Fence Cost Calculator — Materials & Labor
Building a new privacy or perimeter fence? Input your line length, post spacing, gates, and material unit costs below to instantly calculate post footings, rails, pickets, concrete bag counts, and contractor labor rates.
Fence Layout Parameters
Labor & Contingency Adjustments
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Step-by-Step Fence Material & Budget Estimation
A new privacy fence outlines property boundaries and secures pets, but estimating posts and picket panels requires matching your layout to structural wind-load parameters.
1. Calculating Fence Post Count
To estimate your total line posts, divide the total fence length by the desired post spacing, round up, and add one post for the terminating end:
Remember to buy extra posts if your fence has multiple corners or gates, as each gate requires two heavy hinge posts.
2. Horizontal Rails & Vertical Pickets
A standard 6-foot tall privacy fence requires three horizontal rail lines (typically 2x4 lumber) running between posts to prevent the pickets from bowing. Pickets are typically 5.5 inches wide, which means you need approximately 2.2 pickets per linear foot, assuming no gaps.
3. Concrete Post Footing Requirements
To prevent posts from tilting under heavy wind loads, each post hole should be dug to at least 10 inches in diameter for a 4x4 post. Fill each hole with 2 bags of pre-mixed 80lb concrete concrete, sloping the top above ground level to shed rainwater away from the wood.