Fire pit installation: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering fire pit installation
Fire pit installation combines a sound base with clearances, and a gas version adds licensed gas work that must be tested and inspected. Your value is in choosing the right location, building a stable base and making sure the finished pit is safe to use.
What customers ask
- How far does the pit need to be from the house?
- Can you run a gas line to the pit?
- Will the stone crack from the heat?
- Do I need a permit?
- How do I shut the fire down quickly?
- Can I put it on the deck?
How to win the job
- On the first call, ask whether the customer wants wood or gas, where they want to sit, and what is overhead and nearby.
- Walk the site and measure the clearances to the house, fences, trees and overhead branches, and mark the location before you quote.
- Put the pit size and material, the fuel type, the base method, the clearances, the gas work by a licensed trade and the permits in the written quote.
- Show the customer the clearance plan on a sketch, and explain why the location was chosen.
- Test the gas line and burner with the customer present, and show them the shutoff and how to light and extinguish the fire.
- Leave a written use and care note, covering the fuel, the cleaning and what to check each season.
What to put on your profile
- Photos of fire pits in place with the clearances visible from the house
- The fire-rated materials and inserts you use, with the ratings named where available
- Your base and gas work method, with the licensed partners shown where your area requires them
- Your permit process, described in plain terms
Follow-up that helps the customer
- Send a seasonal check reminder for the gas line, burner and shutoff, to be done by the licensed trade
- Offer a seating or lighting plan to complete the area around the pit
- Suggest a cover and storage plan for the pit and its accessories through the winter
Licenses and permits
Gas fire pit work is commonly required to be done by licensed gas trades in many areas, and fire pit construction may need permits. Check with your state or local licensing agency and your permit office before you bid, and confirm the licenses your partners must hold.
Questions
Do I need a license to build a fire pit?
Stone or masonry work may fall under contractor licensing in some areas, and gas work is commonly licensed in many. Check with your state or local licensing agency and your permit office before you take the work.
How do I explain clearances to a customer?
Show them the distances on a sketch, and explain that the rule is set by the pit's ratings and local requirements. Confirm the final location with the permit office, and put the clearances in writing.
What do I do if the stone cracks after a few seasons?
Check whether the stone was rated for fire and whether the base shifted. Repair or replace the damaged pieces, and explain to the customer what caused the crack and how the next build will avoid it.
About this guide
This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
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