Questions
Fire Pit FAQ
The twenty questions that come up most, answered short, with a link to the page that covers each one properly.
Last updated
Common questions
How far should a fire pit be from a house?
The International Fire Code puts a recreational fire — an open fire not contained in a manufactured fireplace — at 25 feet from a structure or combustible material. A manufactured portable outdoor fireplace is 15 feet, with an exception for one- and two-family dwellings. Local rules can be stricter. The full clearance table by fuel and obstruction.
Are fire pits legal in a backyard?
In most US jurisdictions, yes, subject to clearance, any burn ban in force, and any HOA covenant. Some cities require a permit for any outdoor fire. How to get a definitive answer for your address.
Does a burn ban include fire pits?
Usually for wood-burning pits, often not for certified gas appliances. Most bans target solid fuel and exempt self-contained gas appliances with a shut-off valve. What burn bans actually cover.
Are smokeless fire pits exempt from burn bans?
No. 'Smokeless' is a product description, not a regulatory category, and these pits burn wood. A restriction on solid-fuel burning covers them. Smokeless vs propane.
Do smokeless fire pits actually work?
They substantially reduce visible smoke once the chamber is hot and the wood is dry. They do not eliminate it, and they smoke during lighting and as the fire dies. The mechanism and its limits.
How much propane does a fire pit use?
A full 20 lb cylinder holds about 431,000 BTU, so a 58,000 BTU/hr pit runs roughly 7.4 hours at full output and a 30,000 BTU/hr fire table about 14.4. The arithmetic and every rating.
Which is better, a wood or propane fire pit?
Propane if a burn ban, a covered patio, an HOA or cleanup constrains you. Wood if you want the fire itself and the rules allow it. The full comparison.
Can you put a fire pit on a wood deck?
With a heat barrier, a pit on legs and a spark screen, and only if the pit's manual and your local rules permit it. A gas pit is far more defensible than a wood one because it produces no embers. What a barrier has to do.
Is a fire pit safe on composite decking?
It is the harder case, not the easier one. Composite softens and marks at temperatures below wood's ignition point, and the damage cannot be sanded out. Decks, in detail.
Can you use a fire pit under a covered patio?
Not a wood-burning one. A certified gas pit often can, subject to the manufacturer's overhead clearance — and several manuals prohibit any structure above regardless. Covered patios and screened porches.
What is the best wood to burn in a fire pit?
Well-seasoned hardwood at or below about 20% moisture — oak, ash, hickory or maple. Dryness matters more than species. Species, seasoning and the do-not-burn list.
What wood should you never burn?
Pressure-treated, painted or stained lumber, plywood and MDF, driftwood, poison ivy or oak vines, and any plastic or household rubbish. Each releases something harmful to breathe. The full list with reasons.
How do you put out a fire pit properly?
Drown it with water poured slowly, stir the whole bed so the water reaches what is underneath, and drown it again. Repeat until there is no hiss. Stirring is the step people skip. Including the without-water method.
How long does a fire pit stay hot?
Hours, and the ash bed can hold live embers into the next day. That is when most contact burns happen, because a pit with no flame does not look dangerous. Fire pits with kids and pets.
What size fire pit is allowed without a permit?
The code definition of a recreational fire is a fuel area of 3 feet or less in diameter and 2 feet or less in height. Above that it is open burning, which usually requires a permit. The definition, quoted.
Do HOAs allow fire pits?
Many do, most commonly gas only, with a size limit, a distance requirement and sometimes prior written approval. A covenant is a contract and can be stricter than local law. Reading a covenant, and how to ask.
Is stainless or corten steel better for a fire pit?
Corten in a permanent spot on gravel or grass; stainless anywhere the pit moves, sits on a finished surface, or lives in coastal air. Corten stains what it sits on, permanently. The comparison.
Are fire pit tables worth it?
For hiding the propane cylinder and gaining a surface, yes. For heat, no — the format typically costs a third to a half of the burner rating, though it roughly doubles runtime per tank. Fire pit vs fire table.
Will a fire pit damage a patio?
It can spall concrete and pavers — trapped moisture flashing to steam blows a layer off the surface. A pit on legs or a pad prevents it. Never use river rock, which can fracture forcefully. Surfaces and pads.
Do you test the fire pits you recommend?
No, and we say so on every product page. Rankings come from published specifications with every figure cited, plus arithmetic we show in full. The method, and what it cannot tell you.