Indoor Braai Rooms
- Built-in braai sized to the room
- Chimney breast or canopy above the fire
- Fire-safe finishes around the braai
- Counters, shelving and wood storage
- Space for a pizza oven
- Tiled floors that clean easily
A braai room lets you braai through the wind and the winter rain. We build enclosed braai rooms and convert garages and patios across Cape Town, with the chimney and fresh air planned so the smoke goes up and out.
In winter the north-westers bring the rain, and in summer the south-easter blows sparks across the patio. An enclosed braai room keeps the fire going in any weather, and it keeps everyone together because the braai is in the same room as the table.
Indoors, the smoke has nowhere to go but the chimney, so the chimney has to work. We size the flue to the fire, take it high enough above the roof to draw well, and make sure fresh air can get into the room. A closed room with no air supply starves the fire and pushes smoke back inside.
For chimney and canopy work on its own, see our braai chimneys and smoke extraction page. For layouts and finishes, read our braai room ideas.
We price every braai room after a site visit. These are the main things that change the cost.
Starting point. Closing in a covered patio is a smaller job than converting a garage or building a new room.
The braai. Wood, charcoal, gas or a combination, built in brick or set in a steel unit.
Chimney and extraction. A straight chimney through a single-storey roof costs less than a long run or an extractor fan.
Glass and doors. Folding or sliding doors, windows, and how much of the room opens up.
Finishes. Tiles, cladding, counters, shelving and paint.
Get my free quote1. Photos and a call. Send photos of the space and tell us how many people you usually braai for.
2. Site visit. We check the roof, the walls, the chimney route and where fresh air will come from.
3. Plans and approvals. We tell you upfront if the work needs approved plans or body corporate consent.
4. Building work. Walls, glass doors, flooring and the braai structure go in first.
5. Braai and chimney. We fit the braai, the flue, the cowl and any extraction, and seal the roof around it.
6. Smoke test and handover. We light a fire with the doors closed, check the draw, sign off gas work with a CoC and clean up.
Enclosed and covered braai spaces, chimneys and patio conversions from our recent Cape Town work.
Send us photos of your patio, garage or room and we will come back with ideas and a written quote.
Patio closed in with glass. Folding doors across an existing patio, open in summer and closed in winter.
Garage braai room. A single garage turned into a braai and bar room, with a chimney through the roof.
Braai and pizza wall. A braai and a pizza oven on one wall, with counters and shelving between them.
Braai room with a fireplace. A closed fireplace at the other end of the room for heat on cold nights.
Yes, when the room is built for it. The braai needs a properly sized chimney, a fire-safe surround and a steady supply of fresh air. We recommend a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fire. Never use a portable braai in a closed room.
Often, yes. We check the roof structure, the walls and the chimney route first. A garage conversion can need approved plans from the City, and we tell you upfront if yours does.
Usually the chimney is too short or too narrow, the canopy is too shallow, or the room cannot draw in enough fresh air. Wind over the roof can also push smoke back down. We find the cause and fix it.
Both work. Wood gives you the flavour and the coals, and needs a good chimney. Gas is quicker to light but still needs proper ventilation. Our registered gas installers sign off gas work with a Certificate of Compliance.
Yes, if there is a safe route for the chimney. We usually build the braai against an outside wall and take the flue up through the roof, with a canopy above the fire.
