After creating my outdoor kitchen a couple of years ago which had a gas grill, I became interested in cooking with charcoal. I had standalone kamado grill (Akorn Auto Kamado), but wish I had built it in.

However, I didn't have the same budget to build this around, so I built it myself (mostly) and made some decisions to make it more affordable.

What I changed from the last time around
* Built it myself (mostly, hired someone to lay tile)
* Framed with lumber vs. steel studs
* Used large format tiles and PVC trim for countertops
* Used cheaper doors and drawers - scratch and dent trash pullout from BBQGuys and Amazon for the double drawer and door, Forjamint and Vevor brands respectively.

Total costs were $3461, with my biggest cost of $1250 for tile work. Cost breakdown:
* $1250 tile work (labor)
* $1244 materials (lumber, fasteners, Hadie panel for cladding, paint, cement board, plywood). This was probably about $200 higher than it could have been due to some mis-cut plywood and trim for the countertops
* $657 for trash pullout, drawer and door
* $310 for tile and tile supplies

I am quite happy with how it turned out. It's definitely "DIY" as the drawer is not centered between the trim boards, there are are a couple of areas that are slightly askew, etc., but all in all, looks great.

Doing large format porcelain tiles for countertops is a huge money saver. I do have a grout line in the back, as my countertops are about 38" deep and my tile was about 31.5". But it's way in the back, looks good, and was pretty affordable.

I was looking forward to trying to tile this myself, but after watching a pro cut the tiles, I am glad I hired him. I definitely would not have had the best tools for the job.