Fire Pit & Patio

The situation

You want a defined seating area around a fire pit — something that drains, does not turn muddy, does not catch fire, and looks finished.

What to buy

There are two layers, and they do different jobs.

Under and immediately around the fire

Use #57 rock. Angular, washed, free-draining crushed limestone. It will not hold water and it will not hold heat the way solid stone does.

Do not use rounded river rock or pea rock directly inside a fire pit. Rounded stone collected from water can trap moisture inside it, and trapped moisture turned to steam by fire can crack or pop the stone. This is a real hazard, not a theoretical one. Keep rounded stone outside the fire area.

The surrounding seating area

Here pea rock is ideal — comfortable underfoot, drains fast, looks finished. Or use #89 rock if you prefer a surface chairs sit flatter on; it is angular so it locks slightly and shifts less under furniture legs.

How much you need

Three to four inches is plenty for a seating area.

One cubic yard covers about 100 square feet at 3 inches. A circular area is roughly its radius squared times three:

• A 10-foot circle — about 78 sq ft — roughly 1 yard
• A 12-foot circle — about 113 sq ft — roughly 1.5 yards
• A 16-foot circle — about 200 sq ft — roughly 2 yards

This is exactly the sort of job the one-yard minimum exists for.

Not sure? Tell us the rough size of the area and how deep you want it and we will work it out with you. Nobody expects you to know this — it is our job, not yours. Or use the calculator.

How to do it

1. Mark the circle — a string and a stake works.
2. Strip the grass and excavate 3 to 4 inches.
3. Edge it so the stone stays inside the circle.
4. Landscape fabric across the whole area.
5. #57 rock in the middle where the fire sits, pea rock or #89 out to the edges.
6. Rake level and settle it by walking it in.

Materials for this job

Fire Pit & Patio — common questions

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