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Fire Pits

Cheap DIY Fire Pit: Four Builds and What Each Really Costs

A block fire pit costs under a hundred and lasts years if the base and the liner are right. Four builds compared, plus the clearances that keep it legal.

By Zakaria 4 min read Save to Pinterest — opens Pinterest in a new tab
Logs burning in a square built fire pit at night, flames and glowing embers at the base
Photo: royharryman, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay
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A fire pit is one of the few garden projects where the cheap version is genuinely as good as the expensive one — as long as the base is compacted and the inside is lined.

The four builds

Cheap fire pit builds compared
BuildMaterials costTimeLifespan
Dry-laid block ringLowest–lowAn afternoonYears. The default
Sunken pit + steel ringLowestA morningYears
Steel bowl on a stone padLowAn hour3–8 yrs, bowl rusts
Mortared stone or brickMid–highA weekend+Decades

Build one: the dry-laid block ring

The one most people want, and the cheapest that looks built rather than improvised.

  1. Mark the circle. A stake and a string as a compass. About 36 to 44 inches inside diameter is the usual range
  2. Dig out 6 to 8 inches across the whole circle plus a few inches beyond the ring
  3. Fill with 4 to 6 inches of crushed stone, compacted in two layers with a hand tamper
  4. Level a thin sand or paver-base layer on top and screed it flat. Check with a level in several directions — this is the step that decides whether the finished ring looks right
  5. Lay the first course of blocks dry, butted tight. Trapezoidal retaining wall blocks make a circle without cutting
  6. Second and third courses, staggering the joints so no vertical line runs through
  7. Line the inside with fire brick set on edge, or drop in a steel campfire ring
  8. Backfill the base with crushed stone, lava rock or sand

No mortar. A dry ring tolerates the movement that heat and frost cause; a mortared ring cracks unless it is built properly on a footing.

Build two: the sunken pit

Cheaper still, and the least visually intrusive.

  • Dig a bowl 12 to 18 inches deep and about 36 across
  • Crushed stone base, 4 inches, compacted
  • Drop in a steel campfire ring, or line the sides with fire brick
  • Edge at ground level with a single course of blocks or stone so the mower can pass
  • Drainage matters more than in a raised pit — a sunken pit without a stone base becomes a pond

What goes in the bottom

  • Crushed stone or gravel, 4 to 6 inches, angular
  • Lava rock or sand as alternatives
  • Never pea gravel or river rock. Rounded stone that has absorbed water can crack and occasionally burst when heated
  • Never concrete as a slab base poured tight under the fire — trapped moisture spalls it

Ordinary blocks and pavers are not rated for direct flame

Concrete blocks and pavers hold moisture. Heated repeatedly, they spall — flaking, cracking, and occasionally throwing a fragment with force.

Line the inside with fire brick or a steel ring, or buy blocks specifically sold as fire pit rated. This is a few pounds on a build that is already cheap, and it is the difference between a pit that lasts years and one that is crumbling by the second summer.

Clearances and rules

  • 10 feet minimum from the house, fences, sheds, hedges and anything combustible. More in a small garden
  • Nothing overhead. No tree canopy, no pergola, no covered patio
  • Check local fire code before building. Many set their own minimum distance, a maximum pit size, and whether open burning is permitted at all
  • Burn bans apply in dry spells in many regions
  • Not on a wooden deck. Not directly on ordinary paving either — heat cracks slabs
  • Keep a hose or a bucket of water within reach, and let ash cool fully before clearing

Cost, honestly

For the block ring, in most places:

  • About 30 retaining wall blocks — the largest line
  • Three or four bags of crushed stone
  • A bag of sand or paver base
  • Fire brick ring or steel insert

That totals under a hundred in materials in most markets, against two to three times that for the bought equivalent. The sunken pit with a steel ring costs less again.

Mistakes

  • Skipping the compacted base. The ring goes out of level in the first winter and never looks right again
  • No liner, then spalled blocks by year two
  • River rock in the base
  • Mortaring a ring with no footing, which cracks
  • Building under a tree — the most common clearance failure
  • Building before checking whether open burning is allowed where you live

Common questions

How do I build a cheap fire pit?

Dig and compact a base, lay a ring of retaining wall blocks dry — no mortar — and line the inside with fire brick or a steel ring. A three-course ring of about 30 blocks, a few bags of crushed stone and a liner comes in well under a hundred in most places and takes an afternoon. The two things worth not skimping on are the compacted base, which stops the ring going out of level, and the liner, which stops ordinary blocks spalling.

Do I need fire brick in a fire pit?

Something heat-resistant between the fire and ordinary blocks, yes. Standard concrete blocks and pavers contain moisture, and repeated heating can make them spall — flake or crack, and occasionally pop a fragment off with force. A fire brick lining, a steel campfire ring or a steel insert solves it. Blocks specifically sold as fire pit blocks are rated for it; ordinary wall blocks are not.

What goes in the bottom of a fire pit?

Four to six inches of crushed stone or gravel, over soil that has been dug out and compacted. It lets rain drain rather than pooling, and it keeps the fire off wet ground. Do not use pea gravel or river rock in the base — rounded stone that has absorbed water can crack and occasionally burst when heated. Angular crushed stone, lava rock or sand are the safe choices.

How far should a fire pit be from the house?

At least ten feet from the house, fence, shed, overhanging branches and anything combustible, and more is better in a small garden. Many local fire codes set their own minimum and some set larger, so check before building — rules also commonly cover maximum pit size, whether open burning is allowed at all, and burn bans during dry spells. Never site one under a pergola, a covered patio or a tree canopy.

Can I build a fire pit on a patio or deck?

Not directly on a wooden deck, and not on ordinary paving without protection. Heat cracks pavers and can ignite a deck through conducted heat, even from a pit with legs. On a deck, use a purpose-made fire pit on a heat shield rated for it, or do not. On paving, a layer of sand and fire brick under a built pit, or a raised bowl on a heat-resistant pad, keeps the heat off the slabs.

How much does a DIY fire pit cost?

A dry-laid block ring with a liner typically runs under a hundred in materials — roughly 30 blocks, three or four bags of crushed stone and a fire brick ring or steel insert. A sunken pit with a steel ring costs less again if you already have the spoil to deal with. A stone or brick pit with mortar runs into several hundred and needs more skill. The bought equivalent of the block ring is usually two to three times the materials cost.

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