How to Build an Outside Firepit

Easily build a fire pit in your backyard in one weekend.

There are various designs you can use to build an outside fire pit in your backyard or at your personal campsite. You can build the pit from natural stone or use simple garden pavers. The pit is so easy to build that you can have it finished in a day or even a weekend and start enjoying the fire pit by the next day. Build your own outside fire pit and enjoy those cool summer evenings gathered around the pit roasting marshmallows and hot dogs and drinking down "a cold one".

Things You'll Need

• 2 yard stakes
• String
• Shovel
• Level
• Decorative block or garden pavers
• Masonry adhesive
• Pea stone
• Flat stones

Instructions

1. Choose a level spot to place the outdoor fire pit. Drive a stake into the middle of the spot and tie a string to it. Drag a second stake around in a circle to mark the ground where you will need to dig and further flatten out the spot. Remove both stakes once the site is marked.

2. Dig the circle out to produce a level surface for the fire pit. Use a level to check this. A small degree of unevenness is fine; large degrees off level will make the finished fire pit appear lop-sided.

3. Use pavers or blocks and place the first row of the fire pit walls directly on the ground, along the outer edges of the circle. Press the pavers or blocks closely together in the shape of the fire pit.

4. Apply masonry adhesive to the top of the first row of pavers or blocks and begin setting the next layer into place. Stagger the blocks to make the walls stronger and give the finished walls of the fire pit a more textured look; you may consider tapering the walls inward for a unique look. Continue laying rows of pavers or blocks and applying masonry adhesive until the fire pit walls are of the desired height. A 1- or 2-foot-deep pit is ideal.

5. Fill the bottom of the pit with 6-inches of pea stone and then sit several flat stones on top of the pea stone. Use the flat stones to create a smooth surface at the bottom of the pit that is easier to clean ashes from.

Tips & Warnings

• Alter the size or shape of the fire pit as necessary before building up the walls.

• Use garden pavers or blocks that taper for use in curves and circles.

References

• This Old House: How to Build a Fire Pit
• Busy Tree: Building a Fire Pit

Resources

• The Firepit and Grilling Guru: Types of Outdoor Fire Pit