Factory Built vs On-Site Built Brick Pizza Ovens: Delivery Time, Customization, Cost

Last updated: November 2026 | By Anshul Sethi, Founder, Forno Sethi (a wood-fired pizza oven manufacturer in India based in Delhi, since 2017)

A factory-built brick oven is made in the manufacturer’s workshop and delivered by truck, then lifted into place with a crane or forklift. An on-site brick oven is built at your location by the manufacturer’s own team. At Forno Sethi, a factory-built oven takes about 14 days to build plus transport, and an on-site oven takes 3–5 days to build once our team reaches your site, with about 30 days’ notice to schedule it.

The quality is the same either way. What changes is access, time and cost. Choose factory-built when a crane or forklift and a wide enough entrance are available. Choose on-site when the oven cannot physically reach the spot. This guide explains both from our own projects, including the delays, damage risks and chimney mistakes we see most.

Factory-Built vs On-Site Brick Oven: Quick Comparison

Pricing is quoted per project, because distance and site conditions change it. Request a quotation for your location.

Factory-Built Brick Oven: How It Works

Every Forno Sethi brick oven can be built in our factory. It is made on wheels, loaded on a truck and sent from Delhi. At the destination, a crane or forklift lifts it off the truck and places it inside or on the floor, and then it is simply rolled into position.

The minimum weight of a brick oven is 1,000 kg, which is why lifting is the key step. For a factory-built oven, the customer arranges the crane or forklift at the destination, and the risk of breakage while unloading and placing the oven is also the customer’s. We recommend ordering with transit insurance, so that any damage can be claimed.

Delivery time from Delhi

Add about 14 days of build time to these figures. Weather, hill roads and part-load shipments can add days, so keep a buffer if your opening date is fixed.

The entrance rule that decides everything

Before we dispatch, we ask for more than the crane or forklift. We also ask for the entrance, passage and door size, because a 4 ft oven cannot pass through anything narrower than itself. The oven is on wheels, so it can be pushed in, but you need at least 5 ft of clear space to move a 4 ft oven comfortably. Larger models need proportionally more, and we confirm the numbers with you.

When there is no lift access, we do not force it. We build on site.

Why you should never unload a brick oven by hand

We take every precaution during packing and transport. The risk that remains is handling at the other end. In 2–3 cases, customers who tried to unload without a crane, using 6–7 people, ended up with a cracked oven. At 1,000 kg and above, brick cannot take uneven lifting. Arrange a crane or forklift in advance, have the operator and a spotter ready before the truck arrives, and take transit insurance on the shipment.

On-Site Brick Oven: How It Works

If the oven cannot reach the spot, our team builds it where it will stand. The available on-site sizes are 48″, 54″ and 60″.

The oven is built from the same materials and with the same method as in the factory. What we send to the site:

• Firebrick for the dome and floor
• Cement and fire putty
• The oven base with the burner
• The oven mouth and mouth cover
• Mosaic tiles
• Insulation blanket (two bags) and other small items

Small items that are normally available in the local market are bought locally.

Why we ask for 30 days’ notice

The brickwork takes 3–5 days, and in favourable conditions as little as 2. The hard part is everything before it. Material has to reach the site first, and then a skilled worker who builds the oven properly has to reach it too. We run 3 on-site teams. Each team has running projects, so we need time to schedule them, book travel and line up the work so that no team is waiting for material or a ticket.

If you book today for an on-site build, plan for about 30 days before the team starts.

Travel is a real cost factor

For locations up to about 1,200 km from Delhi, distance does not change much. Beyond that, or in remote areas, travel time matters. A one-way trip for our team can take 40+ hours: about 30 hours on the train, plus the journey to the station and from the destination station to your site. Train delays are common, so the schedule needs slack.

Which One Should You Choose?

What about cost?

We do not publish fixed prices, because both options depend on your location. Factory-built costs include packing, transport, transit insurance (recommended) and the crane or forklift you arrange at the site. On-site costs include material transport, team travel and labour days, and the build takes a few more days overall. Within about 1,200 km of Delhi the difference is usually small. For distant or remote locations, both freight and team travel rise. Send us your location and we will quote both options.

