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Fire grate size for fireplace

Updated: 21 October 2026

You have a tape and an opening the last grate called 14, 16 or 18 inches, and the new listing may mean a shorter piece of metal. The inch in the title is usually the opening, not the width of the casting. In this set the centimetre lines also disagree, so averaging them invents a third size. This page is the measuring job for fire grate size for fireplace. The nine listings are on the [fire basket comparison](/hub/outdoor-fire-pits/fire-basket). These lines were compared with UK grate shops on 20 October 2026. This is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a tape and an opening the last grate called 14, 16 or 18 inches, and the new listing may mean a shorter piece of metal. The inch in the title is usually the opening, not the width of the casting.

Our top picks

AB Tools AB Tools 14 inch grate

Best overall

AB Tools AB Tools 14 inch grate
6.8/10about £23.25
View offer
JVL JVL Arden grate

Rank 2

JVL JVL Arden grate
8.1/10about £22.99
View offer
AB Tools AB Tools 12 inch grate

Alternative

AB Tools AB Tools 12 inch grate
6.1/10about £22.68
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The inch is the opening
  2. 2.Front, rear, depth
  3. 3.What these listings actually print
  4. 4.Clearance and the tape on delivery

The inch is the opening

Ray Grahams: a 16 inch grate is not 16 inches of metal. It is made for an opening of 16 inches. The GR8 Regal and the Ofco four-leg grate are about 370 mm at the front.

Front, rear, depth

Firebacks taper. Measure the width at the front, the width at the rear, and the depth to the fireback. Depth on these listings often swaps place with height. A grate that clears the front can still hit the brick at the back.
AB Tools AB Tools 14 inch grate

Testsieger

AB Tools AB Tools 14 inch grate
6.8/10about £23.25
View offer

What these listings actually print

The Inglenook bullets say about 15 inches, 38 cm wide, 28 cm deep and 12 cm high. The item line says 38 × 38 cm. Some reviews measured about 13 inches. The AB Tools 14 inch grate, for a 16 inch fireplace, says 12 × 26 × 36 cm and 38 × 28 × 12 cm. The 12 inch grate, for a 14 inch fireplace, says 12 × 23 × 30.5 cm and 33 × 23 × 12 cm, and it uses the same photograph. The Thorness says 16 × 38 × 26 cm and 22 cm between the legs, against 26 × 38 × 15.99 cm. The JVL line H16 × W37 × D26 cm matches the item line. The Almineez is 18 cm wide. The VonLux has no fireplace size.

Clearance and the tape on delivery

Direct Fireplaces recommend 3 inches of clearance a side, so subtract 6 inches. That is their recommendation, not a British Standard. Measure the casting before you light it. Lighting is on how to use a fire basket. If it will not enter, or it falls between the cheeks, send it back. Do not bend the legs.

Common questions

What does 16 inch mean on a fire grate?
It means the fireplace opening the grate is sold for, not the width of the iron. Ray Grahams state that directly. A shop 16 inch grate is often about 370 mm at the front, as on the GR8 Regal and the Ofco four-leg grate, with a narrower rear. Burning Question’s 16 inch stool is about 14.5 inches across the front. If you order 16 inches of metal for a 16 inch opening, it can be too wide.
How do I measure a tapered opening?
Measure the width at the front, the width at the rear, and the depth to the fireback. Write all three down. A grate that fits the front can hit the taper at the back or sit proud of the gather. One number from the title cannot describe that shape. If the rear is much narrower than the front, a deep grate is the one most likely to foul.
How much gap should I leave?
Direct Fireplaces recommend 3 inches a side, so you subtract 6 inches from the width and the depth, and they place the grate towards the back. That is their recommendation, not a British Standard. A 50 mm side gap mentioned for gas fitters is a different note. Do not treat either figure as the law. Use it as a check against a casting that fills the opening edge to edge.
Which listing is for a 16 inch opening, and which is for 14?
In this set the AB Tools 14 inch grate is titled for a 16 inch fireplace, and the AB Tools 12 inch grate is titled for a 14 inch fireplace. The Inglenook and the Thorness are also sold against a 16 inch opening. The 18 inch Fire Vida is the listing that claims the larger opening. The titles are claims. The centimetre lines on the same pages disagree, so the title does not settle the metal.
Why do two centimetre lines disagree?
The bullets and the technical or item line are different fields, and on these pages they often describe different boxes. The AB Tools 14 inch grate says 12 × 26 × 36 cm in the bullets and 38 × 28 × 12 cm on the technical line. The 18 inch Fire Vida says H12 × W42 × D27 cm in the bullets and 16.5 × 10.6 × 4.7 cm on the item line. Do not average them. Measure the opening, then measure the parcel.
Is the Almineez, at 18 cm wide, a 16 inch grate?
No. The bullets say 18 cm wide, 39 cm deep and 28 cm high. A 16 inch opening is about 40 cm across. An 18 cm grate will not span it. It is a narrow basket for a width you have measured, indoors or in a garden spot the listing claims, not a replacement for a 16 inch stool. There is no printed weight and one review with no text.
What if the delivered grate is shorter than the title?
Measure it. Shop grates are often shorter than the titled opening, so 370 mm of metal for a 16 inch hole can be a normal fit. A review that measured about 13 inches on a 16 inch Inglenook, or 12 inches when they wanted 13 on the AB Tools 12 inch grate, is a reason to use the tape before you light. If it falls through the opening or will not enter, return it. Do not bend it to fit.

Related pages

Fire basket buying guide

Best fire basket

Fire basket

Fire basket garden rules: outdoor smoke and siting

How to use a fire basket: air, dry fuel, then stop

Sources

Public UK sources for smoke, fuel and fireplace clearance. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in this set. Checked 21 October 2026.

  1. Smoke control areas: the rules (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. Smoke control enforcement in England (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. Garden bonfires: the rules (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. Nuisance smoke: how councils deal with complaints (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. Environmental Protection Act 1990 section 79 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. Highways Act 1980 section 161A (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Selling wood for domestic use in England (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. Defra outdoor burning note (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  9. Direct Fireplaces fire baskets buying guide (retrieved 21 October 2026)