Fire Pit Grill Kit
Build a Fire Pit with Grill in a Weekend
The BrickWood Fire Pit Grill Kit is the easiest way to build a DIY fire pit grill. Two stainless steel grill grate brackets and a tube of food-grade, high-temperature silicone turn an inexpensive cinder block fire pit into a heavy-duty, wood-fired BBQ. Slide the grill grates on to cook burgers, brats, steak and veggies over real firewood, then lift them off for a classic backyard campfire. It's a fire pit and grill in one.
Grill your family's favorite meats and veggies on your new fire pit grill over real, natural firewood and savor the delicious smoke-infused flavor that only organic firewood like hickory, apple, mesquite, oak, maple (and many others) can deliver!
When built properly, a cinder block fire pit can last for several generations. By simply following our step-by-step installation instructions, you'll be enjoying wood-fired BBQ & veggies well into the year 2099… So eat healthy!
Fire PitFire Pit GrillDrag the slider to switch from fire pit to fire pit grill.
Fire Pit Grill Materials & Tools Needed
Material quantities and active links are on our printable Fire Pit Grill Kit PDF. Request your FREE copy below.
Free download
Get the FREE Fire Pit Grill Kit Plans
Request your FREE copy of the printable fire pit grill plans via email today, with material quantities, active links, and the measurements marked (ON PDF) in the steps below.
One email gets them all: we'll also send plans for ALL of our DIY pizza oven kits.
How to Build a Fire Pit Grill
Day 1: Blocks & Brackets • Steps 1–14 • About 4 hours
Order Your Fire Pit Grill Grates
Order your stainless steel or cast iron fire pit grates so the fire pit grills arrive by the time you reach STEP 10.
Not sure if you want stainless steel or cast iron fire pit grates? We break down the pros and cons of each type of fire pit grate and provide suggestions and recommendations on our Fire Pit Plans PDF. See Fire Pit Grates below.
Document Your Fire Pit Grill Build
Record this fun family project with lots of great quality pictures and videos! Create your family's Fire Pit With Grill photo gallery with plenty of before, during and after pics by taking tons of great pics (and videos) as you build your fire pit grill.
Make sure your camera's picture quality setting is set to LARGE / HIGH for the best quality pictures.
Remove the Vinyl from the Grill Grate Brackets
Keeping the brackets as straight and rigid as possible, carefully remove the protective vinyl that is attached to the stainless steel Fire Pit Grill Kit grill grate brackets.
HINT: Heating the vinyl with a hair dryer or heat gun will soften the vinyl for easier removal.
Clean the Brackets and Apply Painters Tape
If there is any vinyl residue, you can remove it with rubbing alcohol, acetone, Goof Off, Goo Gone… even hairspray.
Thoroughly clean the top AND bottom of the brackets with a wet rag, then wipe dry. Once the brackets are dry, apply 1" painters tape along the edge with the 90° flange.
Q: Why do I need to put painters tape on stainless steel grill grate brackets?
A: Not only does the painters tape protect the brackets as you build your fire pit, but more importantly, the width of the tape is the PERFECT guide as you apply the concrete pavers on STEPS 16 – 22.
Clear and Rake the Fire Pit Area
Safety glasses on. All masonry projects BEGIN and END with safety glasses!
Use a string trimmer to clear an area that is (ON PDF). After you have cleared the area, rake and remove any loose debris.
Lay Out the First Row of Cinder Blocks
Place (ON PDF) of the 8" x 8" x 16" concrete blocks in the layout shown. Make sure the blocks are as close together as possible. No gaps!
Place your level along the top of all 4 sides and corners. Use your Sharpie marker to mark which blocks need height adjustments so all cinder block fire pit blocks are level.
Level and Tamp the Ground Under the Blocks
Use a flat head shovel to scrape / remove soil from under the blocks that need to be LOWERED. Toss the loose soil into the middle of the fire pit BBQ rectangle for later use.
Use the hand tamper to pound the dirt under the blocks so the ground for your cinder block fire pit is perfectly flat and rock hard.
