How much does a fire pit cost?

The perfect addition to any garden, patio, or outdoor space is the trusty fire pit.  A nice warm fire to gather around with friends and family on a lovely cool autumn evening is an absolute joy.  But how much does a fire pit cost?  Let’s dig into it – 

There are A LOT of options out there and it can be quite daunting to wade through them all and to know what is or isn’t good for the money.  Don’t worry, we’re here to help.

How Much Does A Fire Pit Cost?

The cost of a fire pit can vary from under £100 to over £6000.  There are a few factors that determine how much your fire pit will cost, but the two primary factors, the type of fuel they use, and the material they are built from.

Understanding these factors and making some key decisions will be important in finding the right price for your needs.

Let’s dive into these factors in a little more detail:

Fuel

One of the biggest factors that influence the cost of your fire pit is the fuel source it uses to burn.

You have four main options:

• Wood/Charcoal
• Propane Gas
• Natural Gas 
• Bioethanol 

Let’s break each one of these down both in function and cost.

Wood/Charcoal Burning Fire Pit

The wood burning fire pits are your most basic fire pits and the ones that will probably think of first.  The basic premise of these is a large bowl shaped contained that you will then build your wood or charcoal fire in and enjoy the warmth from the flames and the crackle of the burn.

There are of course variations on your wood burning fire pits – you have your fire bowls, your fire baskets, and chimeneas, which we will dive into a bit more detail later.

In general, however, given that these are the more basic forms of fire pit you would be right in thinking that they also come with a lower price tag.

Your fire bowls are where you will find your sub £100 fire pits, though if you are wanting a fire pit with a decent life span then you should be looking at the £200-£300 mark really. If they are sub £200 you should be careful, but quality can still be found.

The Gardeco Elidir Fire Pit for example is a beautifully simple fire bowl for £150 and is made from cast iron so you know it will last. It also comes with a grill so really easy to turn into a barbecue.

The Cook King Viking 80cm is a step up in terms of design and still only priced at £199.

If you’re really wanting a fire pit that will last and need next to no maintenance then you should be looking at the GrillSymbol range of corten steel fire pits like the GrillSymbol Piazza at £299.

Propane Gas Burning Fire Pits

Propane fire pits (you’ll be surprised to hear!) burn liquid propane as its fuel source and usually runs off a bottle or canister either hidden inside the fire pit or off to one side with a hose connection.

Propane fire pits are fantastic as they maintain portability while giving you access to a burning flame at the touch of a button.  

These benefits do come with a bigger price tag, however, and will usually cost anywhere from £599, like the Happy Cocooning Gas Fire Pit, all the way up to £2640 like our gorgeous Elementi Fire Carrara, which is available in either white or black.

Natural Gas Burning Fire Pits

Your next option of fuel source is to use natural gas, which is the same gas that runs to your house from the mains supply.

These fire pits come with a similar price range to the propane fire pits (and in some cases could be a propane fire pit converted to a natural gas fire pit like our Elementi Fire Naples for example).

While the cost of the fire pits themselves are comparable to propane fire pits, you need to factor in the additional costs of running a pipe and connecting the fire pit to your mains gas supply.  This should always be done by a professional and depending on where you want the fire pit installed, could very well come with some hefty building costs.

Bioethanol Burning Fire Pits

For those of us that are conscious of our environmental impact and are looking for a fire pit that runs off of a sustainable and natural fuel then bioethanol should be top of your list.

Bioethanol is a natural castoff from the agricultural industry and also burns clean (meaning it only gives off heat, water, and the smallest amount of CO2).  This makes bioethanol fire pits ideal for outdoor and indoor use!

As you can imagine, these benefits come with a far more substantial price tag ranging from £1000 at the low end to over £6000 at the top end.

They are incredible fire pits, however, and come in such a range of designs that they are sure to fit just about every aesthetic you could imagine. There are designs suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

The EcoSmart Fire Mix 600, for example, is a smaller elegant fire bowl, while the EcoSmart Fire Gin 90 offers outdoor dining as well as a warm fire to sit around!

Material

It will come as no surprise that the material your fire pit is made from will also have an impact on the cost.  

The most common materials that you will find fire pits made from are:

• Cast Iron
• Steel
• Corten Steel
• Clay
• Concrete Composite

You can of course find fire pits made from other materials like marble porcelain, or with treated wood cladding, but in general, you will find one of the above as the base material.

Cast Iron and Steel tend to be the cheaper choices for fire pits, with the more durable corten steel having a bigger price tag.

Clay you’ll find used most often for Chimenea’s, which are a traditional Mexican fire pit that consists of an enclosed fire bowl with a stack (or chimney) on top.  These are beautiful and incredibly popular for gardens all around the world.  They usually cost between £200-£500, which makes them very reasonable.

Final Thoughts

As you will have seen, asking how much does a fire pit cost is a little like asking how long is a piece of string.  The costs can vary wildly depending on what you are looking for.

The great thing is that there are options to fit just about any budget.  So, if you are looking for a simple fire pit that costs less than £100, you have options, and if you are looking for a beautifully designed stylish feature for your lounge, there are options for you too.