Outdoor Fireplace Wood Burning vs Gas Log Insert — Complete Comparison for Broken Arrow

When you’re planning an outdoor fireplace in Broken Arrow, one of the first decisions is fuel type: wood-burning or gas. This choice affects ambiance, convenience, maintenance, and long-term operating cost. Both are great options — the right choice depends on how you actually want to use your fireplace.

At VistaScapes & Design, we build both wood-burning and gas outdoor fireplaces. Here’s the complete comparison.

The Experience Difference

Wood Burning

There’s something elemental about a real wood fire that no gas product fully replicates. The crackle of burning wood, the smell of wood smoke drifting through the evening air, the ritual of stacking and lighting the fire — these are things that matter to many outdoor living enthusiasts. If the experience of the fire itself is part of why you want an outdoor fireplace, wood burning delivers something that gas cannot.

Wood fires also produce more visible flame and a more dynamic fire than most gas systems — larger flame movement, glowing embers, the unpredictability of a live fire. This is more visually dramatic and more physically warming.

Gas Log Insert

Gas inserts provide a clean, consistent flame that looks like fire and provides warmth and light — but without the variability and sensory experience of real wood. The flame from a gas log system is steady and controllable. You can turn it up or down, light it with a switch or remote, and shut it off instantly. There’s no smoke odor (gas combustion produces minimal odor compared to wood), and there are no embers or ash to manage.

For homeowners who primarily want the warmth, light, and ambiance of a fire without the management requirements of wood, gas delivers the experience efficiently.

Convenience Comparison

Wood Burning

• Requires storing, managing, and sourcing seasoned firewood
• Fire takes 10–20 minutes to establish properly before it’s comfortable to sit around
• Requires tending during the fire — adding wood periodically, managing burn rate
• Fire must burn down completely before you leave; cannot be shut off instantly
• Ash must be removed periodically (every few fires)
• Fire size and heat output are controlled by wood quantity and placement

Gas Log Insert

• Turn on with a switch, valve, or remote control — fire is going in seconds
• Adjustable flame and heat output via valve control
• Can be shut off instantly — no waiting for the fire to die down
• No ash, no wood storage, no wood sourcing
• Requires a natural gas or propane connection (see previous guide on gas options)
• Annual inspection of gas valve and burner recommended

Convenience winner: Gas, decisively. If you want to light the fireplace after a long day at work and be comfortable around it in five minutes, gas wins. Wood requires planning and effort.

Cost Comparison

Initial Construction Cost

A wood-burning outdoor fireplace built by VistaScapes and a gas outdoor fireplace built to the same physical size cost approximately the same in masonry construction — the firebox, smoke chamber, chimney, and stone veneer are the same regardless of fuel type. The difference is in the add-ons:

• Gas fireplace requires a gas log insert or gas burner system ($400–$1,200 for the burner unit) and a natural gas line run to the fireplace location ($800–$2,500 for the gas line)
• Wood-burning fireplace requires a damper and chimney cap (typically included in the base construction cost)

Net result: a gas outdoor fireplace typically costs $1,200–$3,500 more than a wood-burning fireplace of the same size when you include the gas line installation and burner system.

Ongoing Cost

• Wood: Seasoned firewood in the Tulsa area runs approximately $150–$300 per cord. A typical evening fire uses roughly 1/20 of a cord, costing $8–$15 per use.
• Natural gas: An outdoor fireplace gas burner running for 3 hours consumes approximately 50,000–100,000 BTU depending on burner size, costing roughly $0.50–$1.50 per hour at Oklahoma gas rates — or $1.50–$4.50 per evening use.

Ongoing cost winner: Gas, typically. Natural gas is less expensive per use than firewood in most cases, particularly in Oklahoma where gas rates are often below the national average.

Safety Considerations

Wood Burning

• Sparks can exit the firebox — the chimney spark arrestor cap is essential
• Wood fires require more clearance from combustible materials than gas
• Ash removal creates dust — wear a dust mask when cleaning the firebox
• Never burn treated lumber, cardboard with colored inks, or plastics in the firebox

Gas

• Requires proper gas line installation by a licensed plumber — no DIY
• Gas shutoff valve must be accessible and clearly labeled
• The area around the burner should be kept clear of debris and combustible materials
• CO detectors in any semi-enclosed space with gas appliances are a sensible precaution

Can You Convert?

A wood-burning outdoor fireplace can be converted to a gas log system by installing a gas burner in the firebox and running a gas line to the location. The masonry structure is the same — only the fuel delivery changes. This is a common upgrade for homeowners who started with wood and decided they prefer gas convenience. The reverse conversion (gas to wood) is also possible but requires confirming that the existing damper and smoke chamber are appropriate for wood-burning use.

VistaScapes Recommendation

If the ritual experience of a real wood fire matters to you — if part of the appeal of the outdoor fireplace is building and tending the fire — choose wood-burning. You’ll use it more often, and the experience will be more satisfying.

If convenience is the priority — if you want to enjoy the fireplace regularly after weeknight dinners without the wood sourcing and management overhead — choose gas. You’ll use it more often, and the low-barrier experience means the fireplace actually becomes part of your regular routine rather than a special-occasion feature.

Either way, call VistaScapes & Design at (918) 779-1317 to design the right outdoor fireplace for your Broken Arrow home.