hi Neryl and others, I love fire pits and we have a special area in the yard with stone seating around it. we love it and it is great for the kids and when they have friends over. we often burn these funny hexagonal 'logs' which are made from recycled something (I cant remember whether its paper or woodchips). we got them from Bunnings but I can't find them on bunnings website right now. they are called ecologs or something like that. they are slow burning and good. we have the chappala sun god fire pit from bunnings and it has been good. the metal parts do rust tho. the good thing about it is the screen lid which I feel is a bit safer. but the lid does get hot so you need an oven mitt or similar to lift it to roast marshmallows or add more wood or anything. downside is it has no drainage hole so fills with rainwater. good luck

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It should be in the fire place manufacturers details. They usually show minimum box sizes and state materials to be used.

are the bricks part of the original wall and floor construction or added later ..if it's not part of the original house then removing decorative brick walls and hearth is relatively straightforward for a handyperson (we removed ours with a hammer drill and a few hours hard work) but i would prefer a roof plumber to remove the flue and repair the external roof cladding (tiles or steel?) to ensure no potential leaks and then the biggest part of the job is carefully dismantling the flue and heater to avoid unnecessary damage and then repairs depend on the original construction and what you intend to do with the location after the fire is removed ..what are your plans and can you share some photos?