Level Every Block
Use a level and a rubber mallet to ensure that each block you place into position is PERFECTLY LEVEL. As you close the fire pit BBQ rectangle, continuously verify each block is level with all the other blocks.
Front-to-back • Side-to-side • Corner-to-corner
Stack the Second Row and Fill with Sand
Brush away any debris from the top of the 1st row of concrete blocks.
STAGGER the 2nd row of block on top of the 1st row of block (as shown). Use the level and rubber mallet to ensure all (4) sides and corners remain perfectly level.
Once the 2nd row is PERFECTLY LEVEL, fill the inside of the BBQ fire pit with the 50 lb bags of sand.
Q: Why do I need to fill the BBQ fire pit with sand?
A: Placing 100+ lbs of sand not only helps the firepit grill with rainwater drainage, but it also makes cleaning / removing ash and embers from your cooking fire pit a breeze. Also, it elevates the fire / heat source closer to the food on the fire pit grills.
Q: Should I fill the cores of the concrete blocks with concrete mix or dirt / sand?
A: Our optional Sand Core 2" x 4" Method not only locks the concrete blocks into place with natural wood and heat-insulating sand, but the dry sand inside the cores will fall into open spaces and crevices that are created as the grill fire pit settles, locking the blocks into place.
Q: Why aren't we putting mortar between the concrete blocks? Don't we need mortar joints?
A: The method of masonry construction without using mortar is called dry stacking. No mortar is needed as the concrete blocks are staggered, then locked into place with concrete pavers on top. And since the concrete blocks will be exposed to heat, the blocks will expand, albeit microscopically, but just enough to crack a mortar joint.
Q: Can I fill the concrete block cores with concrete mix and lock them into place?
A: Filling the concrete block cores with concrete mix is NOT recommended. If you do, you will see numerous cracks in the concrete blocks in a year or two as the concrete blocks begin to shift and settle.
Position the Stainless Steel Brackets
Place the brackets on the top of the concrete blocks. The sides with the 90° flange (painters tape) should face the center of the firepit. There should be around 3" of overhang under both brackets.
IMPORTANT! Use a tape measure to adjust the brackets so the distance between the 90° flanges is EXACTLY (ON PDF) SHORTER than your grill grates.
Mark the Bracket Locations
Once your measurements are perfectly dialed-in, use the Sharpie marker to outline where the FRONT, BACK and SIDES of both stainless steel brackets touch the concrete blocks.
Cut the Bracket Flange Notches
Safety glasses on. All masonry projects BEGIN and END with safety glasses!
Remove the 12" x 12" pavers and locate the Sharpie marker locations where the 90° bracket flange made contact with the concrete block. ONLY CUT THOSE (4) LOCATIONS about (ON PDF) deep with your saw of choice and a diamond masonry blade. DO NOT cut too wide, as this thin cut will LOCK the brackets into place and prevent forward and backward movement.
Do a Final Wobble Check
This is your last opportunity to make sure the concrete blocks are perfectly level before you attach the stainless steel brackets with high-temperature silicone.
Gently place (4) concrete pavers on the top of each bracket corner (but NOT on the blue tape), then slide the grill grates from side-to-side along the painters tape.
Set the Brackets in High-Temp Silicone
Using a caulk gun, apply a pencil-sized amount of the food-grade high-temperature silicone that came with your BrickWood Ovens Fire Pit Grill Kit onto the top of the concrete block, but ONLY inside the marked area.
Press both brackets onto the silicone and make sure the edges of each bracket are within / inside the Sharpie markings.
ONLY FOOD-GRADE (NSF) HIGH-TEMPERATURE SILICONE SHOULD BE APPLIED TO THE STAINLESS STEEL GRILL GRATE BRACKETS! This unique type of silicone comes with your BrickWood Fire Pit Grill Kit.
Weight the Brackets While the Silicone Cures
Gently place (4) of the 12" x 12" pavers along the length (and on top) of both brackets. Make sure the brackets are FIRMLY PRESSED against the top of the concrete blocks.
