Outdoor Fireplace Ideas: Finding the One That Works For You

Who can resist hanging out by the fire? But when it comes to choosing the perfect outdoor fireplace, you’re probably overwhelmed with choices. Here are our tips for finding the outdoor fireplace that works for you.

You’ve just updated your outdoor living space but it’s missing something. It’s missing the perfect fire feature, but maybe you don’t know where to start. With so many awesome options out there, it’s not easy to choose “the one.” Let’s cover some of the best outdoor fireplace kits, gas burning outdoor fireplaces, and wood burning outdoor fireplaces on the market today.

What Kind Of Outdoor Fireplace Is Best?

The best outdoor fireplace depends on your design aesthetic. Sure; but, it also depends on how you’re going to feel when you’re around that fireplace.

Do rustic outdoor fireplaces with large stones and heavy timbers remind you of lazy summers at summer camp?

Do you want to invite people over for a cocktail party set among the minimalist lines of a sleek modern design?

Do you remember Grandma when you’re enjoying a fire surrounded by the familiar comfort of brick?

Do you relax immediately when you’re in a Tuscan-style limestone patio where the fireplace is not only a source of warmth but doubles as a wood-fired pizza oven?

Emotion is a big part of a fireside experience. If you see a picture of a fireplace, let your instincts guide you.

Custom, Kit, or Semi-Custom?

Going full custom is the best way to get exactly what you want. Size, style, fun features… there’s no beating custom. Add a water feature, sconces, integrated light fixtures, wood storage, custom hearths and mantels, stone inlays, or a wood-fired pizza oven chamber and you’ve got the outdoor fireplace that ticks every single box.

Kit fireplaces are surprisingly awesome because their designers have identified what’s popular (and what works) for most people. If you want it fast, and you don’t need any special features or flourishes, kits can be the way to go.

Semi-custom is where you take a kit fireplace, and have your masonry contractor jazz it up for you. Add a seat wall to create a clutter-free fireside space when you have people over. Change out the hearth and make it generous enough to sit on without melting your polar fleece. Integrate light fixtures. You get the picture: starting with a kit is great, but a talented contractor can make it look completely custom.

FireRock makes two excellent masonry outdoor fireplace kits: the Conventional and the Arched Front. The Outdoor Conventional Fireplace would be an excellent choice for modern landscapes and homes while the Outdoor Arched Front Fireplace would work well in many traditional settings.

What Type of Outdoor Fireplace Is Best?

Along with how you want to feel in your fireside space, what do you want to do there? Is your outdoor fireplace for warmth and ambience, cooking, or both?

If you’re a pizza aficionado, consider a fireplace with a separate chamber where you can whip up the most delicious pizzas. Will you ever go inside again? We’re not sure!

Next, what fuel do you want to use? Firewood or natural gas?

There is no perfect fuel: with wood you get a delightful aroma and authentic wood crackle, and it’s a fun experience for those who love to tend a fire. On the downside, wood-fueled fireplaces produce smoke and ash, and there’s always the chore of getting, storing, and carrying firewood.

With natural gas, you get consistent flames, greater safety (it can be turned off with the flip of a switch), no smoke or ash. However, gas won’t generate as much warmth, and you’ll miss out on the authenticity of a crackling wood fire. If your patio is already in place, it’ll be more challenging to run a gas line (but where there’s a will, there’s a way).

Once you have made decisions about these variables, your outdoor fireplace will start to come into view.

How Do I Choose An Outdoor Fireplace?

For some, choosing a custom fireplace is the only way to go for a unique space and the opportunity for creative expression. 

Or, you could choose a simpler and more affordable outdoor fireplace that won’t break the bank and will give you the fireplace feel. The unique Sunnydaze Santa Fe Steel Chimenea is just under $300 is an incredible option. A gorgeous rusted steel structure with an open front enables easy wood burning and a great addition to your outdoor living space. The sleek style works with modern design themes, and the rusted patina complements more rustic spaces too.

How Do I Choose An Outdoor Gas Fireplace?

We’ve touched on style, fuel, and function. So how do you make the final decision? Take a look around. Let your home and landscape add their voices to the decision.

An outdoor fireplace is a very large structure compared to other landscape elements; but its size and shape should be proportional to the home as well as the space it occupies. A short, broad outdoor fireplace would pair better with a ranch style mid-century modern home than a tall, narrow fireplace. And a tall fireplace would echo the height of a large two story estate home with a walk-out lower level.

Once you have decided on the right size and shape to echo the size and shape of your home, choose materials that will complement your outdoor living space.

An outdoor fireplace could be designed to blend in seamlessly. Your paver manufacturer will have blocks suitable for an integrated fire feature.

Or, you can go bold. To make a dramatic impact, choose materials that make your outdoor fireplace stand out as a statement piece.

What Is A Good Size For An Outdoor Fireplace?

We’ve touched on how your outdoor fireplace should complement the size and shape of the home. That’s step one for dictating its size. 

Step two is considering the available space. Many new-build backyards are teeny compared to older homes, which means careful choice and positioning of key elements.

But don’t underdo it!

A small patio does not necessarily mean a small fire feature! Sometimes, big and chunky is the way to go to add presence, especially if the size of the home suggests a bigger fireplace.

The key to fitting a larger fireplace into a small space is location, location, location. Place it in the corner of the patio to visually reduce its bulk and give you a cozy nook to relax in. 

Outdoor fireplaces can be as small as three feet wide by two feet deep, and four feet tall. They can also be as massive as fifteen feet wide, four feet deep, and fifteen feet high. Keep these basic dimensions in mind when choosing the right size of fireplace for your space.

Is It Expensive To Build An Outdoor Fireplace?

It sure can be, if you want to go full custom or add custom embellishments! However, most homeowners find that they can keep the cost of an outdoor fireplace down by employing a few tactics.

