Fire pits & sunken seating in Uppingham
Fire pits and sunken seating areas in Uppingham, 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
- Northampton Sand ironstone; variable, sloping
- 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 Uppingham: 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.
Uppingham is a hilltop market town of ironstone and limestone, with the school buildings, the High Street and the Market Place at its heart, Victorian and interwar houses on the roads out, and later estates to the north and east. Many centre properties have tight frontages or rear courtyards rather than front gardens.
We cover Uppingham (LE15) and the villages around it, including Lyddington, Seaton, Bisbrooke, Glaston, Wing, Preston, Ayston, Ridlington, Belton-in-Rutland, Caldecott and Morcott.
Ground and conservation in Uppingham
Uppingham stands on the Northampton Sand ironstone that runs down the west side of Rutland. It usually drains better than the Vale clay around Oakham, but it varies within a street and the town's slopes push water downhill, so falls and edge drainage need the same care. Digging down into the clay in Uppingham 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 Uppingham conservation area covers the historic centre; the town itself has no Article 4 direction. Several nearby villages do, including Lyddington, Seaton, Ayston, Preston, Ridlington and Belton-in-Rutland, where front walls, gates and parking spaces can need planning permission.
Uppingham is not one of the places Rutland's flood strategy names for river flooding, but slopes and older drains mean surface water still needs a planned route. You can check any address on the Environment Agency flood map.
Sources: Rutland conservation areas and Article 4 list · Historic England: building stones of Rutland.
Permissions in Uppingham
- 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 Uppingham 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 Uppingham: questions
How much does a fire pit cost in Uppingham?
Do I need planning permission for a fire pit in Uppingham?
Does the ground in Uppingham 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 Uppingham
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.