Fire pits in Florida: burn rules, gas vs wood, placement

You can have a fire pit in most Florida backyards, but the rules come from three places: state law, your county or city, and whatever burn ban is in force that week. State law allows recreational fires of clean, untreated wood with no permit. In Hillsborough County, a small fire pit has to sit at least 25 feet from any structure. And during a dry spell, a county burn ban can shut wood fire pits down for weeks. Here’s how the rules fit together, whether gas or wood makes more sense, and where to put the pit.

What Florida law allows

Florida treats a backyard fire pit as recreational burning. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection says recreational burning of vegetative debris and untreated wood in a campfire, ceremonial bonfire or outdoor fireplace is allowed, and that no authorization is required from DEP or the Florida Forest Service. There are two conditions: someone must attend the fire at all times, and it must be completely put out before the area is left unattended.

The state rule, Florida Administrative Code 5I-2.006(11), uses similar language. It says nothing in the open burning chapter prohibits burning untreated wood in a campfire, outdoor fireplace or other contained outdoor heating or cooking device. A fire left unattended must be smothered with no visible flame, smoke or emissions.

What you can’t burn: DEP lists materials whose open burning is strictly prohibited, including treated wood, tires, rubber, roofing material, plastics, garbage and trash. Leftover pressure-treated deck boards and pallets with treated markings belong in the trash, not the pit.

DEP also says counties and cities may have stricter rules or ban open burning outright. That’s where most of the real rules are.

Local rules: the Tampa Bay example

Hillsborough County spells out its rules for fire pits. Its open burning page says no permit is required for a small fire pit, like those sold at home improvement stores, as long as you:

• Burn only clean, dry wood
• Keep the pit at least 25 feet from any structure
• Use it only for keeping warm or cooking

Larger fires, such as campfires, bonfires and ceremonial fires, need a free open fire permit from the county Fire Marshal’s Office, which you can reach at (813) 744-5541.

That 25-foot figure is stricter than the rule of thumb you may have seen. Fixr notes that local rules often require a pit to be 10 to 15 feet from the house, other buildings and combustible materials. On a typical suburban lot, 25 feet from the house, the shed and the pool cage can rule out a wood fire pit entirely. That’s one reason gas fire pits are popular in Tampa Bay. Cities such as Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater, and counties such as Pinellas and Pasco, set their own rules, so check with the fire department that serves your address.

“Structure” is worth asking about. A screen enclosure, a pergola and a wood fence can all count. If your pit would sit near any of them, ask your fire marshal before you build.

Burn bans

When Florida gets dry, counties issue emergency burn bans, and they can cover fire pits. Hillsborough County’s emergency order in November 2025 prohibited all outdoor open burning and banned fireworks, sparklers and fire pits. Grilling stayed allowed as long as the flames were contained in a grill and the fire was constantly attended. By law that order could last no more than seven days at a time, but it could be renewed while conditions persisted.

Bans differ. Cape Coral’s 2024 ban, triggered when the drought index reached 600, covered campfires, bonfires and trash burning but excluded cooking grills and backyard fire rings. The index used is the Keetch-Byram Drought Index, which Osceola County describes as a scale for estimating how dry the soil and duff layers are. Osceola also notes that the Florida Forest Service lists county-enacted burn bans on its dashboard.

Practical rule: before you light a wood fire in the dry season, check your county’s news page or alert system. Whether a gas fire pit counts as banned depends on the order’s wording, so read it rather than assuming.

Gas vs wood

	Wood	Propane	Natural gas
Built-in cost (Fixr)	$300-$1,000	$300-$950	$400-$3,000
Smoke, sparks, ash	Yes	No	No
Heat	Most	Less than wood	Less than wood
Burn bans	Usually covered	Depends on the order	Depends on the order
Fuel	Firewood	Tank you refill or swap	House gas line

Fixr notes that propane and natural gas pits produce no smoke, sparks or ash, and that natural gas gives off less heat than wood. In a Florida backyard you rarely need much heat, so a gas flame is usually enough for the few weeks when evenings get cool.

Propane is the easy route. The tank has to fit somewhere, usually inside the pit or a side table, and you refill or swap it. Natural gas means running a line from the house. Fixr puts that at $15 to $25 per linear foot from an existing line, about $400 to $500 for a 20-foot extension. Ask whether the new gas piping needs a permit where you live, and use a licensed gas contractor. Once it’s in, you never run out, but you can’t move the pit.

Look for a gas fire pit or fire table listed to ANSI Z21.97, the standard for outdoor decorative gas appliances. Intertek, a testing lab, says the standard covers outdoor gas fire features only and includes tests for clearance to combustible construction, wind and rain. The clearances in the product’s manual are what your installer and inspector should follow, including the distance to any roof or ceiling overhead.

Where to put it

• Away from structures. Start from your local minimum. In Hillsborough that’s 25 feet for a fire pit.
• Not under anything. Fixr advises against putting a pit under trees, overhangs or a patio cover. A wood pit inside a screened pool cage or under a lanai roof is a bad idea: sparks and heat can damage screen mesh, and smoke gets trapped. A gas unit under a roof is only acceptable if its listing and manual allow it.
• On a noncombustible base. Pavers, concrete or gravel, not wood decking or mulch. A paver patio with a built-in pit is a common Florida combination. Fixr prices a patio with a fire pit at $4,500 to $9,000. See paver cost by city, and our pavers vs concrete guide if you’re choosing the surface.
• Where the smoke won’t drift indoors. Wind direction changes from evening to evening, so try a portable pit in the spot for a few nights before you build anything permanent.
• With water nearby. Fixr recommends keeping a bucket of water, a hose or an extinguisher close by.

What it costs

Fixr’s national average is about $850, with most projects between $300 and $1,400. A simple above-ground pit runs $200 to $1,500, an in-ground pit $1,000 to $3,000, and a fire table $700 to $4,000. A 48-inch in-ground natural gas pit can reach $5,000. Most of the extra cost in a Florida build is the patio around it and, for natural gas, the line.

What to ask a contractor before you build

1. What’s the minimum distance from structures where I live, and does my screen enclosure, fence or pergola count as a structure?
2. Is the gas fire pit listed to ANSI Z21.97, and what overhead and side clearances does its manual require?
3. Does the gas line need a permit here? Who pulls it, and is the gas contractor licensed?
4. For propane: where does the tank go, and how is that space ventilated?
5. What is the base made of, and how will water drain out of an in-ground pit after summer rain?
6. Can you show me the burn ban rules for this county, and whether they cover gas pits?
7. What is your Florida license number? Check it yourself at myfloridalicense.com and ask for proof of insurance.

See it in your own yard first

A fire pit looks very different at 25 feet from the house than it does on a brochure patio. An AI concept made from a photo of your own backyard shows where it would actually sit and how a seating area around it fits, before you ask for quotes.