Kit fireplaces are less expensive than ground-up builds, but the kit approach limits your design choices.

A wood fireplace will always be a less expensive option than a natural gas one because you won’t have the expense of running a gas line, especially if a patio is already in place

Immediate cost aside, it’s important to look into the future. An outdoor fireplace is an investment into your outdoor lifestyle. A bigger upfront investment can mean getting the fireplace that you’ll be happy to look at every day, versus one that you’ll want to upgrade in a couple of years.

What Is The Average Cost Of An Outdoor Fireplace?

The average cost of an outdoor fireplace according to HomeAdvisor is $3,000. However, this is not accurate in our experience. Most full-size outdoor fireplaces fall within the range of $7,000 to $18,000, but the most intricate or luxurious ones can easily exceed $20,000. Whenever you build an outdoor fireplace, factors like size, design, materials, custom touches, and even fuel type affect the cost. For these reasons, working with a landscape professional is most always the path to getting something really beautiful and functional for your outdoor living space.

Can I Install An Outdoor Fireplace?

In some cases, yes. A handy and intrepid homeowner with a strong back can build an outdoor fireplace themselves using a fireplace kit. There are limitations, however. 

Outdoor Fireplace Kit by Unilock. Photo courtesy of Unilock.

If you want a gas fireplace, hire a pro. Running a gas line should always be done by a professional. There are just too many consequences of a poorly installed gas line. 

And, masonry fireplaces are very heavy so it’s a good idea to work with a professional who will ensure the fireplace is built on a proper foundation and using good masonry practices.

For the middle ground, choose a kit. There’s one company in particular that is known to deliver some of the very best masonry materials around the world: Unilock. Along with high quality pavers and wall units, Unilock also sells a gorgeous prefabricated outdoor fireplace called the Tuscany Pre-Built Fireplace. This elegant and timeless unit comes complete with everything you need to warm up the night.

Outdoor Fireplace Kit by Cambridge Pavers.

There are several DIY outdoor paver fireplace assembly packages available from Cambridge Pavers that follow a range of incredible design styles and make the process of building an outdoor fireplace simpler. Again, always work with a pro. 

For DIY homeowners, we recommend choosing smaller, freestanding units such a fire bowl or trough unit. Most times these will be gas, so you’ll need to hire a licensed professional to run the hook-up and your good to go.

Brick outdoor fireplace | Outdoor living ideas | Fire features and fire pits

How Do I Build An Outdoor Brick Fireplace?

The answer here is quite simple…unless you are a licensed contractor, you don’t! You hire a professional who specializes in masonry and outdoor living design and installation. Brick fireplaces require advanced masonry skills—yes, it’s a real trade that requires years of education and practice. Hire a professional with great reviews and extensive work that relates to your project. The all-in cost for your brick outdoor fireplace will typically run between $10,000 and $20,000, depending on size, location in your property, and where you are in the country.

How Much Is A Prefab Outdoor Fireplace?

The cost of a prefab outdoor fireplace will run about $2,000-$9,000 for the kit itself; this does not include labor to install the fireplace.

Necessories is a company known for putting together outdoor living kits and they have released four amazing outdoor fireplace kits. Starting at just over $2,900, you can choose from the Colonial or the Compact. Going up to $5,500 and $8,900 are the Victorian and the Grand outdoor fireplaces.

How Much Is A Wood Burning Fireplace?

BELLACOR® Weathered Steel Modern Outdoor Fireplace.

There are so many fantastic wood-burning fireplace options on the market—which way to go simply depends on size limitations and budget. For a custom wood-burning outdoor fireplace, you’ll work with a masonry or landscape contractor, and the cost will start at around $10,000. But there are also attractive and affordable standalone units such as the BELLACOR® Weathered Steel Modern Outdoor Fireplace.

Do You Need A Chimney For An Outdoor Fireplace?

To some extent, the need for a chimney depends on which fuel you’re using. A wood burning outdoor fireplace needs a chimney for proper ventilation of smoke from the fire. A chimney will disperse the smoke high enough and away from anyone seated around the fireplace or on the patio.

A gas or propane burning outdoor fireplace will still need some ventilation, but it doesn’t need to be the same size as a wood burning chimney.

Don’t forget that chimneys can be one of the most attractive features of your outdoor living space!

Do You Need Fire Brick For An Outdoor Fireplace?

For safety’s sake, yes. Always use fire brick and not stone or brick that isn’t fire-rated. Fire brick is also known as refractory brick. It’s used as the masonry layer on the innermost chamber of an outdoor fireplace. Fire brick will help to protect the support structure and outer layers of the outdoor fireplace from the intense heat within. What’s on the outside - stone veneer for example - doesn’t have to be fire-rated, but the fire chamber itself has to be.

How Do I Hire A Professional To Build My Outdoor Fireplace?

When it comes to a large structure such as an outdoor fireplace, you’ll want to work with an experienced masonry professional. If your outdoor fireplace is natural gas, you’ll want that professional to be experienced in running a gas line.

Start with an internet search of masonry contractors if you don’t have references. Be sure to check out their previous work before signing on the dotted line, to make sure their experience, style, and craftsmanship are aligned with your needs and aesthetics.

Do You Need a Building Permit For An Outdoor Fireplace?

The vast majority of outdoor fireplaces do not need any planning permission. Of course there’s the common sense of not bothering your neighbors so you want to make sure that your chimney won’t direct smoke into someone’s kitchen window.

There are a few conditions that should be met to avoid problems with the authorities. Smoke needs to be clear of any public road where it can impede visibility of drivers. The only burnable materials can be what you’d typically find in a fire: wood, charcoal, natural gas, etc. This means no plastic, paint, or anything else that could create noxious fumes that could endanger public health.