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We have officially entered the fall season, and for many of us, that means crisp evenings under the stars by a crackling campfire.

In our home, campfires are something we like to enjoy as often as we can regardless of the season, but unfortunately, over the years the firepit on our patio had become more of an eyesore than anything. This 5 ft. by 5 ft. section consisted of a few large pavers placed atop sand, which at one time was level but had since shifted. This area would inevitably be overcome by weeds every summer despite our best efforts to prevent them, and the lack of drainage made it less than ideal for a fire pit. Additionally, there was no actual “pit” or wall to help contain the fire, or the mess that it leaves behind. Long story short, it was time to turn this eyesore into something worth staring at and enjoying for hours!

First things first…

This was my first attempt at a landscaping project like this and I must say I am quite proud to have taken on this project all by myself. However, as you can imagine, as a landscaping first timer I made a few mistakes, which I highlight in this post in hopes that you can avoid them on your next project.

Mistake #1, not getting a before picture. The before picture below is actually from about five months prior (March 2023) and doesn’t even show all of the weeds that overtook the fire pit over the summer, but I suppose it will have to do.

Some Specifics:

Size. The total firepit area that I was looking to renovate was a 5 ft. by 5 ft. square. The size of the round firepit itself is about 44 inches in diameter on the exterior, with a 30-inch interior ring diameter.

Time. From start to finish this project took me about 7 hours of labor over 3 days (due to rain), and about 3 trips to the hardware store (read on to see why).

Cost. The total cost for materials was around $475. Additionally, I had to buy some of the tools used for this project because they were not tools that I had on hand, so my total cost for was a little higher. BUT, you could actually do this this project for about half the cost in materials if you just built the firepit and did not include the charcoal boulevard paver accents at the base. I used these pavers to fill the section that was already cut out of our patio, but you could also opt to use gravel for a cheaper and more time effective alternative.

The Project:

Process:

STEP 1 - Getting the area prepped:

I started by removing the old pavers and then digging out the firepit. I dug the area out about 9 inches, which allowed for about 6 inches of paver base, 1 inch of leveling sand, and then another 2 inches for the paver height. The charcoal boulevard pavers I selected are about 2 3/8 inches tall and I wanted them to sit just above the surface.

Once I got to the depth I needed, I dug an additional hole in the center that was approximately 1 foot deep and 1 foot wide. I filled it with rock until it is flush with the surface. Gravel is ideal for this step, but I had some extra chip rock at home, so I used that. The purpose of this hole was to help with drainage. I’m not sure if this step was entirely necessary, but since drainage had been an issue before, I decided to include it.

STEP 2 - Paver base:

A solid base layer is the key when laying pavers and will ensure that they don’t shift and settle over time. It took 3 trips to the hardware store and almost 25 bags of paver base for me to get a solid, tamped base at the correct height I needed for the cubic feet I was working with. The amount of paver base you will need depends on the area you are covering. When adding the base I added about 2-3 bags of paver base at a time, then tamped it down with the hand tamper. I repeated this process until I achieved the ideal 4-6 inches of tamped base. This base packs solid as a rock, and as exhausting as this step was, it was definitely the most important. My mistake came in underestimating how tightly the paver base would pack once tamped, which caused me to go back to the store several times for more paver base. Additionally, I made the mistake of originally estimating my depth at 4 inches, but it was actually closer to 6 inches, because I didn’t have the base completely level when I was digging it out.

STEP 3 - Leveling sand:

I used 1 inch of leveling sand. To measure this, I laid a 1-inch broom handle down in the center on top of the tamped paver base. I then poured the sand around the broom handle. Using this method ensured that I used exactly 1 inch of sand. I then slid a 2x4 board over the surface, moving the sand around until it was level, and removing any excess. Finally, I removed the broom handle, filled in the hole, and then once again tamped the entire area thoroughly.

STEP 4 - Adding the first layer of the round fire pit:

Now it was time to start building the firepit. First, I found the center of the firepit and marked it with a stake. I then laid the stones around in a circle until I was pleased with their layout. I used 12 bricks to complete the circle. Once the bottom layer was complete, I checked each block in both directions to ensure it was level. Using my rubber mallet and adding sand as needed to level the blocks. I did not glue any stones on this step.

STEP 5 - Adding the charcoal boulevard pavers:

Now it was time to add the pavers, which I used to fill the area which was already cut out around the firepit. I used the calculator on the hardware store’s website to estimate the amount needed, but I ended up with double the pavers needed since I forgot to subtract the area that the firepit ring took up - mistake #3. This didn’t bother me however because I plan to use these pavers on an additional landscaping project. I used 78 pavers to fill the remaining area of the 5 ft. by 5 ft. cutout around the firepit. I placed each paver down in a tight pattern, alternating the direction of the pavers until they fit like a puzzle. I then used sand and the rubber mallet to level each paver in all directions as needed.

STEP 6 - Locking sand:

I used 2 bags of locking sand to cover the paver area. Beginner mistake #4 came when I poured the locking sand too quickly. I started to pour the sand slowly, but it got away from me in one area, and the force of the sand moved one of the pavers, which at this point, I couldn’t get moved back into place (my husband says it just adds a little character!). Once the sand was in place, I used a broom to sweep the excess over the top and into all the grooves between the pavers. I had a little bit of locking sand left over, so I added it to the center of the firepit inside the ring - I am not sure that this step was needed, but I liked the idea of locking everything in tightly. I was very intentional to get all of the excess sand off the top of the pavers and off the concrete around the firepit before adding water.

Once the sand was tightly tamped down in all the grooves and any excess locking sand removed, I gently sprayed the sand with water to help lock it in place. I used a low setting on the garden hose so I didn’t disturb or move the sand. I then let it dry for about 10 minutes.

STEP 7 - Finishing layers 2 and 3 of the firepit:

I was finally on the home stretch of this project! At this point, I added the second layer of stones, adjusted as needed, then removed each stone one at a time to add the landscaping glue. I repeated this process for the third layer. I then let the glue dry overnight.

STEP 8 - Adding the firepit ring and lava rock:

Time to relax and enjoy!

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