Question 1

What does an outdoor bar fit-out cost in Cranbourne?

Accepted Answer

A standalone outdoor bar wing — bar-top counter, kegerator or beer tap, dual-zone wine fridge, ice well, glass storage, copper or brass tap fixtures — typically lands at $5,000–$15,000 installed in 2026. Compact 2.4m bar with kegerator + 2 taps + bar fridge sits at the bottom of the range. A premium 4–5m bar with 4 beer taps, dual-zone wine fridge, ice well plumbed to drain, and copper fixtures is at the top. The bar is usually built as a wing off the main outdoor kitchen, sharing the same gas + electrical infrastructure.

Question 2

What is a kegerator and which one should I install?

Accepted Answer

A kegerator is a refrigerated cabinet that holds a 50L commercial keg with CO2 cylinder and pours through taps mounted in your bar top. Reliable brands: Komos V2 (USA, 2–4 tap, $1,200–$2,500), BrewBuilt X3 (US, premium, $2,800–$4,500), Edgestar (entry, $900–$1,400). We install all three regularly. Consider how often you'll change kegs — a 50L keg is roughly 90 pints, so a couple of friends-over weekends. If you'll drink less than that in a month, a tap pour is wasted on you and a quality bar fridge is the smarter buy.

Question 3

Bar top — concrete, stone, copper or timber?

Accepted Answer

Polished concrete (~$300–$450/lineal metre) is the most popular — durable, won't stain from beer or wine if properly sealed, looks great. Honed bluestone or granite (~$400–$700/lineal metre) is bulletproof. Copper sheet over ply (~$600–$900/lineal metre) is the boutique-bar look — gorgeous, but oxidises to a patina (which most clients actually love). Hardwood (spotted gum, blackbutt, ironbark, oil-finished) is warm but stains easily and needs annual oiling. We don't recommend stainless for a bar top — it scratches and shows water marks within months.

Question 4

Do you install ice wells and what's the plumbing?

Accepted Answer

Yes. An ice well is an insulated stainless steel tub, typically 600x400x200mm, set into the bar top with a drain at the bottom plumbed to the same waste line as the bar sink. You fill it with ice for cocktails or bottle storage. Cost is $400–$800 supplied + install. The drain has to connect to the legal point of discharge (same as your bar sink), and we install a removable strainer basket because melt-water carries leftover citrus and beer dregs that block drains fast.

Question 5

Wine fridge — single zone or dual zone, and how big?

Accepted Answer

Dual-zone every time if you'll store both red and white. Reds want 12–18°C, whites 6–10°C — a single-zone fridge can't do both well. Capacity: a 30-bottle dual-zone is the entry pick at $900–$1,400 (Vintec V30 SGE, Schmick HUS-SC30, Husky 30). A 60-bottle dual-zone is the realistic-entertaining size at $1,800–$2,800 (Vintec V60, Schmick HUS-SC60). Anything bigger than 90 bottles is overkill for residential. We hard-wire the wine fridge on a dedicated 10A circuit, IP-rated outlet hidden behind the cabinetry.

Question 6

Can I add a bar to my existing outdoor kitchen later?

Accepted Answer

Yes — this is one of our most-common follow-up jobs. We come back, tap into the existing gas + electrical + water + waste infrastructure, build the bar wing as an extension of the existing cabinetry, match the benchtop material. Typical retrofit-bar-wing is $8K–$15K depending on size and fixtures. The previous owner often left out the bar because they were over budget; we add it 2–3 years later when they've decided they actually do entertain more than they thought.

Outdoor bars built into Cranbourne alfresco kitchens.

What goes into a proper outdoor bar.

Honest tradeoffs.

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