If you have ever stood in a hardware-store aisle in August staring at a wall of barbecues and wondered whether the price tag is about to drop, you are asking the right question at nearly the right time. The honest answer to when do grills go on clearance is that the markdowns begin the moment the Fourth of July fireworks fade, deepen steadily through Labor Day, and hit their lowest point in September once stores decide summer is over and start clearing the floor for rakes, leaf blowers, and holiday inventory. Buy too early and you pay a premium for peak-season demand; wait too long and the model you wanted is sold out. This guide maps the whole calendar so you can time it right.
Grill sale calendar: when do grills go on clearance, month by month
Grill pricing follows the grilling season with almost clockwork reliability. Retailers stock up in late winter, charge full price through the spring and early-summer peak, then discount aggressively once demand cools. The table below shows the rhythm across a typical year so you can see exactly where the value sits and where you are simply paying for convenience.
| Month | Sale events | Typical discount | Buy or wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Winter cl-out (spotty) | 10-30% on leftovers | Maybe |
| February | New models arrive | Little to none | Wait |
| March | Spring launch, full price | None | Wait |
| April | Peak demand begins | None to 5% | Wait |
| May | Memorial Day weekend | 10-20% | Maybe |
| June | Father’s Day promos | 10-20% | Maybe |
| July | July 4th, then markdowns start | 15-25% | Maybe |
| August | Pre-Labor Day easing | 20-30% | Buy |
| September | End-of-season clearance | 30-50% | Buy |
| October | Clearance tail, low stock | 30-50% (if any left) | Buy |
| November | Black Friday (new stock) | 15-30% | Maybe |
| December | Holiday, thin selection | 10-25% | Wait |
Discount ranges are typical estimates based on common retail patterns and vary by brand, region, and remaining inventory.
The pattern is clear: the sweet spot runs from mid-August through early October. Everything before Memorial Day is full price, everything in deep winter is a gamble on whatever nobody else wanted. For a broader look at how this fits the wider seasonal shopping cycle, our guide to end-of-summer gear clearance covers the same logic across the outdoor category.
What to pay for a grill after July 4th: target prices by type
“Fifty percent off” only means something if you know the starting price. Here are realistic target prices to aim for once clearance kicks in after July 4th and through the Labor Day and September windows. These are ballpark figures for solid mainstream models, not the absolute floor or the ultra-premium ceiling.
| Grill type | Typical retail | Clearance target | Buy or wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry gas (2-3 burner) | $200-$350 | $130-$230 | Buy |
| Mid-range gas (Weber Spirit class) | $500-$900 | $400-$720 | Buy |
| Charcoal kettle (22-inch) | $130-$230 | $90-$180 | Maybe |
| Pellet grill | $400-$1,200 | $300-$850 | Buy |
| Kamado (ceramic) | $700-$1,500 | $650-$1,300 | Wait |
Estimates for popular mainstream models. Premium and commercial-grade units run higher and discount less.
Notice that the deepest percentage cuts land on gas and pellet grills, because that is where retailers carry the most seasonal inventory and the most pressure to clear it. Charcoal kettles are inexpensive and sell year-round, so the dollar savings are modest. Ceramic kamados almost never see steep discounts, which we will return to below.
Do the math on shipping and assembly
The deepest clearance windows explained
Not every “sale” is created equal. Four distinct windows drive grill pricing in the back half of the year, and each has a different trade-off between price and selection. Understanding which is which keeps you from pouncing on a mediocre Memorial Day deal when a far better one is six weeks away.
After July 4th: the markdowns begin
Independence Day is the emotional peak of grilling season and the last moment retailers expect full-price demand. The week after, price tags quietly start to soften. Discounts here are still modest, usually 15 to 25 percent, but selection is at its widest. If you need a grill immediately and cannot wait until fall, early-to-mid July is a reasonable compromise between price and availability.
Labor Day: the biggest event
Labor Day weekend is the single most important grill sale of the year. It marks the psychological end of summer, so stores run heavily advertised promotions on current-year models, typically 20 to 35 percent off, sometimes with a free cover or accessory bundle. The combination of real discounts and still-decent stock makes it the best all-around time to buy. Our dedicated Labor Day outdoor gear sales guide for 2026 breaks down which retailers historically go deepest.
September end-of-season: the deepest percentages
Once Labor Day passes, the calculus changes. Retailers no longer want to store bulky grills through the winter, so remaining units get slashed 40 to 50 percent or more to move them out. This is where you find the genuinely jaw-dropping prices. The catch is inventory: popular sizes and colors are long gone, and you are shopping the leftovers. If you are flexible about brand and features, late September is the cheapest moment of the entire year.
Black Friday: mostly new-season stock
Black Friday does feature grills, but by late November the true summer clearance is finished. What you see instead is fresh inventory brought in specifically for the holiday, plus budget doorbuster models built to hit a price point. Discounts run 15 to 30 percent and can be worthwhile on a pellet grill or smoker you plan to use indoors or in mild weather, but as pure clearance it cannot match late summer.
