Wood fire pits are comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, and all-around enjoyable. However, they can’t be too close to most property lines. Whether you’re in a residential neighborhood or far out in the country, you need to know when and where you can use a wood fire pit; otherwise, you’ll risk several violations and hazards.
A wood fire pit can be between 10 to 30 feet close to a property line. Local regulations often stick to the 10-foot mark, but some locations require up to 30 feet away, depending on the size of the fire pit. Ensure you have a big patio to support the fire pit with six feet of patio on all sides.
In this post, we’ll cover how close your wood fire pit can be to the edge of your property, why it can’t be too close, and where you should put your fire pit in your yard.
How Close Can a Wood Fire Pit Be to the Edge of Your Property?
Fire pits can be fairly close to your property line, but make sure it’s not closer than 10 feet. If your fire pit is too close, you’ll get fined or punished by the law. According to Pacific Paving Stone, you might even have to keep your wood fire pit as much as 30 feet away from nearby property lines. The distance depends solely on local laws.
Hiring a professional to install your fire pit should be enough to keep it far enough from the property line. You can hold them accountable with a warranty if you’re worried. For more information about your fire pit’s distance to your neighbors, property lines, and fences, read on.
Why Can’t Your Fire Pit Be Too Close to a Property Line?
Your fire pit can’t be too close to a property line because it could cross legal boundaries, increase the risk of spreading fires, or damage the barrier between the properties. Furthermore, having a fire pit too close to a property line could cause insurance disputes and disturb the neighbors, so it’s not worth it.
Here’s a detailed look at all five of these issues:
- Legal issues: Perhaps the most important reason you can’t have your wood fire pit too close to a property line is that it’s typically illegal. You might get a fine, a warning, or a demand to remove or relocate the fire pit. It’s not worth the hassle, so we suggest measuring and abiding by the regulations.
- Fire spreading: If a spark or stray flame gets loose, it could burn near a property line. There’s no reason to put other properties at risk. Furthermore, there’s a high chance that you might have trouble walking around the fire pit if it’s getting too hot. Property lines typically have barriers that limit movement.
- Damaged barriers: If your property line has walls or fences, they could catch on fire. The materials don’t have to be flammable to get damaged by a firepit. For example, hot flames can damage painted surfaces, brick, cobblestone, and more without catching on fire or sparking.
- Insurance disputes: Most insurance companies require that you have your fire pit away from flammable structures and property lines. If your wood fire pit is too close, you might be held liable for the damages (and costs incurred by these damages). Contact your home insurance company to learn about how your fire pit affects the policy.
- Neighbor complaints: The last thing you want is to disturb your neighbors if your wood fire pit is too close to their property. Contact them beforehand and let them know how close the fire pit will be to the shared property line; otherwise, they could contact the local authorities if they notice the fire pit breaks regulations.
While most people don’t mind their neighbors having fire pits, it’s good to stay on the safe side and keep your wood fire pit at the aforementioned 10 to 30-foot distance from the line. Read on if you want to know how having a fence affects your fire pit’s placement.
Can You Put a Fire Pit Near a Fence?
You can put a fire pit near a fence, but it has to be far enough to prevent fires from spreading or breaking local fire pit regulations. The best way to know if your fire pit is far enough from nearby fences is to measure the distance from the edge of the fire pit to the fence. It should be a minimum of 10 feet away.
Let’s look at what you need to know about putting a wood fire pit near a property fence below.
- Make sure the fence is far enough away from the fire pit. If you’re too close to the fence, you’re too close to the property line. Much like all property lines, your wood fire pit needs to be at least 10 feet away. If you live in a strict community, you might need to keep it 20 or more feet from the fence.
- Ensure the fire pit has a sizeable patio. Whether or not your fire pit is near a property line or fence, it needs a patio that provides 6 feet on all sides. The patio provides support and walkways for people to move around. They also prevent the fire pit from sinking into the mud or sliding closer to property lines and fences.
- Check if the fire pit sends sparks and debris on flammable fences. If the fire pit pushes out too much debris, you might want to reconsider the wood you’re burning or move the fire pit a few extra feet away from the fence. Heat-resistant fences are less likely to get stained by the fire pit’s heat.
- Keep an eye on painted fences near fire pits. If there’s paint on a fence or nearby structure, there’s a good chance the paint will get dull, discolored, or melted. Make sure you place the fire pit far enough from the fence. You shouldn’t be able to feel the wood fire pit’s heat when you’re leaning against a painted fence.
