Fence Post & Panel Calculator
Estimate the posts, panels, rails, pickets and post-concrete you need for a straight run of fence from its length and your chosen spacing.
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Includes one end post
- 1
Fence bays
⌈30 ÷ 2.40⌉ = 13 - 2
Posts needed
13 + 1 = 14One extra post for the far end of the run.
How does this calculator work?
For a straight run, posts equal the length divided by post spacing, rounded up, plus one. Panels and pickets are the length divided by panel width and by picket-plus-gap pitch. Rails are panels times 2 or 3 by height, and budget about 0.05 m³ of concrete per post.
Formula
How this is calculated
Posts are spaced evenly along the run, so the number of bays equals the total length divided by the post spacing rounded up; one extra post is added because a fence with N bays needs N + 1 posts (one at each junction plus the two ends). A common spacing is 2.4 m (about 8 ft). Panels (or sections) are the total length divided by the width of one panel, rounded up so the last partial bay is still covered.
Rails are the horizontal members within each section. Lower fences (height of 1.2 m or less) typically use 2 rails per section, while taller fences use 3 for rigidity, so rails = panels × that count. Pickets are the vertical boards: each picket occupies its own width plus the gap to the next one, so the count is the length divided by (picketWidth + gap), rounded up.
Post concrete is estimated at 0.05 m³ per post, a typical allowance for a ~250 mm diameter hole around 600 mm deep. All lengths must use the same unit (metres here). The model assumes a single straight run with no gates or corners; add posts and materials manually for gates, returns, and corners, and round up when buying to allow for offcuts and waste.
Frequently asked questions
A fence divided into N equal bays needs a post at every join plus one at each end, which always works out to N + 1 posts for a straight run.
It uses 2 rails per section for fences 1.2 m and under, and 3 rails for taller fences to keep panels stiff and resist sagging or wind load.
This tool allows 0.05 m³ per post, suitable for a roughly 250 mm wide hole about 600 mm deep. Bigger or deeper holes for tall or exposed fences will need more.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Fence Post & Panel Calculator [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/fence-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Fence Post & Panel Calculator." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/fence-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Fence Post & Panel Calculator," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/fence-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_fence_calculator, title = {Fence Post & Panel Calculator}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/fence-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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