Guides
Fire Pit Ideas for Tampa Bay Yards: Placement, Rules and Materials
Five fire pit ideas for a Tampa Bay yard, each judged by where it can sit, what it is built from and what a dry winter's burn ban does to it.
In unincorporated Hillsborough County, a small backyard fire pit needs no permit, but it must sit at least 25 feet from any structure and burn only clean, dry wood (Hillsborough County). That distance decides most fire pit ideas in Tampa Bay. Three suit most yards: a block or stone pit at the end of a path, a portable steel bowl on a gravel pad, and a gas bowl where wood smoke would reach the neighbors. Medscapes builds fire pits and the paver pads and paths around them.
Which fire pit ideas suit a Tampa Bay yard?
The five ideas in the table suit most yards here, as long as the spot clears the county’s distance. Hillsborough County’s rules for a small fire pit fit in one line: clean, dry wood only, at least 25 feet from any structure, and only for warmth or cooking (Hillsborough County, Open Burning Restrictions).
| Idea | Best for | Upkeep | Local note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pit at the end of a path | Lots deep enough for the clearance | Clear leaves and fronds off the pad | 25 feet from any structure in unincorporated Hillsborough |
| Block ring with a steel insert | A permanent pit on pavers or gravel | Lift out the ash after each fire | No river rock in the walls |
| Portable steel bowl | Trying a fire before you build | Empty it and keep it out of the rain | No permit for a small store-bought pit in Hillsborough |
| Gas fire bowl | Yards where smoke would drift next door | Gas hookup by a certified professional | Ask whether a burn ban covers it |
| Gravel pad, firewise planting | A low-key seating spot | Rake the gravel, prune dead growth | No saw palmetto or wax myrtle beside it |
This is general information about Hillsborough County’s fire pit rules, not legal advice. Check the current rule, or ask your HOA or county, before you rely on it.
How far from the house should a fire pit go?
Put it at least 25 feet from any structure in unincorporated Hillsborough County. The UF/IFAS minimum is 10 feet from houses and overhanging branches (UF/IFAS, Firewise Landscaping), and Belgard, a paver and wall-block maker, advises 10 to 20 feet from the home, fences, pergolas and overhanging trees (Belgard, Fire Pit Kits). The county’s rule says “any structure,” so measure from the screen cage, the shed and the fence as well as the house.
A deep lot can hold the pit at the end of a path, as in the Medscapes design below: a round paver pad at the far side of the yard, a curved bench around the pit and a winding walk back to the deck.
Our paver patio ideas cover sizing a seat circle, and our landscape lighting ideas show how to light the path out to it.
Can a fire pit go on a lanai or inside a pool cage?
Keep a wood fire out from under any roof and outside any screen. UF/IFAS warns against burning a fire in an enclosed area, because the fumes can be harmful, and says not to use a fire pit in a screened area (UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions). That rules out the screened lanai and the pool cage. UF/IFAS advises a patio or ground clear of grass and brush instead.
Look up, too. UF/IFAS notes that palm fronds are more flammable than most broad leaves, so move the pit out from under a palm instead of cutting the palm back.
The honest limit: on a small lot in unincorporated Hillsborough County that cannot give a fire 25 feet from every structure, a built wood-burning pit is the wrong idea for that yard.
What should a built fire pit be made of?
Use dense, heat-resistant block or stone with a steel ring inside. Belgard warns that porous stone such as river rock or sandstone can crack or explode under high heat, and recommends dense stone or engineered concrete block with a metal fire ring or insert to protect the hardscape (Belgard).
Medscapes builds fire pits alongside paver patios, walkways and seat walls as part of its pavers and hardscaping in Tampa, so you can plan the pit, pad and path as one job. Doug Wilson walks the yard and writes every quote himself.
Rather have the pit, pad and path laid out for you around your yard’s clearances?
Is a portable bowl or a gas fire pit the better idea?
Start with a portable steel bowl if you are not sure you will use a fire; choose gas where wood smoke would bother the neighbors. A bowl lets you learn the habit before you build. In unincorporated Hillsborough County, a small pit like those sold at home improvement stores needs no permit, and the same rules apply to it (Hillsborough County). Set it on gravel or pavers, clear of grass and brush.
A gas bowl burns without wood smoke or ash, and Belgard says a certified professional should make any natural gas connection. Gas will not carry you through a burn ban. Hillsborough County’s order of November 24, 2025 named fire pits, and the exceptions it listed were an attended barbecue grill, certain agricultural burns and burns the Florida Forest Service allowed (Bay News 9). Gas fire pits were not on that list.
