Outdoor Fireplaces & Fire Pits
The feature that turns a patio into somewhere people stay after the sun goes down.
The charm and warmth of an open fire is what keeps a backyard in use once the evening cools off — and in Southeast Michigan, it is what extends the outdoor season by a couple of months on either end.
We build fire features custom to the property, sized and finished to match the patio and the house rather than dropped on top of a finished space. Residential and commercial clients across Macomb, Oakland, and St. Clair counties.
What we build
Wood or gas
Wood burning gives you the fire people picture — the crackle, the smell, the real flame — at the cost of hauling, storing, and cleaning out ash. It suits properties with room to keep a wood stack and owners who consider the fire itself part of the evening.
Gas lights instantly, shuts off instantly, produces no ash or smoke to steer around, and can run off the same line as a grill. It needs a gas line run to the feature, which is easiest to do while the patio is being built rather than after.
Building for freeze-thaw
A fire feature is masonry sitting outside through Michigan winters, cycling between very hot and very cold. Built on an inadequate base or with the wrong materials, it cracks and separates within a few seasons.
Ours are built on a proper footing with firebrick or fire-rated components where the heat actually is, and the surrounding stone chosen to handle both the thermal cycling and the freeze-thaw. Same crews that build the patios build the fire features.
Common questions
- Do I need a permit for an outdoor fireplace?
- Sometimes — it depends on the municipality, the feature type, and whether gas is being run. Permanent fireplaces with chimneys draw more scrutiny than a simple fire pit. We identify what your project needs during the site visit.
- Can a fire pit be added to an existing patio?
- Yes, though integrating it into the paver field usually means lifting and re-setting the pavers where it lands, which is straightforward with pavers and impossible with poured concrete. Gas runs are the bigger consideration on a finished patio.
- How close can a fire feature be to the house?
- Local code sets clearances, and they differ for wood-burning versus gas. Placement also has to account for prevailing wind so smoke does not blow into the seating or the house. We work that out on site before finalizing the design.
- Can we use it in winter?
- That is much of the point. A fire feature is the reason a patio still gets used in October and March — and correctly built masonry does not mind the cold.
Get a free quote
Tell us about your property and what you need. We'll walk the site and put a written estimate in front of you — serving Macomb, Oakland, and St. Clair counties since 1993.