Fence Calculator
Estimate linear feet, posts, rails, panels or pickets, and material cost for common backyard fence layouts.
Last updated: 2026-03-25
Fence calculator
Enter your values
Turn a simple yard layout into a realistic material estimate instead of guessing posts and panels on the fly.
Fence Plan
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Enter yard dimensions, style, and gate width to estimate your fence material list.
Calculation History(0)
Example calculations
Tap an example to prefill the calculator with sample values.
Backyard privacy fence
Three-sided fence around a 60 x 40 lot
A common suburban backyard where the house covers the front run and one gate is excluded from the fence line.
Result: The gate barely changes the post count, but it does trim the billed linear footage.
Full picket perimeter
Four-sided decorative fence
Useful for a smaller front-yard enclosure where picket count matters more than panel count.
Result: Picket projects often look cheap by the foot until the picket count and gates are factored in.
Long chain-link run
Two straight runs with wider spans
A simple containment project where the linear footage dominates the material budget.
Result: Wider chain-link spans keep the section count down even on longer lots.
How the fence estimate works
The calculator turns yard dimensions and the number of fenced sides into gross linear footage, then subtracts gate width to get the actual fence run that needs material.
That adjusted run is divided by post spacing to estimate sections, posts, and style-specific material counts such as pickets or prebuilt panels.
Fence calculator FAQs
How side count, gate openings, and post spacing change the material plan.
Why does the side count matter so much?
Because many residential projects fence only two or three sides and let the house close the front of the yard. That changes the linear footage more than any other single input.
Does this include corner and end hardware?
No. The calculator estimates the main fence run only. Hardware, concrete, stain, and labor should be layered onto the core material plan separately.
Should I use actual post spacing or nominal panel width?
Use the spacing you expect to build or buy. Prebuilt panels and custom stick-built fences can have very different spacing assumptions, which is why the field is editable.
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</script> Related tools
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