Get matched with top outdoor kitchen pros in Chariton, IA

A fireplace is, by definition, an enclosed space where you burn wood or other fuel for the purpose of generating light and heat. A firepit burns wood and is much less expensive to build, but they aren’t technically a fireplace as it isn’t enclosed. An outdoor oven—commonly outdoor brick pizza ovens—often uses wood as fuel, but its primary purpose is to cook food, and you’d rarely just burn wood inside them for warmth or aesthetic reasons.

An outdoor fireplace can add value to your home, with an estimated return on investment (ROI) of 56%. This luxurious outdoor feature will certainly appeal to buyers when the time comes to sell. And, of course, if you aren’t in the market, an outdoor fireplace will increase the livability of your home.

Outdoor kitchen costs range from $5,000 to $30,000, depending on materials, appliances, and complexity.

Whether or not it’s cheaper to build a pizza oven depends largely on what style you opt for and which tools and materials you already have. For example, having a surplus of leftover fire bricks from another DIY project will reduce the amount you need to build a new pizza oven and cut costs to boot. On the flip side, if you don’t have any of the required materials, buying a pre-made option will be cheaper and require far less work to set up—between just $300 and $1,000 for the best versions.