But if you want something built-in to your landscape, a focal point for your outdoor living room, something to surround with patio furniture or adirondack chairs, then you need to do a little more planning.

Building A Fire Pit Step By Step

The first thing you need to do is select the proper location.  Once you have the ideal location in mind, stop and check with the local zoning regulators to ensure there are no codes that would prevent you from moving forward in that location. 

They may hit you up for a fee of some sort, so be prepared.  But its good to check because there may be a restriction on how close you can place a fire pit to your home or out-building, so better to check in with them than to have them tell you to remove it once it’s installed.

Designing Firepits

Most firepits are round, however, that doesn’t mean you need to stick to the norm.  Think outside of the box a little, what works best for your patio, what can you set that beautiful new teak patio furniture around? 

Think about width across and height.  Will you be in low chairs such as adirondack chairs or deep seating patio furniture chairs? Height could be a factor.  Width across the firepit is important as well. 

When calculating, consider the materials you are going to use to encase your outdoor firepit also, as the dimensions of those materials will need to be factored into your overall site plan as well.

Outdoor Firepits and Materials

Clay bricks, concrete pavers, and rocks all make great choices for the wall of the firepit.  Once you decide on the material, you will need to dig out the appropriate area, including footprint needed for the material.  Go an extra 6-8 inches to allow for room to add an aggregate to be used as a foundation.  Best aggregates to use are those that can be compacted to create a firm and stable base to set the firepit walls on. 

Building the firepit walls is the easy part.  Concrete pavers are generally pretty uniform in shape and will stack on top of each other pretty well.  Some manufacturers even make curved pavers that will make creating a round firepit a breeze. 

Clay bricks will stack pretty well also and the look will have a little more character.  Stacking stones takes more patience, as you will need to be careful to keep the layers level as you move upward. 

General height guidelines are roughly 12-16” high, but that will vary depending of the overall design you’ve come up with in your planning stage.

Drop-In Copper Firepit bowls

One way to create the inside of the firepit is to purchase a hand-hammered copper firepit, bowl and set it into the pit.  There are a lot of great resources online to find firepits and most of those sites will be able to sell you a drop in bowl for your homemade firepit.

If you do decide to have a drop in bowl, make sure you get the dimensions of the unit you will drop in prior to building your walls, so that the outer ring or lip of the drop in bowl can sit on the ledge of the wall.  Best case is also to have the bottom of the bowl rest on the ground as well, but it is not always necessary.  Check with the manufacturer just to be sure.

Other ideas for the bottom of the pit are sand, gravel, pavers, bricks or just the dirt itself.  Whatever you choose, make sure you figure the depth of the product into the overall design.  Good Luck.

Do you have a physically large space or a small one? Are you considering a Fire Pit for ambiance, warmth, or for a multi-purpose solution – like a fire and a grill or a fire table? Do you want a personal Fire Pit for indoor use? Do you like metal, ceramic, stone, or glass? Do you want a portable unit? What type of fuel do you want to use?

Evaluate the location itself and determine what size (diameter) best fits your location, fuel type, requirements, and seasonal usage. Other considerations include:

How large of an area can your Fire Pit occupy?

Evaluate the dimensions of the Fire Pit and your physical space. The primary measurement is the width – so look at your space and see if the width of the unit will accommodate your selected location.

If you have trouble visualizing space, get a piece of newspaper, measure a circle or square based on the diameter of the unit you are considering, cut it out and place the newspaper in your location.

Once you’ve figured out the width, then evaluate the height. Fire Pits have a wide array of heights – ranging form short portable units to Pagodas.
Look at your space and determine if the height is appropriate.

Additionally, don’t forget to look at the base – FirePits have a variety of base designs and you should make sure you like the base too.

Styles and sizes:

Table Top Fire Pit: The fire pit resides in the center and a table encircles the firepit. This style encourages everyone to gather around the fire, possibly cook dinner (based on the model) and enjoy the ambiance. The tables often have a tiled mosaic pattern, and the Fire Pit can be fueled by gas, gel or wood.

Pagoda Style Fire Pits are generally taller and more elaborately designed. Many double as a grill.

Chimenea’s are an increasingly popular portable outdoor fireplace. They were traditionally constructed from terra-cotta but can now be found in assorted finishes including steel, iron and copper. Chimenea’s were typically used to burn wood but an ever increasing number are equipped with gas.

Do you have a material preference?

FirePits come in a wide variety of materials – look at your outdoor space and determine which style suits your location. Evaluate your flooring and make sure it will be safe for your FirePit. If not, you may need to purchase a Fire Mat and … we always suggest keeping a hose on hand. Fire Pits are made in many materials including copper, iron, steel, aluminum – natural stone, manufactured stone, and ceramic.

Does it need to provide heating?

If your Fire Pit needs to provide heating then Gels many not be the best choice. Gels will often crackle and pop, but the heat they provide is not as significant as wood or gas.

Do you need to be able to move the Fire Pit?

Some Fire Pits are portable while others are a little more cumbersome. If you are looking for a portable Fire Pit to take camping or tailgating, a portable fire pit may be perfect. Additionally, if you like to be able to rearrange your outdoor space regularly a FirePit weighing a few hundred pounds may be a little cumbersome.

Do you need to have LP Gas, Natural Gas, Gel, or Wood?

In regards to Gas, LP or Natural Gas are both options. Gel will snap, crackle and pop, but you need to purchase the Gels separately. Gels come in a canister, and we suggest carefully stirring each container (unless the box states otherwise) to ensure the mixture is evenly dispersed.

NOTE: Some Gels may not fit other Gel units. With wood, well, wood is pretty easy as long as it is easy to procure. With any FirePit we suggest using a screen for safety.

Would you like to be able to cook on your Fire Pit?

If you would like to have your Fire Pit double as a grill , there are a number of available models for you to select from. Some look like a grill, and others are quite stylistic in shape.

Price

Prices can range from $60.00 to over $3,000.00 for more of a Customized Fire Pit. For the upper end Fire Pit, they are usually made to order – so be sure to understand there is a waiting period of usually at least 40 days from the day the order is placed until delivery.

Safety and Other Concerns

* Place your unit on stable ground.
* Keep a hose or fire extinguisher nearby in case of an emergency.
* Be aware of your local fire ordinances – some local governments will not allow a Fire Pit in certain locations.

Others have specific installation requirements and it is your responsibility to ensure your unit meets these specifications.

* Use your screen to contain sparks.
* Look at your flooring – if you have wood – or wood nearby – be careful.

Consider purchasing a fire mat and spark screen. Chimeneas must be “cured” before use to insure longevity and safe burning.

* Children – don’t forget, the fire pits are hot.
* This list is by no means complete, and we are not responsible for any accidents.

I hope this was helpful. Please let me know what else we can add to make this even more useful. Thanks!