Easy-To-Build Barbecue Grill Offers Flavorful Outdoor Cooking

Expert tips for sizing, designing, and constructing a simple charcoal grill for your patio

Apr. 9, 2026 at 7:00am

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An abstract, impressionistic scene of a brick barbecue grill on a patio, surrounded by blurred figures enjoying a summer cookout, all captured in a hazy, dreamlike wash of warm colors and soft, out-of-focus light.A newly built brick barbecue grill becomes the centerpiece of a backyard gathering, offering the promise of flavorful summer cookouts.Cincinnati Today

A reader named Brian K. wants to add a brick barbecue grill to his concrete patio, and home improvement expert James Dulley provides step-by-step guidance on how to design and build a simple charcoal grill that can deliver more flavorful meals compared to gas grills. Dulley offers tips on controlling the heat, choosing the right grill materials, and selecting the ideal location for the new outdoor cooking setup.

Why it matters

As more people look to upgrade their outdoor living spaces, adding a custom-built charcoal grill can provide a fun, hands-on cooking experience that gas grills often lack. Dulley's advice helps homeowners create a durable, easy-to-use grill that can become the centerpiece of backyard gatherings and summer cookouts.

The details

Dulley recommends designing the grill with adjustable charcoal grates to control the heat, as well as installing double metal doors on the front to add more fuel and regulate airflow. He suggests using stainless steel cooking grates if possible, as they are lightweight and long-lasting compared to cast iron. For the grill structure, Dulley says a mortarless brick design is a simple option that can be quickly rebuilt if needed. He advises choosing a level, concrete or brick surface for the base and leaving ample workspace around the grill for food prep.

  • Dulley's tips were published on April 9, 2026.

The players

James Dulley

A home improvement expert who writes a syndicated column called "Here's How" providing DIY tips and advice.

Brian K.

A reader who wrote to Dulley asking for guidance on how to build a brick barbecue grill on his concrete patio.

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What they’re saying

“If you like quick and healthy family meals, adding a brick barbecue grill is a great idea. Designing and building one that uses charcoal, as opposed to gas, probably is your best choice for ease of building and for more flavorful foods.”

— James Dulley, Home Improvement Expert

What’s next

After building the grill, Dulley recommends firing it up and cooking some shrimp as a test run.

The takeaway

Dulley's step-by-step guidance provides homeowners with a straightforward approach to constructing a custom charcoal grill that can become the centerpiece of outdoor entertaining and summer cookouts, offering more flavorful results compared to gas grills.