Fence Calculator
How much material for a fence? Enter the length, height and style, and get posts, pickets or panels, rails and concrete bags — plus the call-before-you-dig warning.
8 ft is standard; 6 ft is sturdier in wind.
Fence — 100 ft long, 6 ft high
14 posts — 8-ft posts (2 ft buried) · 13 sections
200 pickets / boards — 39 rails (3 per section)
Concrete: 28 bags of 50-lb concrete mix (about 2 per post). Add 1 gate frame, hinges and latch — gates need sturdier posts, so set gate posts in extra concrete. Posts should be buried at least 2 ft (deeper in frost country — below the frost line) and set in concrete, not just backfilled with soil.
Estimate. Check the property line and local rules before digging — many areas limit fence height and require a permit, and you must call 811 (or your local utility locator) before digging post holes.
Formula used: Posts = (fence length ÷ post spacing) + 1. Pickets = fence length in inches ÷ (picket width + gap). Concrete ≈ 2 bags (50 lb) per post. Post length = fence height + 2 ft buried.
How this estimate works: A fence is counted in sections: the length divided by the post spacing gives the sections, plus one post at the end. Pickets are counted from the total length divided by the picket width plus its gap — a privacy fence has no gap, so it takes more boards than a picket fence of the same length. Each post gets about two 50-pound bags of concrete, and posts run 2 feet below grade so frost cannot heave them.
How the fence calculator works
A fence is counted in sections: the length divided by the post spacing gives the sections, plus one post at the end. Pickets are counted from the total length divided by the picket width plus its gap — a privacy fence has no gap, so it takes more boards than a picket fence of the same length. Each post gets about two 50-pound bags of concrete, and posts run 2 feet below grade so frost cannot heave them. Check the property line and local rules before digging, and call 811 (or your local utility locator) before digging post holes.
Try next: Drywall Calculator · Insulation Calculator · Decking Calculator
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