Your backyard, nine months a year
Northern Virginia has about three perfect patio months — and six more that would be perfect with a fire. An outdoor fireplace or fire pit stretches your outdoor season from March to November. Cool spring evenings, crisp fall nights, even mild winter days become patio days when there is a fire to sit around. It is the single best upgrade for actually using your backyard.
And it changes how the space feels. A fire is a gathering point — people arrange themselves around it naturally, conversations last longer, and the patio becomes the default evening spot instead of the living room. Ask anyone with an outdoor fireplace: it gets used more than any other backyard feature they have.
Outdoor fireplaces
A full outdoor fireplace is a structure: firebox, chimney, facing, hearth — the same masonry principles as an indoor fireplace, built for weather. We build them in brick, natural stone, and block with stone veneer, designed to match your home. Sizes range from a compact corner fireplace to a grand double-sided unit that serves two seating areas.
The firebox gets firebrick and refractory mortar, same as indoor — it has to handle direct flame. The chimney is sized and heightened to draw properly; an outdoor fireplace that smokes into the seating area is a design failure, and we design against it. We also plan for the practical details: wood storage built into the design, a hearth that extends far enough for safety, and clearances from the house, fences, and trees per code.
Placement matters enormously. We site the fireplace considering prevailing wind (smoke should blow away from seating, not into it), views from inside the house (a lit fireplace visible through the back windows is gorgeous), and traffic flow on the patio. Get the placement right and the fireplace anchors the whole backyard. Get it wrong and it fights the space forever.
Fire pits
Fire pits are the simpler, more social option — a circle everyone gathers around, no chimney, no fuss. We build them in brick and natural stone, round or square, at sitting-wall height or ground level. A proper fire pit has a fire-rated inner lining (firebrick or steel insert), drainage at the base so it does not become a pond, and a cap wide enough to set drinks on — because that is what the cap is for.
Wood-burning or gas? Wood gives you the crackle, the smell, and the ritual — and the smoke and ash. Gas gives you instant on-off, no smoke, no ash — and a gas line to run. We build for either, and we will give you the honest trade-offs. Many clients choose wood for the experience; plenty choose gas for the convenience. There is no wrong answer, only your preference.
Safety and code
Fire features have rules, and we follow them. Setbacks from the house, property lines, and combustible structures are set by code and common sense — an outdoor fireplace throws heat and embers, and it needs its space. We check Fairfax County requirements for your specific project during the estimate, including any restrictions in your HOA.
Construction safety matters too: proper footing for the weight, fire-rated materials in the fire zone, and spark management. A well-built fire feature is something you enjoy without thinking about. A poorly built one is something you worry about every time you light it.
Pairing with your patio
Fire features work best as part of a designed space, not an afterthought dropped on an existing patio. If you are building both, we design them together — the fireplace or pit positioned for wind and views, seating arranged around it, traffic flowing naturally. If you already have a patio, we site the fire feature to complement it, matching materials so it looks original to the space.
Seat walls around a fire pit are the detail that makes it: permanent seating, no furniture to drag out, and they define the gathering space. We build them at sitting height with comfortable caps, in the same material as the pit.
Our process
Step one: we visit and walk your yard — checking placement options, wind direction, views, setbacks, and access. Step two: we design with you — fireplace or pit, size, materials, wood or gas — and give you a free written estimate. Step three: we build — footing, structure, facing, and finishing, with the site protected throughout. Step four: we clean up and walk it with you, including safe burning practices for your new feature.
Every yard is different — contact us for a free written estimate.
Call (301) 679-9193 or send the form for a free on-site estimate.