Can I build my own gas fire pit or should a professional install it?
In Candler, you can build the enclosure yourself, but the gas connection is licensed work we handle — and the fuel depends on where you are. The newer Enka-Candler subdivisions may reach a natural-gas main, while rural properties out Hominy Valley and Pisgah Highway run propane. We identify it, size the burner to match, pressure-test the line, and permit it with Buncombe County.
Know your fuel before the burner
Candler is one of Asheville's fastest-growing suburbs, and it's split on fuel. The wave of new subdivisions around Enka-Candler may sit close enough to tap a natural-gas main, while the more rural properties out Hominy Valley and along Pisgah Highway rely on propane.
That distinction lands squarely on the burner: natural gas and propane use different orifices and pressures, and a burner set for the wrong one soots and underperforms. Determining the fuel and setting the burner to match is part of why the gas side is licensed work — not a job a homeowner can legally do or pass inspection on. The enclosure, though, is genuinely DIY-friendly: you or a hardscaper build the block, the pad, and the stone veneer, and we bring the flame.
A clean flame in the Hominy bowl
Hominy Valley forms a natural bowl, which is part of why clean-burning appliances matter so much here — air settles rather than sweeping through, so a properly tuned, complete flame is worth the attention. A gas fire pit that's been sized, vented, and dialed in by a licensed contractor burns clean; one thrown together doesn't.
We set the listed burner, build the venting and drainage the enclosure needs, run and pressure-test the line, then pull the Buncombe County permit and meet the inspector. Many Candler homeowners are already looking to upgrade builder-grade fireboxes to real heat — the outdoor version follows the same standard. We're about 15 minutes west of the showroom. Call (828) 545-0525 to plan it.
Fireplace help in Candler
We install and service fireplaces throughout Candler and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes west from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- Can I build a fire pit enclosure out of pavers or retaining wall blocks?
- What is a fire pit burner kit and can I drop one into my own enclosure?
- Can my landscaper build the fire pit enclosure while a licensed gas company installs the burner and gas line?
- Can I run my own gas line to a fire pit?
- Do I need a permit to install a gas fire pit?