An outdoor fireplace or a fire pit is what makes a patio usable after the sun goes down. Aguilar and Sons Construction builds both in Salinas and across the Monterey Bay area. We build masonry fireplaces in stone or stucco, and gas or wood fire pits with a stone cap. The work starts under the ground, with a footing sized for the weight of the masonry.
Most of these jobs are part of a bigger patio. A fireplace anchors one end of a paver patio, and a low seat wall wraps the seating. Some yards also get a built-in outdoor kitchen along the same wall line. One licensed general building contractor builds all of it, and estimates are free.
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A masonry fireplace is heavy, so it starts with a footing below the patio. We set steel and pour a pad sized for the chimney and hearth. The block core goes up with rebar and grout in the cells. The firebox and flue carry heat and smoke away from the house.
The face goes on last, in stone veneer, stucco or a mix. A cut stone cap finishes the hearth and the shelf. That same stone veneer and block work runs through the seat walls and columns nearby.
A fireplace often lands beside a wood pergola or a solid patio cover. That changes the layout, because wood framing needs clearance from the firebox and flue. Those clearances come from the current California Building Standards Code and the listing for the parts we use.
A fire pit is a simpler build that still needs a real base. We pour a pad, lay block or concrete walls, then cap it in stone. A gas fire pit gets a burner pan, a line and a control in the wall. A wood one stays open, with a steel ring inside.
Gas is the easier choice in most yards. The Monterey Bay Air Resources District warns that wood smoke can harm your lungs. It also runs a Spare the Air program in the San Lorenzo Valley for days when wood burning is discouraged. Gas lights with a switch and leaves no ash.
Gas fire pit installation starts with the line from the meter to the patio. We plan that run early, because the trench goes in before the pavers or the slab. Licensed trade contractors do the gas and the power, and we coordinate their work with the permits.
Summers on this coast are cool and foggy, with an average July temperature around 62 degrees. Freezing is rare, and the frost-free season near the coast runs about 250 to 350 days. So these get used in July as much as in December.
Wind off the bay pushes smoke around and pulls heat off an open fire pit. A fireplace with a tall back and two side walls blocks that wind and holds the heat in.
Salt air is hard on metal near the water. Caltrans treats structures within 1,000 feet of the ocean as a marine atmosphere for corrosion. On that exposure it calls for more cover over the steel. We use the same idea by the coast, with coated hardware and good cover over the rebar.
Free, no-obligation estimates across Salinas and the Monterey Bay area.
(831) 262-9943From the first call or text to the final walkthrough, here is how it goes.
Call or text (831) 262-9943, or send the form. Tell us what you want built and where it goes.
We come out, measure the area and look at grades, drainage and access. The visit and the estimate are free.
You get the scope, the materials and the price in writing. If the job needs a permit or an engineer, we say so up front and build that into the plan.
Excavation and base first, then forming, steel and the pour. Masonry, carpentry and iron work follow in the order the build needs.
We go over the finished work with you on site. You get plain instructions for sealing, joint sand and keeping iron and wood coated.
Common questions about fireplaces and fire pits across Salinas and the Monterey Bay area. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.
We build outdoor kitchens as masonry: a block or framed island finished in stone veneer or stucco, with a stone, tile or poured concrete counter. The patio and footing under it come with the job, and we coordinate the gas, electrical and water runs.
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Concrete block walls, stone veneer, columns, planters and masonry steps for homes across the Monterey Bay area. Footing, steel and drainage go in before the first block is laid.
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We set paver patios, walkways and driveways on excavated, compacted base rock with edge restraint on every open side. We lay tumbled, large-format and permeable concrete pavers, cut and fitted to the shape of the yard.
Learn MoreCSLB license #787101, classification B General Building, current and active. That license has been held since 2000, more than 25 years as a licensed California contractor.
The license carries a contractor's bond, and workers' compensation insurance is on file with the CSLB. You can look up license #787101 at cslb.ca.gov.
Concrete, masonry, carpentry and iron work run under one contract and one schedule. One company answers for the whole outdoor project.
Estimates are free and we do them at the property. We work from Salinas across the Monterey Bay area, within about 45 minutes.
Call or text (831) 262-9943, or send the form with a few details about the project. Photos of the area help, and we will set a time to come out and measure.
Tell us about the job. We will get right back to you.
