For a more intimate gathering space a 3 foot wide fire pit would work.
Standard fire pit size.
By having a wider coping you can use the fire pit for more the just a fire pit.
The size of fire pits varies greatly.
So now figure how much room you want to have around the fire pit.
Built in units often have an exterior dimension of 36 inches to 58 inches.
Be sure that you leave room to move chairs around and walk behind them.
Most store bought units are available in a 24 inches to 30 inch size.
So at the 36 inside diameter with say 14 coping that gives us an outside diameter of 36 14x2 64 inches.
You also need to take the depth in ground or height above ground of the fire pit into consideration.
Or you go up to 6 feet wide including the thickness of the walls to accommodate six or more people.
Local ordinances permitting your fire pit should ideally measure between 36 and 44 inches wide including.
A fire pit itself is rarely bigger than four or five feet across and the patio space around it should be an additional six feet or so on all sides.
15 to 20 feet 4 6 to 6 1 meters long and wide or larger most fire pits besides the small movable models are 3 to 6 feet 0 9 meter to 1 8 meters across.
Building a fire pit yourself offers room for customization on every detail size included.
If you want to be able to sit on the edge of the pit itself go a bit higher 18 20 inches will be comfortable.
Lets say 4 for a sitting area and such.
I like to plan for about 5 feet around the fire pit for seating and access.
If you re choosing low slung seating such as adirondack chairs don t forget to account for the extra real estate they take up.
As an added precaution the fire pit should be lined with a thick steel ring like the ones used for park campfires.
Cut the circle out of the soil or sod using a shovel and dig down to a depth of about 6 inches.
When marking out the area where you want to build your fire pit allow for the outside diameter of the circle.
A good rule of thumb is to make an above ground fire pit 12 14 inches tall.
That will create enough room for a healthy fire but still keep gatherers close enough to chat.