Having a backyard fire pit gives you a great place to sit around with family and friends on summer nights or cooler nights. Although fire pits are sold in many stores, building your own gives you more control over how it looks. You can design your own fire pit, construct it yourself, and set it up to use right away. If you’re not sure of what kind of fire pit to build, the following ideas can get you started.
In-Ground
Fire pits can be built above ground, but they don’t have to be. You can build an in-ground fire pit for a cozier feel in your yard. Just make sure you check for underground utilities before you dig. Your in-ground fire pit should be placed in a spot that’s far enough away from your home to reduce the risk of home fires. For in-ground fire pits, you’ll also need to make sure the area you choose won’t have pooling water when it rains. You can make your in-ground fire pit as big or as small as you need it to be. You can also choose different shapes for the design, such as circular, oval or rectangular.
Custom Shape
When you’re making a DIY fire pit, you can get as creative as you want in terms of its appearance. Your fire pit can have a traditional square or circular shape, or you can choose a more unusual shape, such as triangular or octagonal, to make your fire pit stand out more. Having a custom-shaped fire pit also gives you the option to put it in an area of your yard that has an odd layout.
Ring Shape
A ring-shaped fire pit allows you and family or friends to comfortably sit on all sides for warmth. Building this shape of fire pit can create a cozy feel compared to fire pits with angular shapes. You can also get creative with a circular fire pit design, such as building a back on it on one side or stacking bricks in an unusual pattern.
Fire Pit Grill
You can combine your DIY fire pit with a grill if you want to save space in your yard. Instead of having a separate grilling station and fire pit, having both in one frees up room while also providing a convenient spot to grill hot dogs or other foods while sitting around the fire. A fire pit grill is an ideal choice if you typically enjoy spending a lot of time grilling.
About the Author
Kyung Kim
Hi, I'm Kyung Kim. I immigrated from South Korea to the United States in 1968 when I was 7 years old. I have seen my mom struggle with the English language and work hard to raise her four kids by herself. Still to this day, I don't know how she pulled it off, but she bought her first home in 1979 for $70,000 and because of that decision, she was able to live without worrying about her financial future. I want that for everyone, to feel the pride of home ownership and to build their financial wealth using real estate as part of their financial portfolio. I feel so blessed to play a small role in helping others reach this goal.
I live in Beaverton with my husband, Richard. My mom, who lived with us for several years, passed away in our home in February 2022. Her first home purchase in 1979 made it possible for her to live to the very end, without worrying about her finances. As of August 2022 with a little downpayment assistance, our four children own their own homes. Being in real estate, I quickly realized that if they didn't buy now, they may be priced out of the market in the future. Whether that would have been the case, we will never know, but what we do know is that they are all realizing some good, healthy appreciation in their home values.
As passionate as I am about people owning their homes, I'm also passionate about giving back to our community. I support Compassion First, a non-profit organization that provides aftercare for sex trafficked girls in Indonesia. My husband and I also feel called to financially support social injustice organizations.
I'd love to assist you. Whether you're in the research phase at the beginning of your real estate search or you know exactly what you're looking for, you'll benefit from having a real estate professional by your side. I'd be honored to put my real estate experience to work for you.