Stack a price-match on top
Grill prices by type and brand
Discount depth depends heavily on what you buy. Mass-market brands with loose pricing controls drop the most; premium names that protect their margins barely budge. Here is how the major categories behave during clearance, with the specific brands worth watching.
Gas grills
Gas is the most heavily stocked and most heavily discounted category. Char-Broil, Nexgrill, and other value brands routinely hit 30 to 50 percent off in September. Weber is the exception: its Genesis and Spirit lines are the gold standard, but the company enforces minimum pricing, so even a great Weber deal is only 10 to 25 percent off. If you want a Weber, Labor Day is usually as good as it gets. Shop the broader gas grill category when clearance opens and act fast on the model you want.
Mid-Range Gas Grill (3-Burner)
A 3-burner propane grill hits the value sweet spot in September clearance. Look for stainless burners, a side burner, and enough cooking area for a family.
Charcoal grills
Charcoal is a smaller-ticket, year-round item, so the discounts are shallower in absolute dollars even when the percentage looks good. The Weber 22-inch kettle is the benchmark and holds its price well; a $20 to $40 drop is a solid clearance result. Budget kettles and barrel grills fall further. Browse charcoal grill options if you want a simple, durable cooker that will still be worth buying at a modest markdown.
Pellet grills
Pellet grills and smokers see aggressive clearance because they are expensive, bulky, and heavily promoted. Traeger discounts more than Weber but less than budget lines; Pit Boss and Z Grills routinely undercut on price and go deeper in September. A pellet grill is one of the best clearance targets precisely because the dollar savings on a $600 unit are substantial. Compare pellet grill models and watch for Labor Day bundle deals that toss in a cover or a bag of pellets.
Pellet Grill & Smoker
Set-and-forget pellet grills deliver the biggest absolute discounts in fall clearance. Prioritize a reliable auger, a wide temp range, and a solid warranty over gimmicks.
Kamado grills
Ceramic kamados are the outlier. The Big Green Egg is famous for almost never being discounted; the brand controls dealers tightly and demand stays steady, so clearance barely touches it. Competing kamados from Kamado Joe or budget ceramic brands discount a bit more, but if a rock- bottom price is your goal, a kamado is the wrong category to chase on clearance. Consider a kamado grill only if you specifically want ceramic cooking and can accept a modest saving.
Ready to start comparing live prices across brands?
See current grill deals on Amazon
Where to buy for the best grill clearance
The retailer matters as much as the timing. Home improvement chains carry the deepest seasonal inventory, which means the most pressure to clear it and the best end-of-season prices.
Home Depot and Lowe’s are the heavyweights. Both dedicate huge floor space to grills in spring and need it back by fall, so their September markdowns are typically the steepest, especially on assembled floor models and last-season stock. Check the clearance endcaps and ask an associate about display units.
Amazon runs its own promotions and price-matches aggressively, which makes it the best tool for comparison shopping even if you ultimately buy in a store. Watch for lightning deals during Labor Day and Prime events.
Ace Hardware is worth a look if you value service: many locations assemble grills for free and deliver locally, which offsets a slightly higher sticker on premium brands like Weber and Big Green Egg.
Costco sells grills in bulk-friendly bundles that often include a cover and accessories, and its post-summer markdowns can be excellent, though selection is limited to whatever it stocked that season.
Ask about the floor model
When NOT to buy a grill
Timing works both ways. The worst stretch to shop runs from March through June. This is peak demand: new models have just landed, retailers have no reason to discount, and you are competing with every other backyard cook in the country. Prices are at their annual high, and the “Memorial Day sale” or “Father’s Day promo” you see is usually a modest 10 to 20 percent, not real clearance.
The one exception is genuine urgency. If your old grill dies on July 3rd and you are hosting a party, buy what you need. But if you can be patient, every week you wait from July into September works in your favor. The same seasonal discipline applies across the outdoor category, which is why our guide to when camping gear goes on sale recommends the identical end-of-season strategy for tents and sleeping bags.
Do not fall for the spring price bump
The verdict
So, when do grills go on clearance? The markdowns start right after July 4th, gather momentum through Labor Day, and bottom out in September as stores dump seasonal stock at 30 to 50 percent off. If you want the best balance of price and selection, buy over Labor Day weekend. If you care only about the lowest possible price and can live with slim pickings, wait for late-September end-of-season clearance. Whatever you do, avoid the March-through-June peak, keep premium-brand expectations realistic (a 10 to 25 percent Weber discount is a win), and treat Black Friday as a backup rather than a clearance event. Time it well and you can save hundreds on the exact grill you wanted.
For more on stretching your outdoor budget, see our end-of-summer gear clearance roundup, the 2026 Labor Day outdoor gear sales breakdown, and our companion guide to when camping gear goes on sale.