Question 1

Wood-fired or gas pizza oven — what should I build in?

Accepted Answer

Wood-fired gives you the real Neapolitan article: 450°C floor temp, 60–90 second cook, unmatched smoky flavour. But it takes 45–60 minutes from cold to cook-ready and needs a proper insulated flue (AS/NZS 2918 solid-fuel install) through your alfresco roof. Gas-fired (or gas-convert) hits temp in 15–20 minutes, no smoke, no neighbour drama, taps straight into the alfresco gas manifold. We build roughly 60% wood-fired, 40% gas in Cranbourne. Wood-fired suits Berwick / Cranbourne East entertainer blocks with clear smoke clearance. Gas suits Hampton Park / Narre Warren townhouses.

Question 2

Which pizza oven brands do you install?

Accepted Answer

Italian wood-fired — Forno Bravo Casa series (kit-form), Valoriani Vesuvio, Pavesi RPM. $3,500–$7,000 for the kit. Australian wood-fired — Vesuvio Wood Fired Ovens (Sydney-made), Pizzaioli (Melbourne), The Stone Bake Oven Company. $2,800–$5,500 kit. Gas — Alfa Forni (Italian), Beefeater Bugg pizza oven, ILVE Pizza Oven. $2,500–$6,000. We don't supply the cheap eBay knock-off ovens — the refractory ceramic is thin and they crack within 2–3 winters.

Question 3

What does it cost to build a pizza oven into the alfresco?

Accepted Answer

Kit + masonry surround installed: $4,000–$8,000 for a residential-size oven. Breakdown: the oven kit itself $2,800–$5,500. Refractory mortar, firebrick base, insulation blanket, our masonry surround in rendered brick or stone cladding, $1,500–$3,000. Flue and roof penetration with insulated flue kit $400–$800. Pre-cast pizza-oven counter / stand if not built into a masonry surround $400–$800. We don't include the alfresco roof or the supporting slab in that figure — they're priced separately.

Question 4

What is the flue requirement for a wood-fired oven in a roofed alfresco?

Accepted Answer

Wood-fired ovens are classified as solid-fuel appliances under AS/NZS 2918. The flue must be twin-wall insulated (Selkirk or similar), exit at least 1m above the roof line, with a 1m clearance from any combustible material in any direction. The roof penetration uses a purpose-built flue-flashing kit. We size the flue to the oven (usually 200–250mm diameter for residential), install it with the oven, and certify the installation. The flue is the part most DIY builds get wrong — uninsulated single-wall stovepipe is a fire risk and will not pass building inspection.

Question 5

Can you convert a wood-fired oven to gas later?

Accepted Answer

Yes — most kit ovens accept a retrofit gas burner. We can run a 20mm gas spur from the alfresco manifold to the oven at the time of build (capped if unused), so the gas conversion is a one-day swap-in later. The conversion kit is typically $600–$1,200 + 2 hours installation by our gasfitter. The reverse (gas to wood-fired) is not usually practical — the wood-fired flue requirement is much more involved than the gas-only setup.

Question 6

How long does the pizza oven take from order to finish?

Accepted Answer

Kit ovens are 2–4 week lead time from order. Masonry build on-site is 5–10 days (footing-and-base day 1, brick base day 2, refractory dome assembly day 3, insulation + render day 4–6, dry-out fire schedule days 7–14 alongside other finishing work). We never short-cut the dry-out fire schedule — small, increasing fires over 7–14 days are mandatory to drive moisture out of the refractory without cracking. The first proper pizza usually goes in at the handover walkthrough.

Pizza ovens for Cranbourne alfresco kitchens.

Wood-fired or gas? Honest call.

Wood-fired — the real article.

Gas — the practical pick.

What the build includes.

Honest tradeoffs.

Where we work.

Free pizza oven consultation.