Fence calculator

The fence line, the post spacing and the pickets in. Posts, rails and pickets to buy, and the installed price, out.

Result

150' 0" of fence takes 20 posts.

19 sections at 8 feet, 2 rails each: 38 rails of 8 feet. Pickets 5.5 inches wide, butted tight: 328.

What to buy

38 rails of 8 ft
328 pickets
A treated wood privacy fence installed, about $4,850 to $6,700 at $32.50 to $44.50 a linear foot

Measure the fence line along the ground, corner to corner. Leave out the width of any gate and count it on its own.

How the fence is counted

Sections: the length divided by the post spacing, rounded up. 150 feet at 8 feet is 18.75, so 19 sections.
Posts: one more than the sections, for the post at the far end: 20. Each corner and gate post is already one of them if it falls on the line; add any extra.
Rails: the sections times the rails in each, one rail the length of the spacing.
Pickets: the length in inches divided by the picket's width plus the gap, rounded up. 1,800 inches ÷ 5.5 = 327.3, so 328 for a privacy fence butted tight.

Posts = length ÷ spacing, rounded up, + 1Pickets = length (in) ÷ (picket width + gap), rounded up

Buy a few extra pickets for cuts and culls. The fence cost guide has wood, cedar and chain link by state, and the vinyl fence cost guide vinyl.

Common questions

How many posts for a 100 foot fence?

14 posts at 8 foot spacing: 13 sections plus the end post.

How many pickets for 100 feet of fence?

219 pickets 5.5 inches wide butted tight, before extras.

How far apart are fence posts?

Set by the rails and the fence's design; the calculator starts at 8 feet, the length of an 8 foot rail board. Check the manufacturer's instructions for a panel or vinyl system.

What does a wood fence cost installed?

$32.50 to $44.50 a linear foot for a 5 to 6 foot treated wood privacy fence, by the fence cost guide.

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