Fire Pits & Seating Walls in Minneapolis, MN

Fire pits & seating walls stretch the Minnesota outdoor season into cool spring and fall evenings. A built-in pit with a seating wall around it turns a corner of the yard into a gathering spot. In Minneapolis, the size and location of a wood-burning pit are set by city fire rules, so we design around those before choosing block or stone.

What Minneapolis requires for recreational fires

The city's recreational fire rules limit the fuel area to 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet high, require a fire to be at least 25 feet from any structure or combustible material, and require a non-combustible surround at least 6 inches tall. Only clean, untreated wood may be burned, fires are allowed only from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., not when winds exceed 10 mph, and not during a state air quality health advisory. An adult must attend the fire. On a city lot, the 25 foot clearance from the house, garage, fences, sheds and decks is the hardest part, and it often decides where the pit can go.

Sizing the pit

A pit for a wood fire is commonly built with an inside diameter close to the 3 foot fuel limit, with a steel fire ring inside the block to protect it from heat. Seating walls are usually built at chair height, about 18 to 20 inches, with enough room between the wall and the fire to sit comfortably and walk around. A full circle of seating takes more space than people expect, so we lay it out on the ground at the estimate.

Gas fire features

Natural gas or propane fire features avoid smoke and some of the wood-fire limits, but running a gas line is work for a licensed gas fitter and needs a permit. HomeAdvisor lists gas line runs at about $15 to $25 per linear foot. If you want gas, we can build the surround and pad to accept the burner kit and coordinate the line with your gas contractor.

Building on a stable pad

A fire pit and seating wall are heavy and sit on the same freezing ground as a patio. We set them on a compacted aggregate base, usually surrounded by a paver patio so chairs sit level and sparks land on stone instead of grass. Seating walls get a buried first course and drainage stone behind them where they hold back soil. Block made for segmental walls and fire-rated liners hold up to the heat and the winters.

Kits and custom builds

Paver-block fire pit kits are round or square and quick to assemble. Custom pits in cut stone or with built-in seating cost more but fit the space exactly. We price both when you are deciding.