Cicero · Outdoor fireplaces

Fire Pits and Outdoor Fireplaces in Cicero, NY

A masonry fire feature is a heavy structure, and Cicero's soil is soft. Get the footing, the permit and the fuel rules sorted before anyone orders stone.

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Backyard stone fireplace with a fire burning and split firewood stored beneath the hearth

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When outdoor fireplaces fits a Cicero home

A built stone fire pit with seating wallA masonry pit with a footing and a wall around it is more than a purchased ring.
A wood-burning fireplace with chimneyCicero's permit page names fireplaces and chimneys outright.
A kitchen island next to a patioA block and stone island weighs a lot and needs firm ground under it.
A fire feature at a pool or deck edgeSiting near other structures calls for clearances that the code office can confirm.

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Questions about outdoor fireplaces in Cicero

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Is a permit needed for an outdoor fireplace in Cicero?

The town's page names fireplaces, woodstoves and chimneys. Ask Zoning and Planning how it treats a built outdoor unit.

Is there a fire pit rule in Cicero?

The state caps small fires at 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide, burning clean fuel only. Cicero may add limits, so call Zoning and Planning.

Can I build a fire feature on muck?

It depends on what the footing bears on. Ask the contractor what happens below the base and what the office requires.

Outdoor fireplaces in Cicero homes

Weight is the design problem. A masonry fireplace or outdoor kitchen island is thousands of pounds of block, brick and stone, and Cicero's ground is soft, with Carlisle muck covering about 12 percent of the mapped area and nearly 60 percent poorly drained. Start the plan underground: ask what the footing will bear on, how deep the contractor expects to dig and what happens if muck turns up below the base. Above ground, a fire pit can be a low ring, a pit with a seating wall or a pit let into a paver circle, and a lighter feature is easier to carry on soft ground than a heavy one.

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An island carries a lot of weight for its size, so keep it modest on soft ground and spend the effort on the footing. Seat people an arm's length beyond the heat, with room for a chair to slide back.

Permit, footing and season

Cicero's Zoning and Planning page says a building permit is required to install or replace a fireplace, woodstove, chimney or other heat-producing device, so call before you sign for a built outdoor fireplace. A simple pit stays under the state's 3 by 4 foot limit and burns clean fuel.

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The code asks for a masonry fireplace footing at least 12 inches thick, reaching 6 inches past the structure, below frost depth, with an exception for some small free-standing structures. Ask the office which applies and what depth it expects.

Fresh footing concrete can freeze at about 25 degrees and lose over half its strength, so in fall ask how it will be protected, or move the pour to spring.
Keep the pad out of low spots where roof runoff gathers, and leave a clear path for a wheelbarrow of wood.

Basis: USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO), Town of Cicero