Fence Calculator
Find how many fence panels and posts you need for a fence run, and how long the posts should be.
For one straight run. Treat each side of a corner as its own run and subtract the shared corner post, and add a post for each side of a gate.
About this tool
Enter the length of the fence, the panel width and the post width. The calculator works out the number of panels and posts for a straight run, whether the last panel needs cutting, and the post length needed for your fence height plus the depth set in the ground.
Frequently asked questions
A straight run needs one post more than the number of panels. For example, a 10 m fence of 1.83 m panels with 100 mm posts needs 6 panels and 7 posts.
A common guide is about 600 mm (2 ft) in the ground for a typical garden fence, so a 1.8 m (6 ft) fence needs 2.4 m (8 ft) posts. Go deeper for tall fences, exposed sites or soft soil.
In the UK, panels are usually 6 ft (1.83 m) wide and 3–6 ft high. In the US, wood fence sections are commonly 8 ft wide, held by 4×4 posts that actually measure 3½ × 3½ in.
Calculate each straight side separately, then subtract one post for every corner, since the corner post is shared. A gate needs a sturdy post on each side; leave the gate width out of the panel run.
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