Nothing beats a cool night spent in the back yard gathered around a fire with family and friends. Having a fire pit in your back yard is a great way to keep warm and keep away unwanted insects like mosquitos or flies. Whether you are buying a pre-made fire pit kit, having one built, or doing it yourself, there are a few key installation and safety items to keep in mind.
The most common question we get asked before installation is: How far does a fire pit need to be from the house? As a general rule of thumb, a fire pit needs to be at least ten feet. This will give enough distance for any potential flame or combustible material coming out of the fire to cool down before reaching your house or any other nearby structure. Keeping this in mind will help you select the location and design of your fire pit. We’ll get into more of that below.
Choosing a Location for your Fire Pit
Choosing the perfect spot for your fire pit comes down to a few key questions: What type of Fire Pit are you going to purchase or build? Where do you gather in the back yard most? and Where is the safest location?
An ideal fire pit location will be one that provides a natural gathering area, with some sort of non-flammable surface (Not Grass!). If you have a concrete or brick patio that should work perfect as long as you can maintain the flame at least ten feet from your house, your neighbors house, or any other flammable overhangs like trees or wood fences. While stone patio surfaces work great, do not put the fire pit on a wood deck. Even if the deck is sealed with a water and flame resistant stain, it is still never a good idea to have an open flame that close to a wood structure.
If you don’t have the luxury of a pre-made stone surface and don’t plan to build one, clearing an area to lay down gravel or even just keep as dirt can provide a great, cost effective alternative. There are tons of ways to “dress-up” the area with rock or other landscaping designs that won’t break the bank. This is a great option for a portable, wood-burning fire pit. Here are some examples below.
To Buy or to Build? – Types of Fire Pits
Depending on the type of fire pit you’re looking to install, you may be looking to add to an already popular back yard gathering spot i.e. the barbeque, a patio table, etc. or you may be looking to build a new seating area that focuses on the fire. Obviously, different types of fire pits will range in price with portable pits being the least expensive and permanent options being the more expensive. Depending on the design you are going for you can reasonably build a fire pit and seating area for $200-$300 on the low end up to $5,000-$10,000 on the higher end. For the purpose of this article, we’ll focus on the less expensive options but have included some examples of both portable and permanent fire pits. See below for some examples of popular fire pits that are either premade or were built.
Hampton Bay Tipton 34″ Steel Deep Bowl Fire Pit
This Hampton Bay “Tipton” Fire pit is a very popular choice that can be easily added to an existing seating area and requires little to no installation work. While this fire pit is wood burning and will require the additional purchase of fire wood whenever you want to use it, it is light weight and can be easily moved to different locations in your yard or can even be taken camping. This can be found at numerous hardware stores and should only run you about $140. Feel free to click the link below to check the current amazon price.
Sun Joe Round Cast Stone Fire Pit
This Stone fire pit is a great in-between option between permanent and portable. While it is stone construction and is much heavier than are steel option, it is portable and uses fire wood instead of propane or gas so there is no need to have a hook up line installed.
AOE 42″ x 42″ Outdoor Propane Gas Fire Pit Table
This is a beautiful example of a more permanent fire pit option. It is propane powered and comes complete with decorative fire glass to add a splash of color. While it is on the more expensive end and will require a hook-up to propane, this pit provides a luxurious, modern look to your back yard and requires minimal upkeep or on-going expense i.e. you won’t be going to the store for fire wood every time you want to enjoy your outdoor fire.
Final Thoughts
There is no question as to why fire pits are such a wildly popular outdoor design feature – they keep you warm, allow a place to sit with family and friends, and can spice up the aesthetic of any back yard. We hope this guide has given some fresh ideas and inspiration as to how you can add a fire pit to your back yard without breaking the bank.
If we missed anything or have a question about a specific product or home improvement project, please don’t hesitate to reach out and we can add it as an article on our website. Thanks! Happy DIY’ing!
For more summer back yard ideas (like how to create the perfect shaded patio area) check out some of our other articles below.