Some of the higher end built-in grills do require electrical connections for the ignition and lights (both to light the grilling surface and backlit knobs). A few of the brands we carry are like this. Kind of piggybacking off K&D's exhaustive and awesome list, a couple thoughts: - while I get the convenience of a permanent natural gas hookup, you get more BTUs from propane. As someone who only has a gas grill because some nights charcoal is too much effort, more BTUs is a better cooking experience. - I can't remember whether it's a code or a manufacturer requirement, but the standard we go by is a minimum of (2) 20 sq inch vents for the BBQ enclosure. You used to have to have them on opposite sides, but now you can have them on perpendicular sides. When placing them just remember that propane is heavier than air, natural gas is lighter than air. As far as buying ones from Home Depot and installing, I'm not totally sure what you mean. For a built-in grill you want one that is sold as a grill head. The ones that are freestanding (ie, the row of grills on wheels in front of the store), you can't just cut the legs off and use it as a grill head. You can still build your kitchen around a freestanding grill. Here's an article on how we did that several years ago for a client: https://www.revolutionarygardens.com/can-i-use-my-freestanding-grill-as-a-built-in-grill/

Weber is generally not a bad choice. They on average tend to use better materials that won't fail quite as quickly. And they keep their product lines around for so long, that even years later, you can buy replacement parts. Having said that, parts do fail over time. That's the nature of the beast. High heat, open flames, and constant exposure to the elements does take its toll. You can spend a lot more money and buy super-premium brands that maybe won't need service quite that regularly, but it doesn't sound as if that's what you are looking for. Those brands target more of a professional market segment and/or large community outdoor kitchens.

I use slate almost all the time for outdoor counters .

We have a modern house with an outdoor kitchen. One part of the L is counter space with pull-out trash and fridge under the counter space. Bar seating on the other side of this section. The other section of the L has a large grill and a sink beside it. It's a single bowl sink. I would highly recommend the sink and wished we would have also installed a garbage disposal and a spray arm faucet. Because it is outside, I use the sink to clean the surrounding area. An area for handwashing, as others have noted, is also a huge benefit. No, to the 2 tier counter. That is a dated look.