What you'll need

Before a person can build a fire pit in their back yard they will need to round up a few supplies first. To build a fire pit a person will need cast-concrete wall stones, capstones, a steel campfire ring, drainage gravel, patio base, ready-mix mortar, masonry adhesive, and concrete bonding additive. There are also several tools that will make the project a lot easier. A person should get a tamper, a level, a trowel, a rubber mallet, a caulk gun, a shovel, and a steel rake.

The first few steps

To build a fire pit in a back yard the first thing a person needs to do is make sure that it is legally for them to build a fire pit in their yard. They can easily do this by checking with their local authorities.

Next they should pick out a good location for their fire pit. Obviously it should not be located too close to the house or trees. Some people like to have a fire pit on their patio or in a corner of their yard. Both of these places can be a great location for a back yard fire pit.

Once a person has chosen a good location for their fire pit they can then begin to dig the hole. It is best to dig a hole that has a diameter of at least four feet and that is two feet deep. Some people like to set their bricks around the hole to set up their fire pit. This can be helpful to do before a person begins to dig so that they can see if any of the blocks need to be cut to fit.

The next few steps

A person will also need to dig a trench to set the blocks in around the fire pit. This will be helpful to keep the blocks stable. After digging the trench they should fill the bottom of it (at least six inches) with gravel. Then a tamper can be used to compact all of the gravel. More gravel may need to be added to make sure the trench is even before they set the bricks down.

When the gravel is level they should line up the bricks. The bricks need to be able to line up perfectly with each other in the front and the back. A person should use the level to make sure the bricks are level on both sides of the brick. If a brick is higher on one side the person can hit it with a rubber mallet to level it out.

Then it will be time to build up the wall. The caulking gun should be used to squeeze out the masonry adhesive in a zigzag along all of the bricks. The next blocks should be set down on top of the first blocks and they should cover the seam between the first blocks. This is referred to as staggering the joints.

The last few steps

After the first two layers of the brick are down, a person should fill the pit with six inches of gravel. This can help support the first two layers of brick. After filling the pit with the gravel, a person can finish the wall by adding two more layers.

Then the iron campfire ring should be inserted into the fire pit. A person should make sure to adjust the ring so that it sits evenly. If there is any space left between the wall and the ring it can be filled with gravel.

Cap stones are not necessary, but many people like to add them to their fire pit to finish it off. If a person would like to do this they will need dry mortar mixed with bonding additive. They should then put the mortar on top of the bricks on the wall, make a grove in the mortar, and then lay the capstone down on top. A rubber mallet can be used to level it.

Once a person has completed all of these steps they should wait at least two days before using the fire pit.