Rutland Driveways & Landscaping 07312 132517 Site visit
A round built-in stone fire pit lit at dusk on an Indian sandstone terrace with low curved seating walls, ironstone house and lawn behind
Rutland · Stamford · Oakham

Fire pits & sunken seating

Fire pits and sunken seating areas in Rutland, Stamford and the villages around them, with the retaining walls and drainage done properly.

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5 yearWritten guarantee
VubaApproved resin installer
NVQQualified
8 yearsTrading in Rutland

A built-in stone or brick fire pit typically costs £1,200–£2,000, and a fire pit with built-in seating from about £3,500. A full sunken seating area with retaining walls and drainage is priced per job, usually as part of a wider garden build. A fire pit or sunken seating area in a rear garden does not normally need planning permission.

Fire pit with seating
From £3,500
Planning
Not normally needed
Guarantee
5 years, in writing

Guide prices from 2026 online price guides, at the higher end. Your fixed price comes in writing after the site visit.

Fire pits & sunken seating

What it is

We build fire pits set into the patio and sunken seating areas dug into the garden, with retaining walls, built-in benches, steps and drainage at the bottom so the area does not fill with water.

Fire pits & sunken seating

The part people forget

A sunken seating area is a hole in the garden, and holes fill with water. The retaining walls need footings and drainage behind them, and the floor needs a drain or soakaway at its lowest point. That is most of the job, and it is the part we are best at.

Fire pits & sunken seating

Safe fires

We line the fire pit, keep it a safe distance from fences, trees and buildings, and use heat-resistant materials around it.

Fire pits & sunken seating

Planning

A fire pit or sunken seating area in a rear garden does not normally need planning permission. Keep fires a safe distance from fences, trees and buildings, and be considerate of neighbours: smoke can be a statutory nuisance. Planning Portal: outbuildings

Our standard

What you get

  • Retaining walls built on proper footings with drainage behind
  • A drain or soakaway at the bottom so a sunken area never floods
  • Built-in benches faced in stone, brick or render to match
  • Fire pits lined and set at a safe distance from fences and trees

The specification

  • Area set out and dug down
  • Footings and retaining walls built
  • Drainage and soakaway at the low point
  • Paving laid to falls
  • Benches, steps and fire pit built
  • Five year workmanship guarantee in writing
Sunken seating area with curved sandstone benches around a lit fire pit at dusk
The finish

The kind of finish we build

A round built-in stone fire pit lit at dusk on an Indian sandstone terrace with low curved seating walls, ironstone house and lawn behind
A round built-in stone fire pit lit at dusk on an Indian sandstone terrace with low curved seating walls
Sunken seating area with curved sandstone benches around a lit fire pit at dusk
Sunken seating area with curved sandstone benches around a lit fire pit at dusk
A sunken seating area in a sloping garden, retained by oak sleeper walls with built-in benches and cushions, square gas fire pit, gravel and planting, stone house above
A sunken seating area in a sloping garden
★★★★★

Rated 5.0 from 37 Google reviews

“Lewis and the team have just finished a small block paving drive and a porcelain patio in our garden. They arrived on time and were neat and tidy, work all looks as it should. We would use them again.”

Google reviewer · Block paving drive and porcelain patio — Google review

“I had these lads out to do my patio after they were highly recommended by a friend. Did a great job and very professional. Would 100% use them in the future.”

Millan · Patio — Google review
Read the reviews
Questions

Things people ask us

How much does a fire pit cost?
A built-in stone or brick fire pit typically costs £1,200–£2,000, and a fire pit with built-in seating from about £3,500. A full sunken seating area with retaining walls and drainage is priced per job, usually as part of a wider garden build.
Will a sunken seating area fill with water?
Not if it is drained. We put a drain or soakaway at the low point, sized for the ground, before the paving goes down.
Should I choose a gas or wood-burning fire pit?
Wood gives the real fire and the smell; gas is cleaner and turns on at a switch. A gas pit needs a Gas Safe engineer.
Do I need planning permission for a fire pit or sunken seating area?
Usually not. A fire pit or sunken seating area in a rear garden is normally treated as garden landscaping and does not need planning permission. The exceptions are listed buildings, raised platforms over 30cm high, and large retaining walls near a boundary or road, which can need consent. Article 4 villages and conservation areas mostly affect work facing a road, so a rear-garden pit is rarely caught, but we check the planning position at the site visit.
How far should a fire pit be from the house, fences and trees?
A common rule of thumb is at least 3m from the house, sheds, fences and parked cars, with nothing overhanging it, such as tree branches, a pergola roof or a parasol. Prevailing wind matters too: smoke drifting straight into the kitchen window or the neighbour's washing gets old quickly. For a gas pit, follow the manufacturer's clearances, which can be tighter. We set the position on site before anything is dug.
Can I put a fire pit on a patio or on decking?
On a patio, yes, if it is built for it; on timber or composite decking, no. A built-in fire pit needs a solid base and a lined bowl, so the heat goes into firebrick rather than the slabs and mortar around it. Decking can scorch, melt or catch, and a freestanding bowl on decking needs a proper heat shield underneath and a lot of care. Where there is decking, we usually build the pit on a paved area beside it.
Will the heat from a fire pit crack the paving around it?
It can, if the bowl is not lined. Direct heat makes natural stone and concrete expand unevenly, which leads to cracking, spalling and staining, and porcelain can crack from thermal shock. That is why we line the bowl with heat-resistant firebrick and keep the paving a step back from the flames. A ring of brick, setts or stone around the pit takes the wear, and soot marks on the paving nearby are normal and usually wash off.
Am I allowed a wood-burning fire pit in my garden?
Yes. There is no general ban on garden fires in England, but smoke that regularly gets into neighbours' homes or gardens can be treated by the council as a statutory nuisance. Burn dry, seasoned wood or kiln-dried logs, which give far less smoke than green wood, and avoid lighting up when the wind is blowing towards neighbours or washing is out. If smoke is a real worry, a gas fire pit takes it out of the picture.
How deep should a sunken seating area be?
Most sunken seating areas are dug 400–600mm down, which puts the bench tops at about seat height above the sunken floor and the backs roughly level with the lawn. Going deeper gives more shelter but needs taller retaining walls with bigger footings, safer steps and more spoil away, which all adds cost. Depth is also limited by the ground: on clay or a high water table, a shallower area with a good drain is often the better build.
Is a built-in fire pit safe with children and dogs?
It can be, with the right design and supervision. Built-in pits are steadier than freestanding bowls, and a raised stone or brick surround of about 300–450mm gives a clear edge to keep back from. Keep it away from the main play route, use a mesh spark guard or lid when it is lit, and cover it when it is not. Gas pits switch off instantly, which some families prefer, though the glass and burner stay hot for a while.
How long does it take to build a fire pit or sunken seating area?
A built-in fire pit set into an existing patio is a short job, usually a few days. A sunken seating area takes longer because it involves the dig, footings, retaining walls, drainage, paving and benches, and the walls need time before the benches go on. A gas pit also needs a Gas Safe engineer's visit. Your written proposal sets out the programme, and wet weather can push back the digging stage on clay ground.
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Prices

What fire pits & sunken seating cost

Our fire pits & sunken seating cost guide breaks the price down: what is included, what changes it and what to check in any quote.

Request a site visit

We measure up, check levels and drainage, and send a written proposal with the build-up, the programme and one whole price. No pressure and no follow-up sales calls.

Request a site visit Call 07312 132517
☎Call 07312 132517 Site visit