Don't Build That Backyard Pizza Oven — You'll Regret It

Backyard pizza ovens have been all the rage in recent years, especially with the popularity of adding outdoor kitchens to homes across America. However, while there are some outdoor updates that create serious value for your home, there are just as many that are overrated and a waste of money, including some custom DIYs which may be too personalized for others, or can face huge maintenance issues down the line. Or the finished product may just not look as great as it did in your mind. Given all that, if you are considering building your own backyard pizza oven, don't: You'll likely regret it in the long run, as it may take longer and cost more than you expect. Actually, you may end up regretting it as soon as you begin building it, if this is your first time tackling a project of this scope. 

Although there are a myriad of commercially made and portable electric, gas, and wood-burning pizza ovens on the market, many homeowners dream of building their own. These DIYs are popular because they can be cheaper than professional installation and can be customized to your heart's content. But it's also a project that involves masonry skills, safety concerns, and aesthetic risks. For most of us, buying is usually better than building your own when it comes to pizza ovens, even if it does add to the initial cost of an outdoor kitchen.

It's easy to get drawn into the idea of building your own pizza oven, when custom installations can run $2,000 to $8,000. Buying a ready-made model saves a little money, but sizes and shapes are limited. Besides, there are a bunch of YouTube videos showing how to make a pizza oven out of everything from metal drums to exercise balls and fireplace bricks.

In reality, the savings may not be as great as you think. For one, there are several portable outdoor pizza ovens that are cheaper than a proper DIY-built brick or clay oven, which can still run into the thousands. Additionally, while commercially built clay or brick models are expensive, they also come with a warranty. Should something fail on your homemade pizza oven, you'll be footing the bill for repairs. Raw materials aren't the only cost you should consider when it comes to building your own quality pizza oven either: Your own time is valuable.

When it comes to time, unless you are a skilled mason, it will likely take you much longer to build an outdoor pizza oven than you anticipate. Aside from that, even a basic DIY pizza oven is a fairly complex project, involving a concrete foundation, hearth, dome, and proper chimney. Any customization only adds to the complexity and unless you are fairly experienced, the end result may not be what you envisioned. Additionally, building an outdoor pizza oven requires a dedicated space. Compared with a portable pizza oven, which can be easily stashed, your DIY version is there to stay regardless of how often it is (or isn't) used, and it's still there when it's time to sell your home.