BBQ DIY Pizza Oven Parts · Example build guide

How to Build a Wood-Fired Pizza Oven for Two 12-Inch Pizzas

Planning a serious home pizza oven? This example shows the basic construction of a compact wood-fired oven with enough cooking-floor space for approximately two 12-inch pizzas, while explaining where The Stove Wizard’s refractory and insulation products are used.

Example oven dimensions

This DIY pizza oven example uses one consistent size throughout: an internal cooking floor of 1000 mm (39.4 in). Two 12-inch pizzas are only 610 mm (24 in) across when placed side by side, which leaves no room for an active wood fire or for turning food. A 1000 mm floor gives space for both pizzas, a fire area and sensible clearance.

Example dimensions

Internal cooking-floor diameter
1000 mm (39.4 in)
Approximate internal dome height
420 mm (16.5 in)
Approximate entrance width
450 mm (17.7 in)
Approximate entrance height
270 mm (10.6 in)
Under-floor insulation build-up
25 mm calcium silicate board (one layer of the listed 25 mm board) over an example insulated footprint of 1200 × 1200 mm (47.2 × 47.2 in)
Dome insulation build-up
Two layers of 25 mm ceramic fibre blanket (50 mm total example wrap)

These example dimensions are for this guide only. They are not a mandatory oven size.

Example cooking floor layout
Example cooking floor layout for a 1000 millimetre wood-fired pizza oven Top-down view of a circular 1000 millimetre cooking floor with two 12-inch pizzas toward the entrance, a fire area toward the rear, and the oven entrance at the front. Internal cooking floor 1000 mm (39.4 in) Oven entrance Fire area Active wood fire 12" pizza 305 mm 12" pizza 305 mm Internal cooking floor

The cooking floor needs room for the pizzas, an active fire and space to turn and manoeuvre food.

Why this oven is larger than 24 inches

Two 12-inch pizzas placed edge to edge span 610 mm (24 in). A wood-fired pizza oven also needs a fire area, clearance around each pizza, and space to turn dough with a peel. This example therefore uses a 1000 mm (39.4 in) internal cooking floor, not a 24-inch floor.

  • Two 12-inch pizzas: 2 × 305 mm, plus a working gap
  • Fire area toward the rear or side of the floor
  • Oven entrance at the front for loading and turning
  • Internal cooking floor: 1000 mm (39.4 in)

Materials available from The Stove Wizard

The quantities below are calculated for this 1000 mm example only, using the listed sizes of our fire bricks, calcium silicate board and ceramic fibre blanket. They are approximate buying quantities, not a bill of materials for every oven design.

Premium clay fire bricks

Listed size: 230 mm × 114 mm × 25 mm. Face area of one brick: 0.0262 m². Pack options: 10, 12, 15, 20 or 100 bricks. Suitable for pizza oven bases, walls and cooking surfaces.

  1. Cooking floor area of a 1000 mm circle: 0.785 m² → about 30 bricks, plus cut bricks at the perimeter → about 38 with wastage.
  2. Dome / chamber inner surface for this 420 mm example cap: about 1.34 m² → about 51 bricks, plus cutting → about 61.
  3. Entrance cheeks and arch allowance: about 16 bricks.

Approximate bricks required: 115, including a sensible allowance for cuts and breakage.

Recommended approximate order: 120 bricks — one 100-brick pack plus one 20-brick pack.

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Refractory powdered fire clay

Listed use: mix with water for bedding, joining and pointing fire bricks, and as a gap filler, levelling compound or refractory repair mortar. Sold as a 25 kg bag. Fusion point above 1600°C. It is not a substitute for fire bricks, calcium silicate board or ceramic fibre blanket.

Approximate kg required: not stated. The product listing does not give a coverage rate (kg per m² or kg per brick joint), so a responsible bag count cannot be calculated from the available data.

Existing bag size: 25 kg. Approximate bags required: confirm from your proven oven design and jointing method after a small test mix.

