Design Guide
Concrete Fire Pits — Design & Specification Guide
A concrete fire pit is the centerpiece of any outdoor living space. GFRC gives you the permanence of stone at a manageable weight — and any shape your designer imagines.
Why GFRC for Fire Pits?
Solid concrete fire pits are extremely heavy — a 36" round bowl in solid cast stone can weigh 300–500 lbs. GFRC thin-shell construction produces the same piece at 40–80 lbs, making rooftop, deck, and elevated terrace installations feasible without structural reinforcement. GFRC is also non-combustible and handles heat cycling well when properly designed with appropriate air gaps and gas burner hardware.
Shapes & Styles
We produce fire pits across the full range of outdoor living styles.
- —Round bowl — classic campfire shape; contemporary and traditional versions
- —Square or rectangular — modern minimalist; works as a table surround
- —Linear — elongated fire trough for pool edges, terraces, and outdoor dining
- —Column fire feature — vertical flame column for commercial entries and hotel courtyards
- —Custom — any shape your landscape architect or designer specifies
Gas vs. Wood Burning
Most residential and commercial GFRC fire pits are designed for gas burners — cleaner, controllable, and required by many HOAs and municipal codes. We design the bowl with a recessed burner pan, gas line access, and appropriate clearances. For wood-burning applications, we produce a more open bowl design with elevated grate support and increased wall thickness. We supply the GFRC surround; client or contractor sources the burner hardware.
Finishes
Standard finishes include smooth (formal outdoor), sandblast (contemporary), acid wash (natural stone look), board-formed (rustic/farmhouse), and exposed aggregate. Integral color is mixed into the face coat — no painting required and color won't peel. Dark charcoal and warm sand tones are most popular for fire features.
Commercial & Hospitality Applications
GFRC fire features are a common specification for hotel pool decks, resort courtyards, restaurant patios, and commercial outdoor gathering spaces. We produce matching sets to consistent dimensions and finish — a pair of flanking fire columns at a hotel entry, a row of linear fire troughs along a restaurant terrace, or a single statement fire bowl for a pool deck focal point.
Lions Precast Approach
All fire pits are produced in our Fresno facility from in-house fiberglass molds. For custom shapes, we build the mold from your landscape architect's drawings. We coordinate burner hardware dimensions with your mechanical contractor and provide shop drawings showing clearances, gas line penetration locations, and installation sequence.
Ready to Move Forward?
Send us your project drawings — even schematic phase — and we'll have a preliminary estimate back in 48 hours.