Fire pit patios and outdoor fireplaces turn a backyard into a place to spend the evening. Cicarelli Contractors builds fire features into paver patios and pavilions, on the same compacted base as the patio, with gas lines run under their own permit. We also explain the Bay Area Air District's rules on burning wood outdoors.
Fire pits and outdoor fireplaces
A built-in fire pit is part of the patio, not an object set on top of it. It sits on the same compacted base, its walls are sized for the seating around it, and gas or drainage lines are placed before the pavers go down. An outdoor fireplace is a larger structure, often part of a pavilion or covered patio.
Fuel matters in the Bay Area. The Air District prohibits burning wood in outdoor fire pits and fireplaces during Spare the Air wood-burning bans, while gas-fueled devices are not subject to those bans. Many homeowners choose a gas fire pit so the patio can be used any night.
Fire features almost always go in with other work: a paver patio, seat walls, a pergola or an outdoor kitchen. Our fire features warm patios from San Francisco and Oakland to San Jose and Walnut Creek.
Six Google reviews quoted word for word about our backyard projects and crews. None mentions a fire pit by name yet. Swipe or use the arrows.
I love it
Great stuff
This Company is amazing there work is Better then I could have imagined! and there employees the nicest!
If I had another project, I wouldn't think twice and they would hire them again because they are clean people at work, flexible with hours and very professional.
The team exhibited exceptional performance, demonstrated effective communication, and displayed a commendable work ethic.
Great Job. Good communication. Hard working crew.
Outdoor living on video
We have not filmed a fire pit build yet. These clips show a Vacaville yard turned into an outdoor living space, a Walnut Creek retaining wall and the demolitions that made room for new patios.
Watch On YouTubeGas or wood
Both can be built into a patio. In the Bay Area, the Air District's burn rules often decide.
The fire pit sits on the patio base; see our paver patios page for how that base is built.
Fire pit step by step
The fire pit is planned with the patio, so lines and base go in before anything you see.
Start With A Free EstimateWe set the fire pit location, size and seating clearances on the patio plan.
Gas or wood is decided, with the Air District rules explained.
A gas line is run under its own permit before the patio is built.
The fire pit and patio share one compacted, drained base.
Walls, liner and cap are built, with the gas burner set if chosen.
Pavers go in around it, joints are filled and the area cleaned.
Fire features we have built
Fire pits and an outdoor fireplace from finished Cicarelli jobs, each built with the patio around it.
A circular paver patio built around a central fire pit.
Seating and lighting planned around the fire.
An outdoor fireplace anchoring an open pavilion and lounge.
A fire pit set beside a white pergola on the patio.
Pricing
Fire features are priced by size, fuel and the patio around them. These are the items we measure.
Diameter, wall height and cap material for a fire pit; size for a fireplace.
A gas line, burner and valve, run under a permit, or a wood-burning liner.
The paver patio and seat walls that surround the fire.
Outdoor fireplaces and pavilions add footings and framing.
The shared compacted base for the pit and patio.
Materials moved through side yards by hand or small machine.
Our backyard patio ideas guide shows fire pits in context, or send photos for a written quote. Get a written quote
Rules to know
The Bay Area Air District prohibits burning wood in outdoor fire pits, fireplaces and chimineas during Spare the Air wood-burning bans, which can be called on any day with a particulate alert. Gas-fueled devices are not subject to those bans. Installing a gas line needs its own permit.
Before trenching a gas line, USA North 811 needs two working days' notice to mark buried lines.
Fire pit answers
Gas fire pits and wood-burning ones raise the same questions: whether you can burn wood in the Bay Area, whether to build or buy, what it costs and how it fits the patio. These answers come from how we build and from the Air District's rules.
Yes, except during a Spare the Air wood-burning ban. The Air District prohibits outdoor wood-burning devices, including fire pits, fireplaces and chimineas, on ban days, which can be called whenever a particulate alert is issued. Gas-fueled devices are not subject to those bans, which is why many homeowners choose gas.
The Air District explains the rule in its wood-burning FAQ.
A freestanding fire pit bought at a store usually costs less up front. A built-in fire pit costs more but is part of the patio, sized for the seating, set on a proper base and, with gas, ready to light any night. The choice often depends on whether a patio is being built anyway.
If a new patio is planned, building the fire pit with it avoids cutting into the pavers later.
It depends on the size and design, gas or wood, the gas line run and permit, the patio and seat walls around it, and access. A simple wood-burning ring in a new patio and a gas fire pit with a seat wall are very different jobs, so the reliable figure is an itemized estimate.
We price the pit, the gas work and the patio as separate lines.
It can, with enough clearance above the flame and around it, and a gas fire pit is usually the better choice under a structure because it produces no embers. The pergola's height, the burner size and the fire pit maker's clearance requirements decide the layout.
Our pergola page covers the structure side.
| Rule | Official source |
|---|---|
| Wood-burning fire pits and fireplaces | Not allowed during Spare the Air bans (Air District FAQ) |
| Gas-fueled and electric devices | Not subject to burn bans (Air District FAQ) |
| Gas line installation | Own permit in Berkeley (city page) |
| Zoning on exempt work | May still apply in Oakland and Berkeley (Oakland) |
Summarized from the official pages linked above.
Updated · By Athalyson Bernardo, Owner of Cicarelli Contractors · CSLB #1109419
FAQ
Send photos of the patio area, whether gas is nearby and the seating you want, and we will reply with a written estimate. We answer calls Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm, and the site FAQ covers more.
Call (650) 404-7049Often, yes, if a gas line can reach it and the pit is the right size for a burner. The line is run under its own permit, and a burner and valve are fitted inside the pit. We check the existing pit and the route for the line at the estimate.
Far enough to meet the fire pit maker's clearance requirements and any local rules, with extra room from overhangs, fences and trees. Gas fire pits produce no embers and can usually sit closer than wood-burning ones. We set the location with those clearances on the plan.
A fire pit is low and open, with seating all around it. An outdoor fireplace has a firebox and chimney or tall back wall, faces one direction and is usually part of a pavilion or covered patio. Fireplaces are larger structures with more footings and framing.
No. The Air District prohibits burning wood in outdoor fireplaces, fire pits and chimineas during Spare the Air wood-burning bans. Gas-fueled devices are not subject to those bans, so a gas fireplace or fire pit can still be used.
Yes. A seat wall gives permanent seating around the fire, can hold back a slope and defines the edge of the patio. It is built on the same compacted base as the fire pit and the pavers, so the wall, the pit and the patio stay level together over the years.
Call or text (650) 404-7049, Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm, or send photos of the area through the free estimate form and tell us whether you prefer gas or wood. Expect a written, itemized fire pit estimate within 24 hours of the photos or the site visit.
Guide9 Backyard Patio Ideas for Bay Area Homes That Work Year-Round
GuideOutdoor Living Space ROI: Backyard Improvements That Add Value in the Bay Area
GuideHow to Get a Free Outdoor Living Space Estimate in the Bay AreaUpdated · By Athalyson Bernardo, Owner of Cicarelli Contractors
