Materials List
Enter your local prices to estimate total material cost.
Fence Anatomy Diagram
How to Use This Calculator
- Choose your fence style — wood picket, privacy board-on-board, solid, split rail, or chain link.
- Set your fence height — most residential fences are 6 ft.
- Set post spacing — 8 ft is standard for wood fences; 10–12 ft for chain link.
- Enter your fence length(s) — add multiple sections for L-shaped or U-shaped yards.
- Add gates — select single (4 ft) or double (8 ft) gate counts.
- See your materials list instantly — posts, rails, pickets/boards, and concrete bags.
- Optional: open the Cost Estimator and enter local prices for a budget estimate.
- Export or print — take the list to your hardware store.
💡 Tip: Always buy 10% more material than the estimate to account for waste, bad cuts, and damaged boards. Our picket and board counts already include this buffer.
Accurate, transparent estimates. Every calculation uses standard residential fencing practices. Formulas are shown in full — no black box. This tool runs entirely in your browser. No data is collected or stored. Privacy policy →
Frequently Asked Questions
Divide your total fence length by your post spacing, then add 1 for the far end post.
Example: 100 ft of fence with 8 ft post spacing → floor(100 ÷ 8) + 1 = 14 posts.
Add 2 posts per single gate and 3 posts per double gate (both gate sides need their own posts).
Most residential wood and vinyl fences use 8-foot spacing — it balances material cost and structural strength.
- 6 ft spacing — stronger, used in high-wind areas or for tall privacy fences
- 8 ft spacing — standard for wood picket and privacy fences
- 10 ft spacing — common for split rail fences
- 10–12 ft spacing — typical for chain link fences
For a standard 6-foot fence with 4×4 posts, plan on 2 bags of 80 lb Quikrete per post.
The calculation: post hole depth ≈ half the fence height. For a 6 ft fence, the hole is roughly 3 ft deep × 10 inches wide ≈ 1.2 cubic feet. One 80 lb bag covers 0.6 cu ft, so 2 bags per post.
For corner posts and gate posts (which bear more weight), consider adding an extra bag.
For standard 1×4 pickets (3.5 inches actual width) with a 1.5-inch gap, you need about 3 pickets per linear foot.
For 1×6 boards in a solid privacy fence (5.5 inches wide, no gap), you need about 2.2 boards per linear foot.
Our calculator adds a 10% waste allowance for mis-cuts, knots, and damaged boards automatically.
The general rule: one-third of the total post length should be buried underground.
For a 6-foot fence using 9-foot posts, bury 3 feet. In frost-prone areas, you may need to go below the frost line (24–48 inches in northern US states).
Check your local building code — many municipalities have minimum post depth requirements.
Board-on-board (or shadow box) fencing alternates boards on both sides of the rails, with each board overlapping the previous by about 1 inch. This creates a fully solid visual barrier from all angles while allowing better air circulation.
It requires more boards than a solid fence (because of the overlap and double-sided alternating pattern) but offers better privacy than picket and superior aesthetics compared to a flat solid fence.
This calculator provides a close estimate based on standard residential fencing practices. It is designed for planning and material budgeting — not for replacing a contractor's on-site measurement.
Actual requirements may differ based on:
- Terrain (slopes require more posts)
- Exact board widths from your specific supplier
- Local building codes and permit requirements
- Corner configuration of your yard
Always buy 10% more material than the estimate. We include this buffer in picket and board counts. See the "How We Calculated This" section for full formula details.
Yes. Toggle to Metric (m) at the top of the inputs. Your existing lengths will be converted automatically. All outputs will show metric equivalents where applicable.