Short answer
Budget 550 mm above the counter line for a typical built-in gas grill with the lid fully open. A kamado or a high hood needs more. If the grill sits under a pergola, awning, window or wall cabinet, that number decides whether it can go there at all.
Measure the arc, not the lid
A lid hinged at the back swings up and back. The clearance you need is the highest point of the arc above the counter, measured from the counter surface — not the height of the lid when it is shut.
The reliable method: open the lid fully on the grill, hold a straight edge on the highest point of the lid and measure down to the counter. Do it twice, once at the hinge and once at the front edge, and use the higher figure.
Which overheads are a problem
A pergola beam is obvious. The ones people miss: a window that opens outwards, an awning that rolls out, a wall-mounted cabinet or a shelf, and a low soffit over a covered terrace.
Each of these sits in the space the lid needs and each is installed before the grill is on site. That is the wrong order, and it is the most common way a good layout becomes an unusable one.
When the clearance is not there
Three options, in order of preference. Move the grill to the end of the run where the overhead stops — usually free, and it keeps the run intact. Raise the overhead — rarely possible after the fact. Choose a different grill — one with a sliding or side-opening lid, or a kamado mounted at the open end.
Do not solve it by lowering the counter. The 900 mm height is what makes every module line up, and dropping one module breaks the grid for the whole run.
Ceiling height, not just beams
On a covered terrace the ceiling itself can be low, particularly under an existing upper floor. The figure to check is counter to ceiling at the grill, not ceiling height above the floor — and the grill is usually the tallest thing on the run.
A 900 mm counter with a 550 mm lid arc needs 1,450 mm clear above the floor at the grill position. Under a 2,100 mm soffit that is fine. Under a 1,600 mm yard-height mezzanine it is not.
The comparison, in one table
| Lid type | Height above the counter | What it rules out |
|---|---|---|
| Lift-and-roll back | Full lid height plus the roll radius behind the hinge | Pendants over the grill, low pergola beams |
| Side-hinged | Lid height only, opening to one side | A wall or a tall module on the hinge side |
| Flat, removable | Clearance to lift it off, roughly the counter depth | Anything fixed directly above |
| Kamado, hinged up and back | Full body height plus the spring arc | Wall behind, roof above, shelf over |
Questions we get about this
Does the counter height change the clearance?
Yes, directly. The requirement is measured from the counter, so a 900 mm counter with a 550 mm arc leaves 1,450 mm above the floor. Raising the counter reduces the space above it.
What if the grill is at the end of a wall run?
That is the usual solution. Put the grill where the overhead stops and let the covered part of the run hold the sink and storage. The grill is the only module that needs open sky.
Do side-opening lids change the sum?
They change it completely. A side-opening lid needs lateral clearance rather than vertical, which is why a grill with a roll-back lid is worth paying for under a low pergola.
Before you order anything
Send the grill model and the run length. You get the aperture, the module list and one itemised price back in writing — freight shown separately, valid 15 days.