A custom backyard fireplace in Broken Arrow Oklahoma transforms your outdoor space into a four-season outdoor living environment — a gathering point that draws family and friends outside even on cool fall and spring evenings when the backyard would otherwise be abandoned. VistaScapes builds custom backyard fireplaces throughout Broken Arrow using real masonry construction that performs and lasts for decades.
What Makes a Great Backyard Fireplace
The best backyard fireplaces do three things well: they look great, they perform correctly (draft well, heat effectively), and they last without expensive repairs. Achieving all three requires the right materials and the right construction sequence — not just a good exterior finish over a problematic structure. VistaScapes builds backyard fireplaces from the foundation up with every layer specified for its function, not just its appearance.
Backyard Fireplace Styles for Broken Arrow Homes
Traditional Wood-Burning Backyard Fireplace
A traditional wood-burning backyard fireplace with a generous firebox opening (36 to 48 inches wide), a brick or stone surround, and a proper chimney provides the most authentic fire experience. Real wood fires produce crackling sounds, radiant heat, and wood smoke aroma that gas alternatives can’t fully replicate. If you want the classic backyard fireplace experience, wood-burning with a well-built masonry firebox is the right choice.
Gas Backyard Fireplace
A gas backyard fireplace — either a direct-vent gas insert built into a masonry surround, or a linear gas burner designed for masonry firebox construction — offers instant ignition and consistent, controllable flame without wood management. For Broken Arrow homeowners who entertain frequently and want a fire feature they’ll actually use on weeknight evenings without the effort of building and tending a wood fire, gas is the right choice.
Contemporary Linear Backyard Fireplace
A contemporary linear backyard fireplace uses a wide, low-profile firebox opening (typically 4 to 6 feet wide by 12 to 18 inches tall) with a gas ribbon burner to create a dramatic horizontal flame display. The architecture is modern — clean stucco or ledger stone surround, flat top, no corbeled chimney crown. This design works exceptionally well in contemporary Broken Arrow home settings and creates a distinctly architectural outdoor feature.
Corner Backyard Fireplace
A corner fireplace positioned in the corner of the patio — with the firebox facing diagonally outward toward the main seating area — uses corner placement to anchor an outdoor room efficiently. This is a good solution for smaller patios where a full-width fireplace would dominate the space, or for layouts where the patio is bounded by a fence or landscaping on two sides.
Backyard Fireplace Placement Tips for Broken Arrow
- Orient the firebox opening so prevailing south winds carry smoke away from seating areas — in Broken Arrow, this typically means opening the firebox toward the north or northeast
- Maintain code-required setbacks from the home’s combustible exterior (typically 10 feet) and property lines
- Position the fireplace as the visual terminus of the primary sight line from the house’s back door or main window view
- Allow 12 to 15 feet of open patio space between the fireplace and the closest seating position for comfortable heat and viewing distance
Ready to build a custom backyard fireplace in Broken Arrow? Call VistaScapes at 918-779-1317 for a free design consultation and estimate. We build backyard fireplaces throughout Broken Arrow, Tulsa, Bixby, Jenks, Owasso, and all of northeast Oklahoma.