What should you plant around a fire pit?
Plant low, less-flammable shrubs and separate the groups with gravel, pavers or lawn, as UF/IFAS advises; it also says to keep mulch outside the defensible space, 30 feet or more from the house, because mulch can burn (UF/IFAS). The Florida Forest Service lists agave, aloe, coontie, Indian hawthorn and viburnum as less flammable (Florida Forest Service, Create Defensible Space Around Homes). It says to remove saw palmetto, wax myrtle, yaupon, red cedar and young pines, which it names for their resinous sap and waxy leaves. Rake leaves and fallen fronds off the pad before each fire.
When can you light a fire pit in Tampa Bay?
Light it when no burn ban is in force, and watch the wind direction, as UF/IFAS advises. Fire pit weather here is dry season weather, and a dry winter brings bans. By February 11, 2026, every Bay Area county had a mandatory ban on outdoor burning of any kind (FOX 13). On April 30, 2026, Hillsborough County extended its ban for a 16th straight week, after its crews answered 741 brush fires in January and February (FOX 13).
Before each fire, check the Florida Forest Service’s county burn ban map (Current Wildfire Information). Then call your fire department: the Forest Service says counties do not have to tell it when they start or lift a ban (Open Burning in Florida FAQ). Hillsborough County Fire Rescue serves the unincorporated county. In Tampa, Temple Terrace, Plant City or Pasco County, ask your own fire department, since a city or county can add rules or ban burning outright.
What should you check before you build a fire pit?
- Distance: 25 feet from the house, cage, shed and fence in unincorporated Hillsborough (county rule); elsewhere, ask your fire department.
- Overhead: no roof, pergola, palm fronds or branches above the pit.
- Ground and stone: a paver or gravel pad, dense block and a steel ring, no river rock.
- Utilities and HOA: Medscapes calls Sunshine 811 before digging on every job that needs it and pulls the permits a job requires; ask your HOA whether it reviews fire pits.
- Design: hand sketches are free on approved projects, and a landscape design in Tampa can place the pit, path and lights together.
The one thing to do this week: take a tape measure out the back door and measure from the house, the cage and the shed to the spot you have in mind.
Frequently asked questions
Do campfires and bonfires need a permit in Hillsborough County?
Campfires, bonfires, ceremonial fires and religious fires need an open fire permit, which the county Fire Marshal’s office issues free. A small store-bought fire pit needs none if it follows the county’s rules on wood, distance and use (Hillsborough County). City residents should ask their own fire department.
Can you build a fire pit on top of pavers?
Belgard says you can in most cases, with a metal insert or ring between the fire and the pavers, since direct heat can crack or discolor them. Its preferred method is to cut out the pavers and set the pit on the same base, which keeps ash from washing out.
What wood burns best in a fire pit?
Seasoned hardwood burns best. UF/IFAS says oak, hickory and ash give more heat, burn longer and make less smoke than pine, and that firewood should dry for a full year after it is cut. Skip the lighter fluid, which UF/IFAS advises against.
Sources
- Hillsborough County. Open Burning Restrictions (updated April 4, 2025). Checked November 10, 2026. hcfl.gov
- UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions. Firewise Landscaping. Checked November 10, 2026. gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu
- Belgard (manufacturer). Fire Pit Kits. Checked November 10, 2026. belgard.com
- Bay News 9. Emergency burn ban in place in Hillsborough County, November 24, 2025. Checked November 10, 2026. baynews9.com
- Florida Forest Service. Create Defensible Space Around Homes. Checked November 10, 2026. fdacs.gov
- FOX 13 Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay area under high fire alert, February 11, 2026. Checked November 10, 2026. fox13news.com
- FOX 13 Tampa Bay. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue deploys new brush trucks, May 1, 2026. Checked November 10, 2026. fox13news.com
- Florida Forest Service. Current Wildfire Information. Checked November 10, 2026. fdacs.gov
- Florida Forest Service. Open Burning in Florida FAQ. Checked November 10, 2026. fdacs.gov
Want a fire pit placed where your yard allows it?
Call (813) 382-5801 or send the estimate form. Doug Wilson walks the yard and writes every quote himself, and hand sketches are free on approved projects.
- 1Call or book online
- 2Doug walks the yard with you
- 3You get a written quote