A professionally installed outdoor fire pit or fire feature from Wall & Company typically costs $2,500–$9,000.
Unlike a patio or driveway, pricing a fire feature by square foot isn’t particularly useful. The final cost depends more heavily on the type of fire feature, its size, fuel source, burner system, finish materials and what’s required to install it in the surrounding hardscape.
For homeowners establishing an initial budget, $2,500–$9,000 is the Wall & Company planning range for a professionally installed fire feature.
What Affects the Cost of an Outdoor Fire Feature?
The primary variables include:
- Wood versus gas
- Size of the feature
- Burner size and BTU requirements
- Shape and design
- Brand and component selection
- Finish materials
- Existing versus new patio
- Gas-line requirements
- Site access
- Amount of custom masonry work
A simple fire pit and a custom gas fire feature may serve a similar purpose, but they can be very different projects.
Is a Wood-Burning Fire Pit Less Expensive Than Gas?
Generally, yes.
A wood-burning fire pit doesn’t require the permanent gas supply, burner, controls and associated utility work required by a built-in gas fire feature.
A gas fire feature can involve:
- Gas-line routing
- Gas-line sizing
- Shutoff location
- Burner system
- Ignition and controls
- Licensed gas installation
- Coordination with surrounding hardscape
The length and complexity of the gas run can therefore affect the total project price.
Why Does Burner Size Affect the Price?
Gas burners aren’t all the same.
A small burner for a compact round fire pit has different equipment and gas-supply requirements than a large linear burner or oversized custom fire feature.
Burner capacity is generally expressed in BTUs, and larger fire features can require significantly greater gas capacity.
Wall & Company’s price range therefore considers not only how large the finished structure is, but also the burner system required to produce the desired flame.
Does the Shape of a Fire Pit Affect Cost?
It can.
Common designs include:
- Round fire pits
- Square fire pits
- Rectangular fire features
- Linear gas fire features
- Raised fire pits
- Features integrated with seating walls
- Custom masonry designs
A straightforward manufactured system generally requires less custom cutting and masonry than an elaborate one-of-a-kind feature.
Size matters as well. Larger structures require more block, caps, stone or other finish materials and generally more labor.
What Is Under the Fire Feature?
This is an important cost consideration that’s easy to overlook.
Many outdoor fire features are installed as part of a paver patio.
If Wall & Company is constructing the patio and fire feature together, the location of the feature, supporting structure and utilities can be planned before the finished pavers are installed.
Adding a gas fire feature to an existing patio can be different. Pavers may need to be removed and reinstalled to provide access for the gas line or other utilities.
A fire feature being installed on gravel or in another unfinished portion of the landscape presents a different set of foundation requirements.
The fire feature has to be evaluated as part of the surface and landscape around it—not simply as a standalone object.
Does the Brand of Fire Feature Affect the Cost?
Yes.
Burners, ignition systems, controls and manufactured fire-feature components are available at substantially different price and quality levels.
Wall & Company works with hardscape and fire-feature systems appropriate for professionally constructed outdoor living spaces. Depending on the project, options can include systems or components from companies such as HPC Fire Inspired, Lifetime Embers and Belgard, as well as custom-built features.
The appropriate system depends on the design, fuel source, desired flame, BTU requirements and surrounding hardscape.
Do Finish Materials Affect the Price?
Yes.
The visible structure can incorporate manufactured wall block, caps, masonry and other finishes selected to complement the surrounding patio and landscape.
A straightforward block fire pit generally requires less labor than a feature incorporating extensive custom cutting, premium caps or more elaborate masonry.
The objective is usually to make the fire feature feel like it belongs in the overall outdoor living space rather than appearing to have been added later.
What About Gas Installation?
Permanent gas installation is one area where professional coordination is especially important.
The burner must receive the appropriate fuel supply. Gas-line size, routing, shutoff access and equipment specifications all need to work together.
Wall & Company’s fire-feature construction standards call for planned gas-line sizing and routing and licensed/certified gas installation for applicable gas projects.
That utility work is part of the reason a built-in gas fire feature generally costs more than a comparable wood-burning feature.
How Much Should I Budget for an Outdoor Fire Pit?
For a professionally installed Wall & Company fire feature in the Spokane area, plan approximately $2,500–$9,000.
The range encompasses meaningful differences in:
- Wood versus gas
- Feature size
- Burner capacity
- Component quality
- Gas-line installation
- Existing site conditions
- Materials
- Custom construction
More elaborate projects that combine a fire feature with a new patio, seating walls or other major hardscape elements should be budgeted as a larger outdoor-living project rather than treating the entire project as a $2,500–$9,000 fire-pit installation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a professionally installed fire pit cost in Spokane?
Wall & Company’s planning range for a professionally installed outdoor fire pit or fire feature is approximately $2,500–$9,000.
Is a gas fire pit more expensive than a wood fire pit?
Generally, yes. Gas features require a burner system and can require gas-line installation, controls, shutoffs and licensed utility work.
Can you add a gas fire pit to an existing paver patio?
Often, yes, but the existing patio and gas-line route have to be evaluated. Pavers may need to be removed and reinstalled to accommodate utility work.
What determines the size of a gas fire-pit burner?
The size and design of the feature, desired flame and available gas supply all matter. Larger burners typically have greater BTU requirements.
Can a fire feature be built at the same time as a patio?
Yes. In fact, designing them together allows the patio foundation, utility routing and fire-feature location to be coordinated before the finished surface is installed.
Are professionally installed fire features only available in round designs?
No. Fire features can be round, square, rectangular, linear, integrated into seating areas or custom designed to complement the surrounding hardscape.