Fire pits & sunken seating in Oakham
Fire pits and sunken seating areas in Oakham, 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
- Vale of Catmose clay; slow to drain
- 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 Oakham: 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.
Oakham mixes three kinds of street: the old town around the castle, All Saints and the Market Place, built in limestone and warm ironstone; Victorian and interwar terraces and semis off Brooke Road, Braunston Road and Burley Road; and the newer estates at Barleythorpe and Oakham Heights, where builder-grade drives are often replaced within a few years.
We cover Oakham (LE15) and the villages around it, including Barleythorpe, Langham, Braunston-in-Rutland, Egleton, Whissendine, Cottesmore, Greetham, Burley, Ashwell and Exton.
Ground and conservation in Oakham
Oakham sits in the Vale of Catmose, and the ground around much of the town is heavy clay that holds water through the winter. Base depth and drainage are where Oakham drives succeed or fail, so we dig a test hole and design the soakaway, channel or permeable build-up on the visit. Digging down into the clay in Oakham 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.
The Oakham conservation area covers the historic centre, but Oakham has no Article 4 direction, so outside listed buildings the normal permitted development rules apply, with the usual conservation area limits.
Oakham is listed in Rutland County Council's flood strategy as a surface water flood risk area of national significance, and the Barleythorpe Brook runs culverted under parts of the town. Water that has nowhere to go is the commonest problem we fix here. You can check any address on the Environment Agency flood map.
Sources: Rutland conservation areas · Rutland flood risk strategy.
Permissions in Oakham
- 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 Oakham 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. Rutland County Council: tree works
- 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 Oakham: questions
How much does a fire pit cost in Oakham?
Do I need planning permission for a fire pit in Oakham?
Does the ground in Oakham make a difference?
Will a sunken seating area fill with water?
Gas or wood fire pit?
Fire pits & sunken seating nearby
Request a site visit in Oakham
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.