.
Standard barbecue grill sets are available from builders' merchants and most larger garden centres. Measure carefully before you buy — the irons need to be slightly shorter than the internal width so they can be removed for cleaning.
7. Complete the upper courses and cap
Continue up to the desired height — usually two or three courses above the top grill level to act as a windbreak and keep the heat in. Finish with a capping course: either bricks laid on edge or flat coping stones for a cleaner look.
Rake the mortar joints back about 10 mm while they're still green (firm but not set). This gives a neat shadow line and sheds rain better than a flush joint.
8. Leave it to cure before the first use
Give the mortar at least 48 hours before you light a fire. For a freshly built barbecue, start with a small, gentle fire for the first burn or two to cure the mortar gradually. Going straight to a full blaze can crack the joints.
To be fair, patience is the hardest part of this project. The results are worth it.
When to call a handyman
Call Richard if the ground isn't suitable for a concrete pad, if the design involves a built-in flue or chimney stack, or if you want a more ambitious structure — integrated worktop, storage below, or a pizza oven alongside. Brickwork that needs to carry significant load is worth getting right from the start.
Need a brick barbecue built?
The Sandwich Handyman can lay the base, set the courses, and leave you with a properly built BBQ that'll last for decades.
Contact Richard