Fence calculator
Fence shopping is posts first. Length ÷ spacing tells you how many holes to dig; panels or pickets fill the bays; a bit of bagged concrete keeps posts from leaning after the first windstorm. This page builds a materials list. It does not locate utilities, set HOA height rules, or price labor.
+8% so you don't come up short
Estimate only — not a contractor bid. Confirm bag yields and local codes before you pour or order.
When to use
Backyard line shopping list; replacing a run and reusing some posts; comparing 6 ft panel counts vs picket builds.
When not to
Retaining walls pretending to be fences. Gate hardware schedules with custom steel — separate takeoff. Property line disputes — bring a survey, not a calculator.
Assumptions
End/corner posts counted (posts ≈ sections + 1 for a straight run). Post spacing default 6–8 ft (editable). Concrete bags per hole are a DIY rule of thumb by hole size — label yield wins. Waste on pickets default 5–10%.
Worked examples
Example 1
96 ft straight run, 8 ft panels
→ 12 panels, 13 posts, rails = 12 × rails/bay
One gate bay replaces a panel — subtract a panel, add gate kit.
Example 2
48 ft picket fence, 5.5 in pickets with gap, waste 8%
→ picket count from length/coverage × 1.08; posts from spacing
Gates and corners need stouter posts — count them explicitly.
How it calculates
Divide the run into bays, count posts, then rails or pickets and bagged concrete.
- Enter run length and post / panel spacing.
- Choose panels or pickets; set rails per bay and bags per hole.
- Read posts, sections, rails, optional pickets, and concrete bags.
sections ≈ ceil(run_length ÷ spacing) posts ≈ sections + 1 rails ≈ sections × rails_per_bay pickets ≈ (run_length ÷ picket_width_with_gap) × (1 + waste%) if picket mode concrete bags ≈ posts × bags_per_hole
Common traps
- Corners and ends — a rectangle is not four straight runs of N posts without shared corners.
- Slope — stepped panels need more posts than a flat length suggests.
- Hole depth — frost lines change concrete, not panel count.
- HOA height / pool codes are rules, not math inputs we enforce.
Next tool
Post hole concrete volume → concrete calculator (holes mode) for yardage.
Deck on the other side of the gate → deck calculator.
FAQ
Sections + 1 for a straight run, plus corners/gates.
Related
Estimate only — not a contractor bid or engineered takeoff. Confirm bag yields and local codes before you pour or order.