Can I have a fire pit in my backyard in Nashville?

Yes, as long as it’s at least 25 feet from the house, other structures and anything combustible, with a 2A-10BC extinguisher and water nearby. That’s Metro Code 10.64.017, adopted along with the 2024 fire code in 2025. A burn ban can still prohibit open flames on a given day.

Should I get a gas or a wood fire pit?

Wood gives you real flames and the smell of a campfire, and it needs only a liner and a level base. Gas lights with a switch, burns clean and leaves no ash, but it needs a line trenched from the meter or a tank, a shutoff and a listed burner, so it costs more to build.

Round or square fire pit?

Round pits suit a circle of chairs and a curved patio edge, and they feel more casual. Square and rectangular pits look more tailored, line up with straight patio edges and seat walls, and work well with gas burners. Both can have a wide cap around the rim for drinks and feet.

Where should a fire pit go in the backyard?

Measure 25 feet out from the house, the deck, the fence, any sheds and overhanging branches, then put the pit where all of them fall outside that circle. Next, check which way the evening breeze blows so smoke drifts away from the windows, and leave room for chairs on every side.

How much does an outdoor fireplace cost?

More than a fire pit, because it’s a much bigger build: a poured footing, a firebox, a hearth and a chimney, all laid in brick or stone. The stone you choose, the chimney’s height and whether gas runs to it move the number most. The price comes after the site has been measured.

Can a fire pit go on a paver patio?

Yes, that’s where most of them go. The pit is built on the same compacted base as the patio with a steel liner inside, and the pavers run up to its outside wall. Planning both together lets a gas line go in under the patio before the pavers are laid.

Outdoor Fireplaces & Fire Pits | Nashville Outdoor Works

Fire pit or outdoor fireplace?

A fire pit is a gathering spot: low, round or square, with seating all the way around it. An outdoor fireplace is a piece of architecture, with a hearth, a firebox and a chimney, and it gives a patio a wall to face. A fire pit fits on most patios and costs less. A fireplace makes a covered patio feel like an outdoor living room and blocks the view of the neighbor’s yard on one side.

Wood-burning or gas?

Wood gives you real crackle and the smell of a campfire, and a wood pit needs little more than a steel liner inside a ring of block or stone. Gas lights with a switch, leaves no ash and is easier on the neighbors, but it needs a gas line trenched from the meter or a tank and a burner listed to ANSI Z21.97, the standard for outdoor decorative gas appliances.

Stone, block and finishes

Split limestone and Tennessee fieldstone give a fire pit a rustic look; cut stone or block with a smooth cap looks tailored. A fireplace can be faced in stone, in brick matched to the house, or in stucco. A wide cap around the rim of a fire pit gives everyone a place to set a drink or prop their feet.

How far from the house?

Metro Nashville’s fire code, adopted in 2025 (BL2025-1004), sets recreational fires at least 25 feet from any structure or combustible material, with a 2A-10BC extinguisher and water on hand. Outdoor fireplaces and grills get a 15-foot distance. That 25-foot circle often decides where a fire pit goes, so we measure it before anything else.

Pairing it with the patio

The best fire pits are planned with the patio around them: room for chairs on every side, a seat wall to catch the overflow, low lights on the path out to it. A gas line is easiest to run before the pavers go down.

Sources

Metro Nashville ordinance BL2025-1004 — Metro Code 10.64.017, recreational fires and outdoor fireplaces
ANSI Z21.97 / CSA 2.41 — outdoor decorative gas appliances

Outdoor fireplaces and fire pits in Nashville