Map every fence run
Measure each independent stretch end to end and enter it as a separate run. The planner supports up to 50 runs and preserves each run's physical rounding boundary.
Outdoor calculator
Fence Calculator
Plan up to 50 fence runs with gates and shared corners. Calculate panels or pickets, fence posts, rails, post-hole concrete, waste, and material cost with US, metric, or mixed units.
How many fence panels, posts, and concrete bags does your layout need?
Runs, gates, panels or pickets, posts, concrete, and cost
Project inputs
Enter dimensions
Material plan
Pickets to buy
Planning purchase quantity
221pickets
Run-level layout rounding · 10% primary-material waste
Material summary
Total fence length100 ft
Net fence length after gates100 ft
Pickets to buy221
Rails required26
Total posts14
Line / intermediate posts12
End posts2
Corner posts0
Gate posts0
Gates0
Concrete volume32.99 ft³ · 1.222 yd³ · 934.1 L
80 lb concrete bags55
Fence run breakdown
Run 1
100 ft total · 100 ft net · 201 layout pickets · 14 base posts
Material cost
Estimated picket cost
Enter a price per picket to estimate material cost.
How it's calculated
Gates are deducted from their assigned runs. Sections and picket coverage are calculated per run and whole layout quantities are summed. Waste applies only to pickets. Independent endpoints are counted separately; each corner replaces two end posts with one shared corner post, and each gate adds two gate posts. Concrete uses π × radius² × depth × total posts.
Worked example
Two runs, one gate, and one shared corner
This production-engine example uses 32 ft and 20 ft runs, a 4 ft gate, 8 ft panels, 10% waste, 12 in × 3 ft holes, and the unit prices shown in the planner data.
Total length
52 ft
Net length
48 ft
Panels to buy
7
Total posts
10
Concrete
23.56 ft³ · 40 bags
Material cost
$1,370.00
Method
How to calculate fence materials
Add each fence run, assign gates to the affected run, identify shared corners, and choose individual pickets or prefabricated panels. The planner calculates each run before aggregating posts, concrete, purchasing quantities, and optional material costs.
Assign gates once
Add up to 20 gate entries, select the affected run, and enter width plus quantity. The opening is deducted exactly once and cannot exceed that run.
Choose panels or custom pickets
Panel mode uses actual panel width. Individual-picket mode retains post spacing, rails per section, actual picket width, and picket gap.
Round where material is constrained
Panels, sections, and picket layout quantities round within each run. Purchase waste cannot reduce the sum of those whole-run layout requirements.
Count endpoints and corners
Independent runs retain separate endpoints. Enter a shared corner only when two run endpoints physically meet; one corner then replaces two end posts.
Plan gate posts
Every gate quantity adds two dedicated gate posts. Adjacent gates or designs that share gate posts require a project-specific adjustment outside this simplified model.
Estimate post-hole concrete
Enter hole diameter and depth in any supported linear units. Cylindrical volume is calculated for every post, then converted to cubic feet, cubic yards, liters, and bags.
Apply waste selectively
Waste raises panel or picket purchasing quantity only. Fixed post, rail, gate, and concrete counts remain tied to the submitted geometry.
Build the material cost
Optional unit prices create category subtotals and a total for entered-price categories. This remains a material planner, not a labor estimate.
Verify field assumptions
Confirm property lines, utilities, frost depth, wind loads, post embedment, hardware, and local code separately before purchasing or construction.
Common questions
Fence calculator FAQ
How many fence panels do I need?
Add each independent fence run, assign every gate to its run, and enter the actual panel width. The planner subtracts gate openings and rounds panel demand up inside each run before adding the runs, so separate short remainders are not incorrectly combined.
How many fence posts do I need?
Each independent run starts with a post at both ends and receives intermediate posts from its calculated sections. A declared corner replaces two coincident end posts with one corner post. Each gate adds two dedicated gate posts under this planner's non-shared-gate-post assumption.
Why are separate fence runs rounded separately?
A leftover fraction of a panel or section on one disconnected run usually cannot cover a remainder on another run. Run-level ceilings preserve that physical purchasing constraint; rounding only the combined length can underestimate materials.
How do gates change fence materials?
Gate width multiplied by quantity is deducted once from the selected run before panel, picket, rail, and line-post calculations. Gate quantity itself is not reduced and does not receive waste. The planner rejects a gate width total larger than its assigned run.
How are fence corners counted?
Runs are independent unless you enter shared corners. Every corner converts two run endpoints into one physical corner post, reducing the combined post total by one. The tool does not guess geometry or which endpoints meet.
How does the fence post spacing calculator work?
In individual-picket mode, each run's net length is divided by maximum post spacing and rounded up to whole sections. Actual average spacing may be shorter. Confirm allowable spacing with the fence system manufacturer and local requirements.
How is concrete for fence posts estimated?
The fence concrete estimate treats each post hole as a cylinder: pi times radius squared times depth, multiplied by total posts. It does not subtract post displacement. Bag count uses a centralized nominal yield and rounds up; verify the actual bag label.
Where does the waste allowance apply?
Waste applies only to the primary material—panels or pickets—then purchasing quantity rounds up. It is not added to fixed posts, gates, rails, or concrete bags.
Can I calculate a custom picket fence instead of panels?
Yes. Individual-picket mode preserves the existing width-and-gap formula and calculates run-level sections, posts, rails, and pickets. Use actual picket face width rather than nominal lumber size.
What does the fence material cost include?
The total includes only categories for which you enter a unit price: panels or pickets, posts, rails when applicable, gates, and concrete bags. Labor, gate hardware, fasteners, delivery, taxes, permits, and tools remain excluded.
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