Canadians spent most of the summer of 2020 in the safety of their backyards instead of travelling or frequenting their local watering hole. That lifestyle change has led many to prioritize upgrading their backyard spaces to turn them into an oasis for entertaining.
One of our favourite ways to boost your backyard space is to add an outdoor bar area. We love this idea because it is flexible enough to suit any outdoor space size, whether tiny or expansive and tailored to suit your skill level and budget.
Why Build an Outdoor Bar?
When it comes to safe spaces to relax with friends and family, you can’t beat your very own outdoor space. But just because it’s outdoors doesn’t mean you must resign yourself to folding camp chairs, concrete pads, and rusty fire pits. Your outdoor space can be a fabulous and comfortable place to spend time, especially if you build a custom outdoor bar yourself.
As a bonus, an outdoor bar can improve the value of your home, meaning when the time comes to sell, you’ll enjoy a higher selling price than homes without outdoor bars.
Outdoor bar projects can be simple and removable or expansive and permanent. Which route you choose (or somewhere in between) depends on four factors:
- Space – how much square footage can you devote to this project
- Budget – outdoor bars can be budget-friendly or high-end projects
- Time – you can build an outdoor bar in the afternoon or throughout a summer
- Skills – whether you have tackled renovations before will impact your project’s scope
Keeping these four essential criteria in mind, here are our five favourite outdoor bar ideas for your backyard.
5 Best Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Outdoor Bars for Entertainment
The projects we’ve listed below vary in budget, space requirements, time commitment, and DIY-ability, so there is something for everyone!
Wood Pallet Bar With Storage
- Space: Minimal
- Budget: $100 to $200
- Time: 2 to 4 hours
- Skills: Beginner
If you’re looking for an easy project that requires minimal materials and is removable, try building a bar out of a wooden pallet. Pallets can be easily secured at no cost from local businesses and disassembled for the raw wood.
You’ll need to spend some money to purchase essential tools, including a saw (we highly recommend electrified over hand-powered), level, drill, and measuring tape. Since this bar is removable, you can even build one if you are a renter.
Lounge Area
- Space: Small Entertaining Space
- Budget: $200 to $400
- Time: 4 to 6 hours
- Skills: Beginner
Not all outdoor bar areas require bar height entertaining areas. Some are better suited to lounge furniture where groups can gather. If you’re looking to spice up your entertaining space with some patio furniture, consider building your own. You can build patio furniture yourself with minimal construction skills and just a few tools, including a circular saw, power drill, level, measuring tape, and clamps.
Foldable or Collapsible Outdoor Bar
- Space: Any size space
- Budget: $500 to $600
- Time: 6 to 8 hours
- Skills: Intermediate
If you like the idea of adding a bar as an entertaining space in your backyard, but you aren’t prepared to sacrifice that space permanently, consider building a bar that can fold away when it’s not in use.
A foldable bar can look just as impressive as a permanent structure but lets you enjoy the space any way you choose when it’s not in use. Since a foldable bar needs to fold away, you’ll need more advanced construction skills to build one that is square and plumb enough to tuck away flat against the wall. Creating a foldable is a project that is doable by anyone with a moderate skill level.
Stacked Stone Bar
- Space: Significant Outdoor Space
- Budget: $1,000 to $5,000
- Time: multiple days
- Skills: Advanced
If you’re itching for that wow factor, a stacked stone bar is eye-catching and will hold up well to the wear and tear associated with outdoor features. Stacked stone bars require some understanding of masonry and tiling skills, along with some specialized tools like a wet saw.
Building a stacked stone bar also requires quite a bit of planning and preparation as you’ll need to size the bar itself to support the load of the stone. There are plenty of online resources to help you get started if you’re considering this project.
Built-in Kegerator
- Space: Medium Entertaining Space
- Budget: $1,000+
- Time: 12 hours
- Skills: Intermediate
If you’ve dreamt of having a beer on tap to serve your guests, why not make that dream a reality by building a kegerator in your backyard? Creating the bar itself requires intermediate construction skills and the entry-level tools we mentioned above.
You can also make the kegerator yourself by purchasing a small refrigerator and converting it to house a keg, with a tap coming from the top. Your kegerator will require electricity, so if you aren’t comfortable adding a nearby outlet, you’ll need to run an extension cord.
How to Build an Outdoor Bar for Entertainment
If you’re considering DIYing an outdoor bar for entertainment, here are the next steps you should take:
1. Choose a Project and Begin Researching
The researching phase is often the longest part of the project, but the better your research, the more smoothly your project will progress. Watch as many YouTube tutorials as possible, and you’ll begin to sense a common theme and order of operations for your project. Sketch your project and include measurements and step-by-step instructions.
2. Next, Assemble Your Materials List
Your list should include any raw materials you’ll need, like lumber, as well as any new tools you’ll need to purchase. Make sure to include every possible item, down to decking screws. Once you have triple-checked your list, you should head to your local hardware store and pick up your items.
3. Get To Work
Finally, once you have your supplies, wait for the next day with good weather and get started. If possible, enlist a handy friend or family member to help – even for simple projects. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to make a lot of progress at first. There is usually a learning curve. Always triple-check your cuts, and make sure to consult your resources before any step that you can’t reverse.
If you’ve adequately prepared, your project should go smoothly!
Building anything yourself is an accomplishment, but creating an outdoor structure like a bar – something that will help your friends and family enjoy your backyard this summer – is a project that will bring you joy for years to come. Fortunately, outdoor bars are entirely viable projects that are easily scalable depending on your budget, skill level, and outdoor space.
