Enter your fence length and post spacing to get the posts, sections, rails, pickets, and bags of concrete you need — plus an optional cost estimate for the whole run.
6–8 ft is standard; 8 ft matches pre-cut rails.
2 for a 4 ft fence, 3 for a 6 ft privacy fence.
1–2 bags per line post is typical.
Materials needed
14 posts
Counts round up so you never come up short. Add ~10% for waste and extra posts for every corner, end, and gate. Cost is materials only — add labor, overhead, and margin for a full quote.
A fence is built from repeating sections, and every count follows from the run length and your post spacing. Get those two numbers right and the rest is arithmetic:
These are planning estimates. Buy about 10% extra for cuts, waste, and warped boards, and add posts for every corner, end, and gate. If fencing is a service you sell, fold the material total into a real quote with the job pricing calculator so labor, overhead, and margin are covered too.
A material list is the start of an estimate, not the finish. Price the posts, rails, pickets, concrete, and hardware, then add labor at your crew rate, a slice of overhead, and your profit margin. Fencing pairs well with grading, sod, and cleanup work, so it is a natural add-on for crews starting out. If you are building the business around it, read how to start a landscaping business for the licensing, insurance, and pricing basics. When you need to bill the finished fence, you can send it from a free invoice app.
Divide the total run by your post spacing, round up to the next whole section, then add one post to cap the final section. For a 100 ft fence at 8 ft spacing that is ceil(100 ÷ 8) = 13 sections, so 13 + 1 = 14 posts. Corners and gates add posts on top of that.
Six to eight feet on center is standard for wood and vinyl privacy fence. Eight feet is the most common because it matches pre-cut 8 ft rails and keeps post and concrete counts down. Tighter spacing (6 ft) adds rigidity on windy sites or tall privacy fences.
One to two 50–60 lb bags per post covers most 4x4 wood and vinyl line posts set 24–30 inches deep. Heavier corner, gate, and 6x6 posts can take three or more. The calculator defaults to 2 bags per post, which is a safe planning number for a standard residential fence.
Convert the fence length to inches, then divide by the picket width plus the gap between pickets. A 100 ft fence with 5.5 in pickets and a 0.25 in gap needs ceil(1,200 ÷ 5.75) = 209 pickets. Set the gap to 0 for a tight board-on-board or side-by-side privacy look.
Yes. The Fence Material Calculator is completely free, with no signup and no credit card. It runs entirely in your browser. When you are ready to quote and schedule the install, Fieldtics has a free plan too so you can send the estimate and book the job.
Need a different estimate? Browse all free tools for service businesses.
Take off the material here, then run the whole job in Fieldtics — quotes, scheduling, and invoicing in one free app. The free tier covers unlimited clients, job scheduling, a customer CRM, and the mobile app with no credit card. The $29/mo Professional tier adds quotes, invoicing, online payments, and team scheduling. Trusted by 500+ service businesses.