When homeowners in Central Pennsylvania begin planning a backyard project, the outdoor kitchen is increasingly part of the first conversation rather than a later addition. That is the observation from A Plus Landscaping, a Reinholds-based design and construction company, which says the change is reshaping how outdoor spaces are planned and built.
Marcus Waldner, founder of A Plus Landscaping, said the shift is noticeable from the very first property visit. "Homeowners used to think of the kitchen as something you add once the patio is done. Now it's one of the first things they bring up on the initial walk-through, right alongside the patio and the fire feature," Waldner said. "Building it into the plan from day one means we're not working around plumbing or seating that's already locked in."
The implications are practical and financial. When an outdoor kitchen is included in the initial design, plumbing, gas, and electrical connections can be mapped before any patio surface is installed. Counters, appliances, storage, seating, and walking paths can then be coordinated as parts of a single layout, rather than squeezed into a space where infrastructure is already fixed. That early coordination can reduce the need for demolition, re-routing of utilities, or awkward compromises in seating and traffic flow. It also gives homeowners more control over how the space will function for cooking, serving, and gathering.
National data supports what A Plus Landscaping is seeing locally. The 2026 U.S. Houzz Outdoor Trends Study found that 95 percent of outdoor kitchen projects started from scratch, and more than two-thirds included plumbing, electrical, or heating improvements. Those figures suggest that homeowners across the country are treating the outdoor kitchen as a core component of a larger outdoor living investment, not as a standalone purchase. For builders and designers, the trend points to a need for earlier integration of utility planning and more comprehensive design services.
A Plus Landscaping designs outdoor kitchens around how each homeowner plans to cook, serve, and gather. Projects may include built-in grills, pizza ovens, counters, storage, seating, and adjacent fire features. Each project begins with a property visit from an A Plus Design Professional, and larger projects may incorporate full 3D renderings before construction begins. The company manages the project from design through installation.
For homeowners, the broader implication is that the outdoor kitchen is no longer an afterthought but a planning anchor. By deciding on the kitchen early, they can avoid the common problem of a patio that looks finished but lacks the utility rough-ins or spatial layout needed for cooking and entertaining. That can mean fewer change orders, better use of available space, and an outdoor area that functions as a cohesive extension of the home. As demand for outdoor living continues, the companies that succeed may be those that bring the kitchen into the first conversation, not the last.
