How to Build a BBQ Pit

Co-authored by Sina Kamran

Last Updated: May 25, 2024

Building your own Barbecue pit can be as simple or as complicated as you like. If you love to Barbecue, what's better than having your own custom made pit in your backyard. It's more authentic than one that you wheel out every now and then, and it can double up as a smoker. You can make your own backyard pit for relatively little money, time and labour, but you will get out what you put in. Be sure to take safety seriously, plan what you are going to do, and take some time with the construction, and you could be enjoying barbecuing in your own pit this summer.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Planning

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1
Decide on a good location. It's important to have a great location for your BBQ pit. You don't want it too far away from your house so you have to carry all the food and utensils too far, but you don't want to put it somewhere where the smoke will blow straight into your or your neighbour's house. More important than convenience elements, however, are the safety factors which you should bear in mind.
- Be sure you place it away from overhanging trees, buildings and fences which could be damaged by the smoke or catch fire. ^{[1]
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- If you are building it on the surface, it should be placed on level ground. ^{[2]
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- Make sure you have enough room in the area for a few lawn chairs and a small table.
2
Decide what kind of pit to go for. There are a huge variety of potential barbeque pits , and you can even be creative in your design. Find one you like and you have the right space for. Check you can afford all the materials and you have the time to work on it. There's nothing worse than leaving something half-finished.
- Rope in a few friends or family members to help, especially if they are quite good with their hands. You can pay them back with grilled meat.
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3
Draw out your plan. Barbecue pit plans vary from the very simple, to the very complicated and ornate. If you are building it from scratch, you can find some plans to follow on the internet . If you are not so experienced in building, it might be a good idea to start off with a relatively simple plan. You can lay it out on the ground to get a clear picture of the size and shape.
- A rectangular shape with sides that reach up to around waist-height is fine.
- You can add more elements, such as a cooling rack, or a smoker.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Making a Budget Shallow Pit Barbecue

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For this most simple of Barbecue pit options, you need little few tools. But before you start, be sure to have gathered up a shovel, some bricks or cinderblocks (optional mortar), a grill, a spirit level, and something that you can use to cover the pit when you are not using it. You can also use some gravel, sand, paving slabs or excess bricks.
2
Dig a hole the depth of one brick turned vertically. The first step to making a basic Barbecue pit is digging a hole (not larger than you can cover with your grill) at an appropriate and safe place in your backyard. A basic pit could be the depth of one brick or cinderblock (whichever you are using) turned vertically. You can make it bigger or smaller depending on your requirements, and you can use it as a smoker too. ^{[3]
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- A rectangle or square is the easiest shape to use.
3
Use bricks or cinderblocks to secure the sides. Once you have the hole, knock in the bricks around the edges to give it a solid structure. It's best to use some mortar to fix it in place and be sure that the bricks will not become dislodged and fall into the hole. You can look at some pictures online to see how it ought to look.
- You could even make a pit without putting bricks along the sides, but this is a good idea to make it more secure and lasting.
Lay a spirit level over the top of the pit to check that it is level. If it is too large for your spirit level, you can place a longer plank of wood over it the hole and put the spirit level on top of that. Try laying your grill over the top of the pit to check that it sits on it nicely and does not slide off to one side.
5
Use slabs and gravel for optional extra touches. You can place some slabs around the edges of the pit on the grass to give you an area to place your grill and clearly demarcate the area where the Barbecue is. This is an excellent way to make it more of a feature, and you can be creative with how you lay out it. The fire shouldn't come in contact with any grass (a wildfire is the last thing you want when having a barbecue).
- If you don't do this you should clear away the grass from the edges of the pit for safety reasons.
- You can spread some gravel, or masonry sand in the base of the pit to so you are not burning wood directly on the soil. ^{[4]
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The gridiron is now ready to be added to your project. Now that you have your formation set up, you can lay your grill across the hole. You can add some bricks or cinder blocks around the edges to hold it in place more securely.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Making an Above-Ground Barbecue Pit You Can Disassemble

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1
Get your tools and equipment. To make an above-ground pit that you can take down again with little fuss, all you really need are some bricks or cinderblocks, and your grill. A steel sheet will be necessary if you are building it up fairly high above the ground. This is a job that is very easy to quick to do, but you still need to take care with the construction and follow the safety precautions as you would with a more complex Barbecue pit.
- As always, how many cinder blocks or bricks you need will depend on the size of the pit you want to construct.
Once you have chosen a safe place to put it, you need to do a bit of work preparing the ground. The main job is to clear the space and make sure that the ground is level and flat. If it isn't level you will end up with a wonky grill, which could end in disaster. ^{[5]
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3
Build up your layers. Now lay out the bricks or cinderblocks according to the size you want and the plan you have drawn up. Be sure to measure everything carefully and check the stability of it all as you go. If it doesn't seem stable you need to step back and have a rethink. This will most likely be because the ground isn't sufficiently level for the blocks to sit easily on it.
- You can build them up in a simple regular-sided shape, or try a circle. This might require you to cut the blocks, which will require more tools, like a chisel and hammer.
If you building it up quite high, you don't want the coals to be too far away from the grill. Think about how low you drop the grill down over the coals when you use a regular stand-alone Barbecue. A good way to take account of this is to add a steel shelf two bricks below where you will be putting the grill. ^{[6]
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Once you have installed the shelf build up two more layers on the same pattern you have been using. You can just lay the grill on top of your top layer, but you could add another layer of bricks around the edges to help keep it in place.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Building a Permanent Above-Ground Barbecue Pit

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If you decide to build a serious brick Barbecue pit, you will need some good plans and plenty of time and material. You will need to use mortar to fix the bricks or blocks you use, so be sure you are comfortable taking this on. Once you build a fixed aboveground Barbecue pit, it's not so easy to knock it down again.
These pits require quite a lot more equipment, expense and technical skills to construct. You will a shovel, mortar mix, cement mix, bricks or cinderblocks, a fire tray (depending on the height of your Barbecue), a grill, as well as a spirit level, water and hand tamps. You will also need metal braces to attach you grill to the bricks. ^{[7]
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3
Lay out the foundations. A big brick Barbecue is a heavy thing that needs good foundations to support it. It is possible to use a base of stone and sand like the more simple versions, but it is recommended that for a large fixed pit, you prepare you solid foundations. To do this, you will need to dig down around four inches inside the area where you are building the Barbecue, and pour in concrete.
- You will need to leave for around 48 hours to set.
- It's also a good idea to have a slight slope so rainwater will run off the concrete rather than collecting on top of it.
4
Build up the bricks. When the foundations are set, you need to start building up the bricks around the sides using the mortar, trowel, and hand tamper. Take time over this, and keep it nice and neat. Mortar dries relatively quickly, so be sure to have all your bricks or cinderblocks to hand before you start.
- Put bricks in the corners first, and work out from there, removing the excess mortar that is squeezed out from between bricks as you go. ^{[8]
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- Fill any gaps with excess mortar.
- Each new layer of bricks should begin with a layer of mortar on top of the previous layer on bricks, which the new bricks are placed onto.
- Be sure to look at a brick laying tutorial first, if you haven't done this before.
Once you have got your bricks up to the height you want, add one more layer of mortar and affix the metal braces at the appropriate places on the top layer of bricks. ^{[9]
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Research source} This should set fairly quickly, but don't walk off and leave it. Once it is set attach the grill across the top.

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Tips

Build your formation in a rectangular shape to make all of the block-work easier, as everything is simpler when symmetrical.

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When your fire is out, you don't have to sweep away the ashes unless they are in excess.

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If you don't have any charcoal, use wood, or even large rocks--wood turns gray when it's burned out and radiating heat. Rocks also hold and radiate a lot of heat; using them together means having a lot of heat to cook with, which is good if you plan on using it for that purpose.

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Warnings

Please be sure not to start a fire anywhere near something else that could unintentionally be lit ablaze, such as a building or plant life

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Please, watch the fire at all times. The cinder blocks do prevent it from spreading, but they will not stop any stray embers, which is why you must be outside at all times while cooking.

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If a fire is started or has been started, do not touch the grill, as it is hot and can severely burn you.

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Things You'll Need

Cinder Blocks--Also known as concrete blocks, these rectangular stones are about a foot in width and can be used for many different types of construction projects. They're especially useful for blocking things off (hint hint), which is apparent with its heavy weight.
Bricks--These red rectangular stones are about three times smaller than cinder blocks, as they're used for building homes, roads, and other structures. They are vital to this project.
Gridiron--A grid-like piece of iron typically found on barbecue grills. This is what you'll be using to cook when you're done building the pit, thus leaving its size as variable.
Shovel--A spade-shape piece of metal attached to a stick, this gardening tool makes digging any type of hole both doable and fast.
Measuring Tape (optional)--Non-stick tape labeled with two different units of measurement, flexible and easy to use for obtaining the dimensions of anything.

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How to Build a BBQ Pit

Steps

Planning

Making a Budget Shallow Pit Barbecue

Making an Above-Ground Barbecue Pit You Can Disassemble

Building a Permanent Above-Ground Barbecue Pit

Expert Q&A

Tips

Warnings

Things You'll Need

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