Site preparation guide

What to have ready before installation

Forge products are built off-site and installed on yours. Most installs run smoothly. The ones that do not run smoothly almost always come down to site readiness, things that needed to be ready on the day and were not.

This is the checklist we work to. If you are coordinating with a builder or landscaper, share this with them.

Outdoor kitchens

Surface and base

Your kitchen needs a level, structural base. Forge cabinets weigh 80 to 250 kg before benchtops are added.

Suitable bases include:

• Concrete slab, properly cured
• Pavers laid on a compacted, free-draining base
• Hardwood deck rated for outdoor kitchen loads (check with your builder)
• Tiled or paved patio area

What does not work:

• Soft ground, lawn, or gravel without structural preparation
• Decking not rated for the load (talk to your builder if unsure)
• Surfaces with significant slope or water pooling

The base does not need to be perfectly level. Forge cabinets have adjustable feet with up to 20 mm of adjustment. But if your slope is more than that, the base needs work first.

Access

Cabinets arrive on a truck and need to be moved to the install location. Tell us in advance about:

• Narrow gates or paths (the largest single cabinet is around 1219 mm wide)
• Stairs or steps between truck and install location
• Steep driveways or slippery surfaces
• Distance from the kerb to the install spot

If access is difficult, we will let you know in advance whether extra hands or equipment are needed.

Services

Forge installs the cabinetry and benchtops. We do not connect gas, electrical, or plumbing services. These need to be coordinated with licensed New Zealand trades.

For the day of install, the following must be ready or arranged:

• Gas: if your BBQ is gas, the gas line should be run to within 500 mm of the BBQ cabinet, with the connection point and shut-off valve accessible. We recommend coordinating your gas fitter to attend the day after install for final connection.
• Electrical: if your kitchen has a fridge or under-bench lighting, a weatherproof power outlet should be installed within 500 mm of the relevant cabinet, on a circuit suitable for outdoor use.
• Water and drainage: if your kitchen has a sink, water supply (cold, or cold and hot) and drainage need to be roughed in before install. Final connection is by a registered plumber.

If you do not yet have these services and want them, get them planned and quoted now, while the cabinetry is in production. Trying to retrofit gas or plumbing after install is significantly more work.

Shelter and overhead

Forge kitchens can be installed under cover or in the open. A few things to think about:

• If the kitchen is uncovered, your benchtop will be exposed to direct sun. Sintered stone handles this without staining, but it can get hot to touch in summer.
• If you are installing under a pergola or veranda, check that you have at least 200 mm clearance above the BBQ to allow heat to dissipate, more for kamados or wood-fired cookers.
• Combustible materials (wood, vinyl, fabric awnings) should be kept well clear of cooking appliances. Refer to your appliance manufacturer for specific clearance requirements.

Appliances

If you are supplying your own BBQ, kamado, fridge, or side burner, have it on site for the install day if possible. We can do a dry-fit and confirm cutouts before final placement.

Alternatively, install the kitchen first, fit the appliances later. Either approach works.

On the day

An adult will need to be on site for the install. Plan for two to four hours depending on the size of the kitchen. The install team will:

• Place and level the cabinets
• Fit the benchtops
• Fit the sink and tap (plumber to do final connections separately)
• Walk you through the kitchen and answer any questions
• Remove all packaging

Outdoor fireplaces

The fireplaces are heavy structural pieces with different site requirements to the kitchens. The access and on-the-day notes above apply, plus the items below.

Base

Concrete slab is the only suitable base. Pavers, decking, and any non-rigid surface are not appropriate. The fireplace is significantly heavier than a kitchen and concentrates load over a smaller footprint. The slab must be properly cured and capable of supporting concentrated loads. Your builder or engineer should sign off if you are uncertain.

Setbacks from combustibles

Wood-burning fires require setbacks from combustible materials. Common combustibles to keep clear:

• Timber pergolas, fences, and shading structures
• Fabric awnings, shade sails, and outdoor curtains
• Gas BBQs and fuel storage
• Overhanging tree branches and dense foliage

Setback distances depend on the structure and your site. We will work through this with you at quote stage.

Building consent

An outdoor fireplace may require building consent in your council area, particularly if it sits within 1 metre of a building or boundary, or exceeds certain heights. We will flag this at quote stage and provide the documentation you need to submit. You are responsible for the consent process.

Wind and smoke

Think about prevailing wind direction. A fireplace placed downwind of an entertaining area sends smoke into the seating zone. The flue handles vertical exhaust but sustained crosswinds can still affect smoke behaviour. We can help you think this through during site planning.

Delivery

The fireplace is a single heavy unit. Delivery requires hard standing access for a flatbed truck and crane or hiab equipment. We will assess access on a site visit before scheduling.

Questions

If anything on this checklist is unclear, or you want to talk through your specific site, send a photo and a description to hello@forgeoutdoor.co.nz. We would rather sort questions before install than on the day.