Fire Pits In Rockford, MI, And The Surrounding Greater Grand Rapids Area.

A popular trend that has increased over the years is the firepit. Whether it is incorporated into your pool deck or patio, or it becomes its own standalone feature in your yard, firepits are a popular yard feature that are frequently used for most of the year.

We are often asked “How big should my fire pit area be?” In general, we recommend that you if you choose a circular shape, the circle should be 16 to 18 feet in diameter. Given the fact that the firepit itself is 4’ in diameter and most outdoor chairs are going to have a footprint around 3’, this spacing allows enough room for the chair to remain on the concrete and will still allow enough space for a person to walk between the chair and the firepit. Making the circle bigger than 18’ is fine if you plan on using it for other things but sitting in a chair too far away from the fire becomes a cold proposition. A square firepit shape uses the same 16’ to 18’ spacing. Shape is simply a personal design choice. Perhaps everything in your yard uses square angles and shapes. Square is probably the right choice for you.


Keep in mind that a square firepit shape is going to cost more than the round shape due to simple math. A 16’ square foot area is 256 square feet, while a 16’ circle is 200 square feet. It will also take more blocks to build the actual firepit itself if it is square instead of round. If you aren’t partial to square or rectangular shapes, go with the round shape and save some money.

While we used to create our own standalone concrete firepits, we found that the heat from the fire was very destructive to the concrete itself. The use of firebrick and refractory cement powder, as well as the time needed to install these materials, made them cost prohibitive, so we decided to use premade firepit kits instead.


Currently we install several versions of fire pits made by High Format. Our most popular is the round Belvedere outcropping firepit kit. We also have square fire pit kits in both the Kodah and dimensional bricks. These firepits come in three colors- gray, limestone and fond du lac.

Visit Belvedere Fire Pit | High Format

While gas firepits are very convenient and clean, the cost difference between gas and wood fire pits is quite large. Gas pits cost about 5 times as much as wood, due to the cost of both the burner system and cost of gas line installation. Gas systems also add to the timeline, as they require a separately licensed professional to install the line, after which the line depth and pressure is tested by the local building inspector.


When we install wood fire pits, we form out an area of the slab slightly bigger than the inside of the firepit, so that this area remains free of concrete. After the patio is poured, we assemble the kit around this open area. This allows the pit to drain into the ground, rather than holding water. Never build a fire directly on poured concrete. The fire will cause the concrete to pop, and chunks of concrete and fiery wood splinters will shoot everywhere.

Share by: