Fire pits & sunken seating in Corby
Fire pits and sunken seating areas in Corby, with the retaining walls and drainage done properly.
A built-in stone or brick fire pit typically costs £1,200–£2,000, and a fire pit with built-in seating from about £3,500. A full sunken seating area with retaining walls and drainage is priced per job, usually as part of a wider garden build. A fire pit or sunken seating area in a rear garden does not normally need planning permission.
- Fire pit with seating
- From £3,500
- Planning
- Not normally needed
- Ground
- Ironstone, with clay and restored ground
- Guarantee
- 5 years, in writing
Our 2026 guide prices, all in. Your fixed price comes in writing after the site visit. Council fees checked October 2026.
Fire pits & sunken seating in Corby: what is involved
We build fire pits set into the patio and sunken seating areas dug into the garden, with retaining walls, built-in benches, steps and drainage at the bottom so the area does not fill with water.
Corby grew as a steel town: a New Town designated in 1950, with estates such as Kingswood, Lodge Park, Beanfield and Danesholme built for steelworkers, around the older villages of Corby Village, Great Oakley and Weldon. Priors Hall Park in the north east is planned for more than 5,000 homes, and many of its gardens are handed over as bare, compacted plots.
We cover Corby (NN17 and NN18) and the villages around it, including Weldon, Great Oakley, Corby Village, Gretton, Cottingham, Middleton, Rockingham, Stanion and East Carlton.
Ground and conservation in Corby
Corby sits on the Northampton Sand ironstone that fed the steelworks, and large areas around the town were opencast quarried and restored. Ground can change from natural ironstone to clay or fill within a garden, so we dig before we design the base and drainage. Digging down into the clay in Corby makes a sump that collects water, so a drained floor and drainage behind every retaining wall are not optional here; where there is nowhere for it to go, we pipe it to a lower outlet.
Corby has nine conservation areas, including the Old Village, Cottingham and Middleton, Gretton, Rockingham, Stanion, Great Oakley and Weldon. Its only Article 4 direction (Kingswood) controls houses in multiple occupation and does not affect driveways, porches or extensions.
The Willow Brook runs through Corby and Weldon, with an Environment Agency flood storage reservoir at Weldon, so properties near the brook need drainage planned with care. You can check any address on the Environment Agency flood map.
Sources: North Northamptonshire conservation areas · Priors Hall Park.
Permissions in Corby
- PlanningA fire pit or sunken seating area in a rear garden does not normally need planning permission. Keep fires a safe distance from fences, trees and buildings, and be considerate of neighbours: smoke can be a statutory nuisance. Listed buildings and the Corby conservation area have tighter rules, so we check your address before anything is designed. Planning Portal: outbuildings
- TreesTrees in a conservation area need six weeks' notice before work, and protected trees need consent; both are free. North Northamptonshire: tree protection
- Design and priceWe measure up, check the ground and the planning position, and give you one fixed written price.
Rules checked October 2026.
What you get
- Retaining walls built on proper footings with drainage behind
- A drain or soakaway at the bottom so a sunken area never floods
- Built-in benches faced in stone, brick or render to match
- Fire pits lined and set at a safe distance from fences and trees
The specification
- Area set out and dug down
- Footings and retaining walls built
- Drainage and soakaway at the low point
- Paving laid to falls
- Benches, steps and fire pit built
- Five year workmanship guarantee in writing
“Really pleased with my new driveway. Beautifully finished, friendly professional workmen, would definitely recommend and will be using them again for the garden once other renovations complete.”
Driveway — Google review
“Absolutely great guys, job was done in good time and looks brilliant. No complaints, the driveway is immaculate. More work in the near future, thanks again!”
Driveway — Google review
Everything else we do here
Fire pits & sunken seating in Corby: questions
How much does a fire pit cost in Corby?
Do I need planning permission for a fire pit in Corby?
Does the ground in Corby make a difference?
Will a sunken seating area fill with water?
Gas or wood fire pit?
Request a site visit in Corby
We measure up, check levels and drainage, and send a written proposal with the build-up, the programme and one whole price. No pressure and no follow-up sales calls.