Installing outdoor fireplace kits has been simplified to a great extent. The work which once required skilled masonry and couple of days to complete, can now be done single handedly and do not generally demand more than a weekend.

The process of self installing can be pretty quick if you use prefabricated fireplace. In case you are not, even then there are cost effective ways of having a fireplace installed. However, the pre-requisites for having an outdoor can be exhaustive at times. But these are ‘must do’ points so that your work does not get held up in the middle by objecting government authorities. Following are the pre-requisites:

Ensure a visit to your local city planning office and get the checklist for different permits and licenses that you require. If your house is rented, do check with your landlord’s house insurance company to know if the policy needs any alteration. There are specific regulations for permissible fuels in some cities, so ensure to learn about them from your building inspector. Once you are clear about the legal specifications, you can locate a place that fits within the legal limitations.

Following tips can be helpful:
1. Before finalizing a prospective location call up your utilities company to check for any underground pipes or cables that might be passing through the area. Go ahead if this is cleared.
2. The location should be
• At a safe distance from the house.
• At a safe distance from any other buildings, garages, playhouses etc.
• Away from hanging tree branches and bushes
• On a level ground.
• Should not have any underground pipes, wires or cables passing through.
3. The fireplace design
• Can be an open pit, in case, you want it for both ambience and warmth.
• Should always maintain a gap of at least 1 meter between the fire and seating.
• Can be a traditional design, with encased fireplace or a chimney and firebox, in case, you are putting it up mainly for the ambience.
• Can also be tailor-made according to the architecture of your house.

Building an indoor outdoor fireplace yourself can be easy by using the prefabs. Prefabs from several companies are available which are conveniently portable and easy to install by reading the available installation guides. These are in trend, since most of the homework to build a good fireplace is done before hand by the prefab building companies. All you need to do is to unfold the stuff but be sure to get a nice outdoor fireplace covers for your fireplace. However, these do not necessarily fit in everybody’s budget. In the latter case, the complete procedure is required to be followed to make a fireplace yourself. The key steps are as follows:
a. Building a fire pit
b. Constructing a Dry stack wall / Masonry wall
c. Cut a flagstone
d. Build a firebox with chimney mantle and hearth.