Move over, mere patios and outdoor kitchens. Great rooms – spaces that incorporate cooking, dining and gathering components – are the hottest outdoor amenities, according to an American Society of Landscape Architects survey identifying the latest trends.
And, much like inside the home, the centerpiece for such multi-functional spaces is the fireside gathering area. “Anything that has the fire effect sets the ambiance of the whole outdoor space,” says Ray Stone, president of Warming Trends, a manufacturer of natural gas hearths. “It’s just like putting a fireplace in your living room.”
Joe Rider, owner of Stone Age Fireplaces in Collinsville, Okla., sees this part of the design/build industry growing exponentially as homeowners realize the value outdoor great rooms bring to their homes. “As the consumer becomes more educated about the outdoor room, they’re willing to spend more money on it than they used to be,” he says. That means investing in masonry fireplaces and fire pits rather than adding a $100 fire ring or chimenea from Home Depot, he says. In addition, once a consumer lives in a home with an outdoor room, there’s no going back. “I believe, in time, it will become a standard part of the home. Once a person gets used to having an outdoor room, I don’t believe they’d ever move to a new home and not have one.”
Maverick Pickering, owner of Maverick Landscaping, is one landscape contractor who’s reaping the benefits of this growth area. His Stillwell, Kan.-based company specializes in outdoor great rooms. Nine out of the twelve jobs his completed in 2007 included a fireplace or fire pit, a 700- to 800-square-foot patio with a pergola and an outdoor kitchen with a 6- to 12-foot grill island. Upgrades often included a sink, fridge or other specialties like brick pizza ovens. His jobs usually range between $65,000 and $125,000.
SELLING FIRE. Clients base the type of fire features they want on two main factors: how they plan to use them and, of course, budget.
Whether a client wants a gas vs. wood-burning fireplace or fire pit is another consideration. Often, this question is answered not by the customer but by their local codes. “There are areas, like in California, Phoenix and Denver, where you can’t burn wood at all,” Rider says.
When codes aren’t an issue, maintenance may be, Stone says. “With wood-burning fireplaces, you have to take out the ashes from the last fire, have a supply of fire wood and you have that smokey smell,” he says, comparing it to the lack of maintenance required by gas fireplaces or fire pits, many of which can be started with a remote control.
How a client plans to use the amenity, whether it’s for cooking or just outdoor entertaining, also plays a role in his or her decision.
Because about 80 percent of indoor fireplaces today are gas, Rider finds many homeowners prefer their outdoor fire features burn wood. “For many homeowners, it’s a big deal to burn wood outside for that aroma, cracking fire and getaway mindset,” he says.
The question of fireplace vs. fire pit typically comes down to budget, professionals say.
An installed fireplace can cost anywhere from $8,000 up to $25,000 depending on materials (whether the components are prefabricated or custom built) and market. Custom fire pits range from $4,000 to $6,000 and prefabricated fire pits systems are about half of that.
Addressing price is the greatest challenge to selling fireplaces and fire pits, Pickering says. “Most people don’t realize what they cost because they’ve been shopping for chimeneas at Wal-Mart,” he says.
Pickering prequalifies buyers by putting price ranges on his Web site. “I like to give people some sort of an idea on price before driving over their house for a design consultation,” Pickering says. “It can be really unpleasant and uncomfortable if they’re thinking $2,000 and you tell them it’ll be $8,500. I don’t cut corners and I don’t apologize for price, so it’s important that everyone I talk to on the phone knows what ballpark they’re in before I come over.”
ELBOW TO ELBOW. Because there are so many safety concerns with installing fireplaces and fire pits, professionals encourage hiring the appropriate subcontractors and getting adequate training before entering this arena.
For stonework, Pickering says there’s no substitute for hands-on training. “If there’s a contractor out there who wants to do fireplaces, I’d tell him to find the best stone mason in town, subcontract the work to him, and get elbow to elbow so you can learn from him,” he says. “You give him the work, but you get to learn.”
In addition, safety is always a concern. “Some contractors just install a key and a fire ring, cover it with lava rock and throw a match on it to light it,” says Stone of the poor-quality gas systems he’s seen.
To avoid an unsafe installation, contractors new to installing fire features may want to consider self-contained, pre-engineered systems certified by the American Gas Association or the Underwriters Laboratory. Installation of such products is more like installing a gas appliance than building a custom gas fireplace, professionals say.
Whether a contractor decides on ready-made or custom products, it’s important to call in an expert for gas line hookup, professionals say.
“We have a licensed plumber do all of our gas lines,” Pickering says. “They are tricky and have to be designed by a gas professional.”
Even with all of their idiosyncrasies, fireplaces and fire pits are a great add-on for landscape companies, says Pickering, who estimates he earns a gross profit of 30 to 35 percent per installation. “They’re a good point of revenue, plus they allow you to use your creativity and they’re really cool to build.” PLD