Have you considered a portable cast iron patio fireplace rather than a fire pit? Those round cinder block fire pits don't weather well ... they crack and break up. I'm on my second in under 10 years, and when it's time to replace my current one I'm definitely switching to portable cast iron fire place. My neighbour has one and I think it's a way better option. It looks nicer, lasts longer and you can move it around to suit your needs.
As for the patio. we put in an 1100 square foot patio using paving stone bricks a few years back. It was a lot of work, but the end result is great. If you go that route, you have to put in 6 to 8 inch subgrade of gravel and sand though, which pretty much means hiring a Bobcat to come in and dig out you existing sod and dirt, which solves your sod removal problem at least. It doesn't sound like that's the type of patio you're building though.
Even with patio blocks, I think it would be a good idea to build a bit of subgrade of gravel and sand to insure proper drainage and to keep the patio from heaving. I know of a few people who put in patios using either paving bricks or patio blocks and they figured they could get away without a proper subgrade. Then they wonder why their patio bucks and heaves within a couple years. Make sure you build a slope into the patio running away from your foundation as well to make sure water isn't channelled towards your house. You should be able to get information about what kind of subgrade to build and how much to slope the patio from wherever you're buying the patio blocks.
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