Fire Pit & Patio Resource Center
Thirty-five guides to gas fire pits, fire tables, fire bowls, burners, gas lines and outdoor heat, grouped by the decision you are actually making rather than by when we published them. Written from manufacturer manuals and our own catalog.
Start here
If you have never bought a gas fire feature before, read these two first. Everything else on this page assumes them.
Outdoor Fire Pit Buying Guide
Fuel, size, material, ignition and clearance: the five decisions that matter, in the order they matter.
Fire Pit vs Fire Table vs Fire Bowl
Three formats doing three different jobs. Which one your patio, deck or pool coping actually needs.
Where can I put it?
Placement is where most orders go wrong. Every distance below is a published manufacturer figure, not a rule of thumb.
Fire Pit Clearance Requirements by Brand
Side and overhead distances published by American Fyre Designs, The Outdoor Plus, Prism Hardscapes and others, side by side.
How Far Should a Fire Pit Be From the House?
What the manuals require versus what local codes and HOAs ask for, and how to satisfy both.
Can You Put a Gas Fire Pit on a Wood Deck?
Load, heat shielding and the barrier detail that makes a combustible deck workable.
Gas Fire Pit on a Composite Deck
Composite behaves differently from wood under radiant heat. What changes and what does not.
Fire Pit Under a Covered Patio
Overhead clearance, ventilation and why an indoor-rated unit is not an option outdoors.
Fire Pit on Pavers and Concrete
Base preparation, settling and drainage for the easiest surface to get right.
Do You Need a Permit for a Gas Fire Pit?
When a gas line triggers an inspection, who pulls the permit and what inspectors look for.
Not sure which size or fuel fits your space?
Call before you order, not after. We will walk through dimensions, gas type, ignition and clearances with you.
Call 888-828-8535Sizing & fuel
Get BTU output, fuel type and gas line right and the unit performs as advertised. Get them wrong and no accessory fixes it.
How Many BTUs Do You Need?
What output actually buys you in felt warmth, and why the biggest burner is rarely the right one.
Natural Gas vs Propane Fire Pits
Running cost, pressure, orifice differences and which one you can still change your mind about.
What Size Fire Table Do I Need?
Seating clearance, table height and footprint, measured against the models we carry.
Fire Pit Gas Line Sizing
Pipe diameter by run length and BTU load, the calculation your plumber will ask for.
Gas vs Wood Burning Fire Pits
Heat, smoke, cleanup, cost per evening and where wood still wins.
Burners, ignition & media
The parts you never see are the ones that decide whether the flame looks right and lights every time.
Anatomy of a Gas Fire Pit
Every component from burner to key valve, what each one does and what it costs.
Fire Pit Burner Types Explained
Ring, H-style, linear and bullet burners, and the flame pattern each one produces.
Match Lit vs Electronic Ignition
What the upcharge buys, when electronic is worth it and when it is money you do not need to spend.
Fire Glass vs Lava Rock
Appearance, heat retention, quantity needed and long-term cost of each medium.
Brand guides
One guide per manufacturer we are authorized to carry: model families, real specs, finishes, warranty terms and how they differ from each other.
Prism Hardscapes Fire Tables
Tavola, Moderno, Pentola and the rest: sizes, BTU output, colors and tank storage options.
American Fyre Designs
GFRC construction, the full active model list, finishes and published clearances.
The Outdoor Plus
The deepest catalog we carry, cut down to a shortlist by shape, material and ignition.
Fire by Design
Fire bowls, gas tiki torches and water features, with the automated versus manual light decision.
Slick Rock Concrete
Concrete spec, the twelve stained colors at one price, and the active bowl and table range.
Modern Flames Electric Fireplaces
Which series are genuinely outdoor rated and which are indoor only. That single distinction matters most.
Firegear Burners and Kits
Burner sizing, current ignition systems and what belongs in a DIY enclosure build.
Materials & product types
How the material behaves outdoors, and the categories that follow their own rules.
GFRC Concrete Fire Tables
What glass fiber reinforced concrete is, how it weathers and which brands build with it.
Fire & Water Bowls
Spillway design, plumbing, pool coping installation and how fire and water combination units work.
Patio Heater Buying Guide
Radiant versus convective heat, coverage area and mounting options for real warmth.
Authorized dealer on every brand we carry
Factory pricing, full manufacturer warranty and free standard shipping over $999 within the continental U.S.
Browse all fire pitsBudget & what to buy
Real prices from our own catalog, and shortlists with the reasoning shown.
What a Gas Fire Pit Really Costs
Unit, gas line, accessories and running cost: the total, not just the sticker price.
Best Gas Fire Tables
A shortlist drawn from our own fire table range, with the reason each one made it.
Best Propane Fire Pits
Which propane models handle tank concealment, runtime and wind well enough to recommend.
Where to Buy a Gas Fire Pit Online
How to tell an authorized dealer from a marketplace reseller, and why the warranty depends on it.
Owning & fixing
After the install. Diagnose it yourself before you call anyone out.
Gas Fire Pit Will Not Light
A diagnostic order that starts with the cheapest cause and ends with the expensive one.
Yellow, Low or Uneven Flame
What the flame color and height are telling you about pressure, media and airflow.
How to Winterize a Gas Fire Pit
Shutdown, drainage, media protection and covering, in the order to do them.
Shop by category
Outdoor Heat Direct is an authorized dealer for every brand featured in these guides. Specifications are taken from current manufacturer manuals and spec sheets, and where we calculate a figure ourselves we say so in the guide. Local codes and HOA rules override any manufacturer minimum, so always confirm with your building department before installing.
Questions a guide did not answer? Call 888-828-8535, Monday to Saturday, 9:00am to 6:00pm CT, or send us the details.