Fence Calculator

For a fence, you need one post per section plus one extra, a set of rails for each section, and enough pickets to fill the length. A 100 ft fence with posts every 8 ft has 13 sections, so it needs 14 posts. A 6 ft fence gets 3 rails per section, so that is 39 rails, and 3.5 in pickets with 1.75 in gaps need 229 pickets.

Posts come from dividing the length by the post spacing and rounding up, plus one for the far end. Spacing of 6 to 8 ft is common, since standard rails come in 8 ft lengths. Closer posts make a stiffer fence. The height sets the rail count on Auto: 2 rails up to 4 ft, 3 rails up to 6 ft and 4 rails above that, which helps stop tall pickets from warping. You can also pick a rail count yourself. The total rail length is the number of rails per section times the fenced length.

Pickets are the length in inches divided by the picket width plus the gap. Set the gap to 0 for a solid privacy fence. Board-on-board styles need extra, so plan those by hand. Turn on the gate option to leave a 4 ft opening. The opening comes out of the rails and pickets, and the tool adds a post so the gate has one on each side. Use sturdier posts there, since they carry the gate. The height also sets the post length. Each post goes one third of the fence height into the ground, but at least 2 ft, so a 6 ft fence needs 8 ft posts. You also get the face area of the fence for buying stain or paint.

Posts are usually set in concrete. The Concrete Calculator in column mode works out the mix for all the holes at once. For a fence line measured in meters, convert it first with the Length Converter.