How to Measure Your Fence Run
Walk the planned fence line with a tape measure or measuring wheel, and add up the length of every straight section, including corners. Include the width of any gate openings in this total — the calculator accounts for them separately when estimating posts and material.
Wood vs. Panels vs. Chain Link
A board-by-board wood fence is built from individual posts, horizontal rails, and pickets or boards nailed in place — it offers the most flexibility for custom heights and styles but takes longer to install. Pre-built panels arrive as ready-made sections in fixed widths (commonly 6 ft or 8 ft in the US, 1.8 m or 2.4 m in the UK), which speeds up installation but limits how finely you can adjust spacing. Chain link uses a continuous roll of mesh fabric stretched between posts spaced further apart, making it the fastest and most economical option for boundary fencing.
Why Gate Posts Need Extra Support
Gate posts carry the weight of the gate itself plus the stress of repeated swinging, so they're typically set deeper and with more concrete than standard line posts. This calculator adds one dedicated gate post per gate beyond the standard spacing count to reflect that extra structural demand.
How Much Concrete Per Post?
A typical fence post needs about two bags of concrete to set properly, depending on hole depth and post size. As a rule of thumb, plan to bury at least one-third of the total post length in the ground — for a 6 ft fence, that means an 8 ft post with roughly 2 ft set below grade.
US vs. UK Fence Standards
In the United States, wood fence posts are typically spaced 8 ft apart and concrete is sold in 50 lb bags. In the United Kingdom, post spacing is commonly measured in 2.4 m runs to match standard panel sizes, and post-fixing concrete is sold in 25 kg bags. This calculator switches both the units and the underlying defaults automatically based on the standard you select.