I love easy home DIY projects especially when they don’t require spending money. This DIY fire pit with pavers was completed in about an hour with left over material that we had on hand. Score! Let me show you how to build your own concrete paver fire pit.
Before I get started, I want to disclose that this is probably one of the easiest ways to build a fire pit. Does that mean it’s the only way or the best way? No. This tutorial is how we built a fire pit in about an hour with concrete pavers from Home Depot that we already had on hand. Now that you know that, here we go….
I’m no stranger to repurposing old concrete pavers. As a matter of fact, in our previous home (builder grade turned modern farmhouse), we took similar concrete pavers from the front flower beds and used them to dress up the existing fire pit with pea gravel and pavers.
See how we created a large fire pit ring around the existing fire pit with stone pavers? Wait until you see the finished product.
Speaking of repurposing concrete pavers, we did something similar in our current house (rustic beach cottage) when I created a DIY outdoor table to hide the grinder pump well.
This was a fun project. As a matter of fact, I’m going to use the same principals I used to build this DIY outdoor table for our own fire pit. Let’s be honest, it kind of looks like a fire pit with a wood top, right?
Let me show you where we are going to put the fire pit. Don’t feel that you need to run out and look for a fire pit kit. You might have all the supplies on hand like we did!
One of the selling points to this home was all the beautiful live oak trees.
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Create a DIY Fire Pit with Pavers: A Step-by-Step Guide
When it comes to building a fire pit with pavers, there are a few key things to keep in mind. First step, safety should always be your top priority. Make sure to choose a location for your fire pit that is away from any flammable materials and that provides ample space for people to gather around. Also, you’ll want to select pavers that are durable and heat-resistant.
Choosing the Location
Assess the Space
You need to think about a few things before setting a fire pit location. The area should be clear of any flammable materials, such as overhanging branches, dry grass, or leaves. The fire pit should also be situated away from any structures, such as sheds, houses, or trees, to reduce the risk of fire spreading.
The size of the fire pit should be determined based on the available space. It is recommended to have at least a 10-foot clearance around the fire pit. This will ensure that there is enough space to move around the fire pit safely.
You can see we did choose a “wooded” area to put our fire pit. Ideally, you want to choose an area away from trees. That being said, we made sure the tree overhang was still high enough to not be a worry.
What about Embers that might become airborne? That is always a worry so we NEVER leave our fire unattended. We also live in a coastal town where we see LOTS of rain and moisture.
Check the Rules and Regulations
It is important to check the local building codes, rules and regulations before building a fire pit. Some areas may have specific requirements for the location and construction of fire pits. For example, some cities may require a permit for building a wood-burning fire pit, while others may prohibit them altogether.
Preparing the Area
Before starting the construction of a fire pit with pavers, it is important to prepare the area properly. This will ensure that the fire pit is safe, stable, and long-lasting. The following are the steps to prepare the area for a fire pit with pavers:
Gather the Tools and Materials
To prepare the area for a fire pit with pavers, the following tools and right materials are required:
- Pavers
- Polymeric Sand – if needed
- layer of Gravel
- Lava Rocks
- Shovel
- Tape measure
- Level
- String
- Stakes
- Rubber mallet
- Construction adhesive
Remove the Grass and Soil
Once the area has been marked and the area is on level surface, the next step is to remove the grass and soil from the area. Use a shovel to remove the grass and soil to a depth of about 6 inches. Level the area using a rake.
After removing the grass and soil, some folks recommend placing a layer of landscape fabric over the area. This will help to prevent weeds from growing under the fire pit. That being said, other professionals do not recommend it as they say it’s not necessary when preparing the base with a good layer of compacted gravel and sand.
We did not put a weed barrier down because honestly, we have trouble getting anything to grow on our soil much less weeds!
How to build a concrete paver fire pit
After you’ve chosen your fire pit design and removed the grass or soil, grab a string (or rope) and tie it to a straight object (pencil, stick, spray paint can).
Determine the circumference of your fire pit and divide that number in half.
Measure the string to that dimension. You need two people; one to hold the end of the string in the middle of the fire pit and one to hold the straight object to create your circle.
With one person holding the string line in middle, the other person needs to hold the string taught and make a circle around the person in the middle.
Make sure to make marks in the ground. You can even tie a spray can to the end of the string and spray paint the ground. We chose to make simple dirt markings in the ground. It works!
Once you’ve got your perfectly (or almost) marked circle, start by laying the concrete blocks around it.
Since I already had the patio pavers on hand, I didn’t have to figure out how many to buy. It worked out well too because I had more than enough pavers to make a DIY stone fire pit out of.
If you squint hard enough you can see our circle in the dirt.
Spacing the bottom pavers apart is crucial to give the fire pit walls Oxygen and let the bottom of the fire pit vent.
You can see below where we left about 1-2 inches between each paver. This is very important because fire needs oxygen to survive.
Placing the last paver in the circle is the trickiest part of all of this. You might need to adjust the size of your circle to allow for the last paver. This is a “trial and error” type thing.
Once you’ve completed the first level and you’ve made a perfect circle, grab another paver and place it in the middle of two of the bottom pavers.
You can see our concrete pavers come with a centerline. This was very convenient in order to help with placement. A good idea is to use construction adhesive and place a little bit on the lower and upper pavers to secure them together.
Looking good so far!
Note; I’m going for function over perfection here. The spaces aren’t perfect. It’s not 100% level. But it looks good, it’s secure and it’s pretty darn close.
Since the pavers aren’t exactly the same size, it’s near impossible for everything to line up perfectly. If the spacing is off a little or one of the top pavers doesn’t line up perfectly with the bottom pavers, that’s ok. As long as you are pleased with the end result!
You don’t need to worry about spacing the stones on the next few layers of pavers. As long as the bottom layer of pavers has some spacing for Oxygen that should be sufficient to sustain a fire. That being said, we did space the stones on the bottom two layers for this custom fire pit.
Keep adding layers until you’ve reached the desired backyard fire pit height.
Once you’re done, take a step back and make sure everything looks ok.
Do you have to cement or glue fire pit stones together?
You don’t HAVE to glue outdoor fire pit together, but it is recommended. If you know that your fire pit will be climbed on by littles, go ahead and glue those stones together. Personally, I would use a construction adhesive like Liquid Nail Fuze It.
After grabbing some random sticks, it was time for the moment of truth.
Look at that fire! It’s been a great addition to our home. My kids couldn’t wait to make s’mores (even though it was only 1 in the afternoon).
We cleaned off the stones and added a few white pebbles around the base of the pavers. It added some nice finishing touches.
Ta Dah!
Don’t mind all the dirt. Our last outdoor project is to lay lots of sod (assuming it will grow with all the shade).
Do you recognize the chairs from our cottage style porch makeover? I think we will use them in this fire pit area for now.
We didn’t add any fancy lava rocks to the inside (like we had in our old fire pit). Since we are in quarantine I didn’t need to make an unnecessary trip anywhere.
That being said, we did add lava rock after this post was written. I would highly suggest adding lava rocks to your firepit immediately after it’s built. Lava rocks are a good option to help ensure you are evenly distributing heat within the firepit. And let’s be honest, they look great too!
I think we are going to enjoy a lot of time out here.
Edited to add; the back yard is finished! See all the before and after pictures of our full outdoor makeover.
Lindsey**
