DIY large paver patio with sitting wall and fire pit

[Anonymous]

I am a very capable DIYer. I've built a large split-level composite deck at our last house, gut remodeled two half bathrooms, insulated and dry walled a garage, tiled a few floors, added landscape lighting and tackled many other projects over the years. Over the past several weeks I've been thinking seriously about replacing a small (less useful) brick patio on one the side of our current home. The end product would be about 15 ft by 22 ft, curved on one corner with sitting wall about 12 ft long. The ground is pretty flat, so no major grading is needed.

I've watched a ton of you tube videos on this type of work, which is how I've learned to tackle many projects in the past, and think I could tackle this job myself - realizing that it's going to be several weeks of work for me alone. My rationale is that I can swing $10K for materials and equipment rentals - and I can take the time to do it. But I have a harder time justifying $20-25K to hire this work out. We entertain a fair amount so the patio (in addition to our around the backside of the house) would be useful space for BBQs/get togethers.

Anyone out there that has tackled a larger scale paver/stone project like this on their own? regrets? advice?

[Anonymous]

Be sure to spend extra time preparing the ground and making it extra firm with lots of sand and small crushed rock. Will help prevent water puddling and bricks settling later on.

Check out different way to make the fire pit. "Smokeless" style pits are good, with a metal liner inside the ring of rocks or pavers, full of holes in the correct places and with bottom vents for a draft if will be burning wood. Could also hook up to natural gas and have a gas fire pit with volcanic rock or glass pieces.

10K should certainly get you nice materials.

That's all I got for advice.

[Anonymous]

Oh, one more tip, use a level, and don't make the entire thing flat, but either sloped in one or more directions with an ever so slight grade, such as 1 inch difference from one end to the other, if you can do that. A few inches might not be too noticeable, but just 1 inch will give adequate drainage slope.