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Calcium silicate board

Used here as rigid under-floor insulation, not as the cooking surface and not as a fire brick. Listed as 25 mm thick Skamotec 225. Face sizes include 500 mm × 610 mm, and 1000 mm × 610 mm supplied as 2 × 500 mm boards. Amount options: 1, 2 or 4.

Example insulated footprint: 1200 × 1200 mm (1.44 m²), large enough for the 1000 mm floor plus walls and a modest margin. One 500 × 610 mm board covers 0.305 m².

A 3 × 2 layout of 500 × 610 mm boards covers 1500 × 1220 mm before trimming, which allows for cutting to the 1200 mm square.

Approximate boards required: 6 boards of 500 mm × 610 mm × 25 mm (one layer).

Approximate packs to buy: three of the 1000 mm × 610 mm (2 × 500 mm boards) option, or a 2-board pack plus a 4-board pack of 500 mm × 610 mm. If your proven design specifies more than 25 mm under the floor, add further layers of the same board.

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Ceramic fibre blanket

Used as flexible insulation around the refractory oven chamber. Listed size: 610 mm wide × 25 mm thick, density 96 kg/m³, up to 1260°C, sold by the metre in 1–7 m lengths. It is insulation, not a structural dome material.

Approximate outer dome surface for this example (spherical cap over a 1000 mm floor, 420 mm high, plus a 25 mm brick shell and entrance cheeks): about 1.64 m².

Example wrap: two 25 mm layers (50 mm). Area for two layers: 3.28 m². Add about 25% for overlap and cutting: about 4.1 m². One metre of 610 mm blanket covers 0.610 m².

Approximate length required: 7 m.

Approximate packs to buy: one 7 metre length, or a 5 metre length plus a 2 metre length.

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Approximate materials for this example oven

Material Used for Approximate requirement Our pack size Approximate packs to buy
Premium Clay Fire Bricks Cooking floor, chamber and entrance where fire bricks are specified About 115 bricks, order 120 10, 12, 15, 20 or 100 bricks; each brick 230 × 114 × 25 mm 1 × 100-brick pack + 1 × 20-brick pack
Refractory Powdered Fire Clay Bedding, joining and pointing fire bricks; gap fill and repairs Cannot be calculated from listed coverage data 25 kg bag Confirm from your design; do not guess a bag count
Calcium Silicate Board Rigid under-floor insulation 1.44 m² footprint, 25 mm thick; 6 boards of 500 × 610 mm 500 × 610 mm, or 1000 × 610 mm as 2 × 500 mm boards; amounts 1, 2 or 4; 25 mm thick 3 × 1000 × 610 mm (2-board) packs, or 2 + 4 of 500 × 610 mm
Ceramic Fibre Blanket Flexible insulation around the refractory chamber About 4.1 m² including overlap (two 25 mm layers) 610 mm × 25 mm, sold by the metre (1–7 m) 1 × 7 m length, or 5 m + 2 m

Quantities are approximate and depend on the final oven design, cuts, joints, insulation thickness and construction method. Confirm your final design before ordering.

Example oven cross-section
Side cutaway of the example wood-fired pizza oven layers Cross-section from foundation up through supporting slab, calcium silicate board, cooking floor, refractory dome, ceramic fibre blanket, weatherproof finish, entrance and flue. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Entrance 9 Flue

Different materials perform different jobs. Insulation products should not be confused with the refractory cooking surface or structural oven chamber.

Cross-section key

  1. Outer weatherproof finish — source separately
  2. Ceramic fibre blanket — available from The Stove Wizard
  3. Refractory oven chamber / dome — fire bricks available from The Stove Wizard
  4. Cooking floor — available from The Stove Wizard
  5. Calcium silicate board — available from The Stove Wizard
  6. Supporting slab / structure — source separately
  7. Foundation / stand — source separately
  8. Oven entrance
  9. Flue / chimney — source separately

Heat-facing work uses fire bricks. Calcium silicate board sits under the floor as rigid insulation. Ceramic fibre blanket wraps the outside of the finished refractory shell.