Curing: The Step Every Brick Oven Needs, Factory-Built or On-Site

A new brick oven holds moisture in its cement and bonding. If it is fired hard too early, it can crack. So every oven needs curing.

1. Drying: a factory-built oven dries at our factory before dispatch, normally 7–10 days and up to 30 days if it waits there. For an on-site oven we allow 5–7 days of drying before firing, or as much time as your schedule permits. The more drying time, the better the chance that the cement and bonding set and the moisture leaves without cracking.
2. First fire: bring the oven to 150–200°C.
3. Next day: 250–300°C.
4. Then: 300–400°C.
5. Following days: go above 400°C.
6. Setting and testing: settle at 400–450°C and test.

This staged firing removes the remaining moisture and protects the oven from cracking, so do not rush it.

Chimney and Exhaust: The Mistake We See Most

Customers often connect the oven into the kitchen’s exhaust duct together with the hood. That is the biggest problem we see in installations, because the duct’s exhaust draw pulls the oven’s heat out with it. Do this instead:

• Use the chimney on top of the oven and fit a flexible aluminium chimney pipe over it, then take the pipe outside, or
• if you must use a duct, connect it so that the exhaust does not act directly on the oven, and the oven’s heat is not drawn out.

Follow your building’s and local rules for ventilation as well.

Checklist Before You Choose

1. Where will the oven stand, and can a crane or forklift that you arrange reach it?
2. What is the width and height of every door and passage on the way?
3. Is there at least 5 ft of clear space to roll a 4 ft oven?
4. Does the floor or terrace take 1,000 kg+?
5. Is there a platform and a chimney route outside the kitchen duct?
6. Which size do you need: 48″, 54″, 60″ or another?
7. How many days do you have, including transport or team scheduling?
8. Who handles curing and first firing, and when?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a factory-built and an on-site brick oven?

A factory-built brick oven is made in the manufacturer’s workshop and delivered by truck. An on-site brick oven is built at your location by the manufacturer’s team. Forno Sethi uses the same materials and method for both.

How long does it take to get a brick oven?

A factory-built oven takes about 14 days to build plus 4–15 days of transport depending on the destination. An on-site oven takes 3–5 days to build once the team reaches your site, and we ask for about 30 days’ notice to schedule it.

How long does delivery take from Delhi?

Typically 5–7 days to Mumbai, 4–7 days to Bengaluru, 6–8 days to Kolkata, 9–12 days to remote areas and 12–15 days to hill stations such as Coonoor. Weather and part-load shipments can add days.

When should I choose an on-site brick oven?

Choose on-site when a crane or forklift cannot reach the spot, or when the entrance or passage is too narrow for the oven. On-site is available in 48″, 54″ and 60″ sizes.

Is a factory-built oven better than an on-site oven?

No. The materials, build quality and method are the same. The choice depends on access, timeline and cost.

Can I unload a 1,000 kg brick oven without a crane?

No. We have seen ovens crack when customers tried to unload by hand with 6–7 people. Use a crane or forklift.

Who arranges the crane, and who is responsible if the oven breaks while unloading?

For a factory-built oven, the customer arranges the crane or forklift at the destination, and the risk of breakage during unloading and placement is the customer’s. We recommend ordering with transit insurance so that any damage can be claimed.

How wide must the door be for a brick oven?

The entrance and passage must be wider than the oven. For a 4 ft oven you need at least 5 ft of clear space to push it in comfortably. We ask for door, passage and entrance sizes before dispatch.

Why does a new brick oven need curing?

A new brick oven holds moisture in its cement and bonding. A factory-built oven dries at our factory for 7–10 days (up to 30 days if it waits), and an on-site oven gets 5–7 days or more. Then it is fired in stages from 150–200°C up to 400–450°C, so the moisture leaves and the oven does not crack.

Can I connect the oven chimney to the kitchen exhaust duct?

Not directly. The duct’s exhaust draw can pull heat out of the oven. Use a flexible aluminium chimney pipe over the oven’s chimney and take it outside, or connect to a duct in a way that avoids direct exhaust impact on the oven.

How much does a factory-built or on-site brick oven cost?

Both depend on your location. Factory-built includes transport and a crane or forklift at the site, while on-site includes team travel, labour and material transport. Contact us for a quotation for your site. See our pizza oven price guide for general ranges.