Fence Materials Calculator

Estimate a simple fence build from fence length, post spacing, picket width, gap, rails per bay, and waste allowance. Optional concrete-bag, fastener, and material-price fields help turn measurements into a practical shopping estimate.

Fence Inputs

Optional concrete, fastener, and price fields
Use one gate deduction and one concrete-bag estimate per post. Check corner posts, gate posts, and unusual post holes separately.
Posts are calculated from the effective fence run after one optional gate deduction. Gate posts, corner posts, and custom panel layouts should be checked separately.

Fence materials follow the bay and post relationship

A simple straight run is made of bays between posts. Once the effective run is known after a gate deduction, the calculator finds the bays, then adds one final end post. Rails follow bays; pickets follow their width and gap across the run.

POST ── BAY ── POST ── BAY ── POST

Fence calculation

bays = effective fence run ÷ maximum post spacing, rounded upposts = bays + 1; rails = bays × rails per bay

Pickets account for one fewer internal gaps than pickets across a straight run.

Gate, corner, and slope limits

A gate deduction reduces the filled run but does not choose gate-post, corner-post, return, or stepped-slope arrangements. Treat those as separate material decisions and use the result as the simple run’s starting quantity.

Fasteners and concrete

Optional fastener and bags-per-post fields help with a shopping estimate. The product system, hole dimensions, exposure, wind conditions, and local requirements determine the final fixing and footing choices.

Fence planning resources