Under-floor construction
Exploded under-floor layers for the example pizza oven From top to bottom: refractory cooking floor, calcium silicate insulation board, supporting slab, oven stand or foundation. Refractory cooking floor Fire bricks Calcium silicate board Available from The Stove Wizard Suitable supporting slab Source separately Oven stand / foundation Source separately

Calcium silicate board provides rigid insulation beneath the hot cooking floor. It is not the cooking surface itself.

Dome insulation layers
Exploded dome insulation layers from the hot chamber outward Inside to outside: hot oven chamber, refractory dome, ceramic fibre blanket, protective weatherproof outer finish. Hot oven chamber Refractory dome / oven shell Ceramic fibre blanket Available from The Stove Wizard Protective / weatherproof outer finish

Ceramic fibre blanket is insulation. It is not a structural dome material.

Materials and components you will need to source elsewhere

The Stove Wizard supplies the specialist refractory and insulation products listed above. We do not supply every component required for a complete pizza oven.

Foundation / base

Suitable foundations and supporting structure, specified by your chosen proven oven design.

Supporting slab / stand

Suitable structural materials capable of supporting the completed oven. We do not specify engineering sizes here.

Additional oven construction materials

Any structural or refractory materials required by the chosen oven design that are not among our listed products.

Flue / chimney system

A suitable oven flue, chimney and associated components for the selected design.

Weatherproof outer finish

Suitable enclosure, render, roof or weatherproof protection for an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven.

General building materials

Any additional mortars, aggregates, fixings or construction products specified by the chosen design.

Tools & PPE

Appropriate masonry and building tools, plus protective equipment when cutting bricks, board or fibre.

What The Stove Wizard supplies — and what to source elsewhere
Illustrated split of pizza oven materials from The Stove Wizard versus materials sourced elsewhere The Stove Wizard supplies fire bricks, refractory clay, calcium silicate board and ceramic fibre blanket. Foundation, stand, extra dome materials, flue, exterior finish, general building materials and tools are sourced elsewhere. This is not a complete oven kit. From The Stove Wizard ✓ Fire bricks ✓ Refractory clay ✓ Calcium silicate board ✓ Ceramic fibre blanket Specialist materials — not a complete kit Source elsewhere • Foundation / base materials • Structural stand / slab materials • Any additional dome construction materials • Flue / chimney • Exterior / weatherproof finish • General building materials and tools / PPE

The Stove Wizard supplies specialist refractory and insulation products for a DIY pizza oven. We do not sell a complete pizza oven kit.

Example pizza oven build sequence

  1. 01

    Plan the oven

    Finalise the cooking-floor dimensions, dome, entrance, flue and insulation build-up using a proven oven design.

  2. 02

    Build the foundation

    Construct a suitable stable foundation and supporting stand.

  3. 03

    Create the supporting slab

    Construct the suitable load-bearing surface required by the chosen design.

  4. 04

    Install under-floor insulation

    Install the calcium silicate board according to its product guidance and the selected oven design.

  5. 05

    Build the cooking floor

    Lay and cut the refractory cooking-floor materials to the required shape.

  6. 06

    Build the oven chamber

    Construct the refractory oven chamber, dome and entrance according to the chosen proven oven plan.

  7. 07

    Install the flue

    Fit the correctly designed flue and chimney system.

  8. 08

    Insulate the dome

    Install the required ceramic fibre blanket around the completed refractory chamber.

  9. 09

    Weatherproof the oven

    Add the appropriate protective enclosure or weatherproof finish.

  10. 10

    Dry and cure

    Follow the drying and curing instructions for every material and the selected oven design before progressively bringing the oven into service.

Example build sequence
  1. Foundation
  2. Insulation
  3. Cooking floor
  4. Oven chamber
  5. Flue
  6. Dome insulation
  7. Weatherproof
  8. Dry / cure
  9. Cook

Before you order your pizza oven materials

1. Finalise your oven size

Changing the internal diameter changes almost every material requirement.

2. Use a proven oven design

This guide explains the construction principles and our materials; it is not a substitute for complete structural plans.

3. Confirm the insulation build-up

Know the required board and blanket thickness before ordering.

4. Allow for cutting and waste

Include a sensible allowance for cuts, joints, overlaps and accidental breakage.