Putting a fire pit near a fence lets you keep your yard looking and feeling open. However, it can’t be too close to the edge or it’ll cause more harm than good. Follow the suggestions above to ensure your wood fire pit is within legal and neighborly parameters.
How Close Can Fire Pits Be to Nearby Buildings?
Home Ownership Matters claims your fire pit needs to be between 10 to 25 feet away from nearby buildings. This means that if your shared property line is next to a house, shed, or similar structure, you might have to keep the fire pit up to 25 feet away. However, this long distance is typically only present in a few areas.
Since buildings are rarely right along property lines, it’s best to measure the aforementioned 10 to 30-foot distance from the fence or wherever the line starts.
Where Should You Put Your Fire Pit in Your Yard?
You should put your fire pit anywhere in your yard that’s 10 feet away from all buildings and other flammable structures. You can put a fire pit under a patio cover if the cover is at least 6.6 feet above the top of the fire pit. Remember to clean and rake natural debris away from the fire pit if it’s near trees and other plants.
Consider these tips when finding the perfect placement for your wood fire pit near property lines:
- Don’t place the fire pit anywhere with plants above it. If there are trees, vines, and other plants hanging over the fire pit, there’s a chance one of the sparks or flames could burn the plant. You’ll risk damaging the plants and spreading a fire to the property line, which causes an insurance policy nightmare.
- Mind nearby property lines when choosing the perfect wood fire pit placement in your yard. One of the first things you should think about when choosing a new location is how close it’ll be to your property line. Whether you have a small, medium, or large yard, it’s important to consider your neighbors and their shared property lines.
- Consider how much patio space you’ll need, including room for decorations, stairs, and seating arrangements. Your patio needs to be six feet wider on all sides than your wood fire pit. You might need to add more patio space if you want to have a gazebo and other decorative items to prevent it from getting crowded.
- Make sure it’s not near its fuel source or any flammable items (including buildings, wooden garden beds, etc.). Fuel can ignite, which means your fire pit can be quite dangerous near property lines and fences. Never put the fuel source between your fire pit and a property line.
Putting your fire pit anywhere in your yard is likely to be near a property line if you live in a residential area. It’s essential that you measure the distance from the wood fire pit to all nearby property lines beforehand. Most experts recommend contacting contractors or inspectors to find out where you can place a fire pit if there’s a property concern.
How Much Clearance Do You Need Around a Fire Pit?
You need at least four feet of clearance around a fire pit for seating, but at least six feet for the full patio. There should be around 6.6 feet of overhead clearance above the fire pit to avoid overheating, flames, smoke buildup, and more.
However, that could make things tricky if you intend to put the wood fire pit in front of your house. Read on for more details.
Can You Put a Fire Pit in Your Front Yard?
You can usually put a fire pit in your front yard, though some Homeowner Associations might not allow it. Before placing a wood fire pit in your front yard, contact your city’s authorities to know whether or not this placement is allowed. Some cities and counties prohibit front yard fire pits with any fuel source.
So, what should you know if you want to put a fire pit in your front yard?
- Sidewalks are often considered property lines. This means that you should abide by the same regulations for fire pits as if the sidewalk was a fence or property line. Keep your fire pit at least 10 feet away from the sidewalk (or whatever is at the end of your driveway) or follow the rules provided by local municipalities.
- Consider the property lines in the front yard, including shared lawns, fences, and other obstacles. If you share a lawn with a neighbor, check your property’s blueprints or look for fences. The fence line usually dictates where the yard is split in the front or back of your house.
- Keep the fire pit away from flammable structures and windows. They can be serious liabilities. It’s crucial that you don’t put your structures or your neighbor’s belongings at risk. Keep the wood fire pit 10 feet away from these structures in addition to the distance between it and the property line.
- You likely can’t burn wood in your fire pit during dry seasons when there are local restrictions. Clever Patio explains you’ll likely face fines if you try burning wood fire pits in your front yard during regulated burning periods. This usually occurs during fire season (August through October).
Again, your city’s fire pit regulations supersede anything above. If they have restrictions, those limitations need to be followed for legal purposes. You could pay your neighbor a courtesy visit to let them know that your new fire pit will be far enough away from the shared property line, too.
Final Thoughts
If you have a wood fire pit, it’s important to know how far it has to be from fences, flammable structures, and property lines. Remember to have a wide patio to accommodate the size of the fire pit (regardless of what kind of fuel it uses). Check your local fire pit regulations for more information.