Allow this step a MINIMUM OF 24 HOURS to cure!
Fire Pit Grill Build, Day 2: Pavers & Finish
Steps 15–23 • About 3 hours
Mark the Centerlines
Locate the center of both 54" sides on the concrete blocks (not the brackets) and use the Sharpie to MARK A CENTERLINE on the blue painter's tape of both brackets (for STEP 17).
Apply a Thin Layer of Mortar
Starting on either side, use your trowel to apply a THIN layer of mortar on the top of the concrete block (as shown), but DO NOT apply mortar on top of the stainless steel grill grate brackets.
DO NOT use a (wet) pre-mixed mortar from a tube, tub or pail. Only use dry mortar (bag) that you have to add water to before use.
Q: Instead of mortar, can I use Liquid Nails (or similar) to attach the concrete pavers?
A: Although the upper surface of the second layer of blocks may appear to be level, it is actually not as level as it seems. If a few pavers are placed on top of the blocks, a wobble can be felt or observed. To resolve this issue, a thin layer of mortar that is both firm and flexible can be applied. By using a level and a rubber mallet, the mortar will help stabilize the concrete pavers and eliminate the wobble. Any type of liquid adhesive will not be effective in supporting the pavers, as it will simply run off the blocks without providing the necessary firmness.
Q: Why don't we put mortar on the brackets where the concrete pavers will set?
A: Mortar will not bond to metal.
On the next 5 steps, you will be securing 12" x 12" concrete pavers to the concrete blocks. These pavers not only cap / cover the concrete block cores, but they serve as a TRACK for your fire pit grates as the grates slide left-to-right along the fire pit grill grate brackets.
If the pavers are positioned too closely together, you won't have enough space to place your fire pit grates onto the brackets. If the pavers are spaced too far apart, there is a risk of the grill grates falling off the fire pit grill grate brackets. Ideally, aim for a total gap of approximately 1/8", allowing just enough room for the grates to slide left-to-right on the brackets without slipping off.
Set the First Paver
Position the center of a 12" x 12" paver with the centerline that was marked on the painters tape (STEP 15), then press the paver into position.
It is UBER IMPORTANT that the paver is SLIGHTLY BEHIND the painters tape and DOES NOT OVERLAP the tape.
Use the level and rubber mallet to ensure the paver is completely level on all sides.
Finish the Front Row of Pavers
Attach the remaining 12" x 12" pavers to finish the first row. Again, make sure the front of each paver is just a hair behind the back edge of the blue painter's tape.
DO NOT PUT MORTAR BETWEEN THE PAVERS!
Set the Back Row of Pavers
Once the front row of 12" x 12" pavers are level and mortared into position, start the back row with the center paver first.
As you install the remaining pavers in the back row, occasionally place a grill grate between the rows. You should have a (ON PDF) gap for the fire pit grill grates to slide freely.
Measure the End Gaps
Measure the inside distance of both rows of 12" x 12" pavers. Divide the LEFT SIDE and RIGHT SIDE measurements by 2, and write those measurements down.
EXAMPLE: If both rows are 19-1/2" apart, divide 19-1/2" by 2. This gives you a measurement of 9-3/4".
Cut the End Pavers to Size
Safety glasses on. All masonry projects BEGIN and END with safety glasses!
Starting with the LONGEST distance / measurement, select (2) of the 12" x 12" concrete pavers, then measure, mark, and cut the pavers to size with your saw and diamond masonry blade.
If you cut too much, one or both of those pavers can be used when cutting the side with the shorter measurements.
Mortar the End Pavers into Place
After all 4 of the 12" x 12" pavers are cut to size, apply mortar to the top of the remaining exposed block (one side at a time), then position and press each paver into place.
Use your level and rubber mallet to ensure each paver is level with the other pavers on the fire pit.
Let the Mortar Cure, Then Fire It Up
Allow the mortar a MINIMUM OF 48 HOURS to fully cure before adding the fire pit grill grates and/or lighting a fire.
And now that you are done, be sure to RETURN any borrowed tools.
