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Bonus: They’re easy to build in an afternoon. Here’s how. Select a Site Before you even look at your yard, you need to check with local restrictions, building codes and homeowners association rules to make sure you can have a fire pit. You’ll also need to read your homeowners policy to make sure it doesn’t affect your coverage. Choose a site well away from the house and with plenty of room to sit around the fire. Clear away any plants an debris from your site.
Get Ready to Build
To make a circular pit, put a stake in the center of the site and mark out a circle where you want the pit to go. The diameter you draw out should be slightly larger than the outside dimensions of the fire pit ring you’re going to build. Clear out the sod and dirt down to a depth of about seven inches and keep the area level as you work. Pack the remaining dirt down solidly with a hand tamper.
What You’ll Need
You’ll need trapezoidal blocks, which are more narrow on one side to allow the edges to fit snugly together in a circle. The bottom of the fire pit will be crushed gravel paver base, available at your local hardware store, that’s about five inches thick. Put the gravel down and then wet it with a hose and tamp it down. Make sure the surface remains level.
Put down the first layer of blocks around the hole, checking that it remains level as you work. If you need to, add leveling sand beneath blocks to keep it straight. Assemble the next row of blocks, staggering the joints. Before you add adhesive, put in the fire bowl or ring to check the fit. Make sure the lip rests on the edge and adjust the positioning as needed. After you’ve checked to make sure it fits well, then reassemble the blocks with construction adhesive. Test fit each layer before you add adhesive.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your adhesive to determine how long it needs to cure before you can use your fire pit.