First fires: To prevent the concrete blocks from (thermal) cracking, start your fire pit slowly with minimal firewood, do not make excessively large fires, and never exceed 5 pieces of firewood at one time.
Fire Pit Grill Grates: Cast Iron vs. Stainless Steel
Grill grate size: The BrickWood Fire Pit Grill Kit works with grill grates that are between 19" and 21" on the longest side. If you want to keep the concrete paver overhang equal on all sides (for the best appearance), go with the 19" grill grates.
Cast Iron Fire Pit Grill Grates
- High heat retention
- Cooks food faster
- Awesome grill marking
- Non-sticking
- Less rust resistant
- Fragile
Stainless Steel Grill Grates
- Good heat retention
- Long lasting
- Non-stick will fade
- Discoloration
- More rust resistant
- Durable
We don't sell fire pit grill grates, because many customers have loose grates from an old BBQ or wood burning grill. You can purchase grates locally without the added cost of shipping. And (of course), Amazon and Walmart sell grill grates cheaper than we can buy them from the manufacturer.
Porcelain Coated Cast Iron Grates19-1/4" x 31-1/8"3 grates (19-1/4" x 10-3/8" each)
Cast Iron Grill Grates19-1/2" x 26"2 grates (19-1/2" x 13" each)
Stainless Steel Grill Grates19-1/4" x 25-7/8"2 grates (19-1/4" x 12-15/16" each)
Stainless Steel Grates19-1/4" x 31-1/8"3 grates (19-1/4" x 10-3/8" each)
Fire Pit Cooking Tools & Resources
BBQ Grilling KitYou only need these 3 tools for cooking on your fire pit grill
Fire Resistant GlovesManhandle your burning firewood!
Best Types of FirewoodIncluding tips, tricks & suggestionsRead the guide →
Firewood Near MeFind firewood dealers near youFind firewood →
How to Build a Firewood RackDIY easy, inexpensive, works great… and it looks really cool!Fire Pit Grill FAQ
What is a fire pit grill kit?
A fire pit grill kit gives you the parts to turn a fire pit into a grill. The BrickWood Fire Pit Grill Kit includes 2 stainless steel grill grate brackets and 1 tube of food-grade, high-temperature silicone, with FREE FedEx shipping. You supply the cinder blocks, pavers, sand, mortar and grill grates, and our free fire pit grill plans walk you through every step.
How long does it take to build a fire pit grill?
About 7 hours of work over two days: roughly 4 hours on Day 1 (Steps 1–14) and 3 hours on Day 2 (Steps 15–23). Allow at least 24 hours for the silicone to cure after Day 1, and at least 48 hours for the mortar to cure before your first fire.
How much does a DIY fire pit grill cost?
The average finished cost is about $300, including the grill grates and the Fire Pit Grill Kit.
How big is the finished fire pit grill?
The finished fire pit grill measures 58"W x 43"D x 17"H (outside dimensions).
What size grill grates fit the fire pit grill?
The kit works with grill grates that are between 19" and 21" on the longest side. Choose 19" grates to keep the paver overhang equal on all sides. We don't sell grates, so you can reuse grates from an old grill or buy them locally.
Can you grill on a cinder block fire pit?
Yes. The stainless steel brackets hold your grill grates over the fire, and the concrete pavers cap the blocks and form a track so the grates slide left to right. To prevent thermal cracking, start each fire slowly with minimal firewood, avoid excessively large fires, and never burn more than 5 pieces of firewood at one time.
Do I need mortar between the cinder blocks?
No. The concrete blocks are dry stacked: they're staggered, then locked in place by the pavers on top. Mortar joints between blocks would crack as the blocks expand with heat. You only use a thin layer of dry-mix mortar to set the pavers.
Get the FREE Fire Pit Grill Plans PDF
Material quantities and active links are on our printable fire pit grill plans. Request your FREE copy via email today!
America's best selling
Mattone Barile · Package 1
Mattone Barile Grande · Package 3
Cortile Barile · Package 1
28in Mattone Cupola
