Fence Calculator
Footage in. Posts, pickets and concrete out. This fence calculator adds your digging time, labor costs and margin so you can price the whole job.
Measure your fence
Enter each straight run separately, excluding gates. Price materials for your chosen fence height. Switching material adjusts the gap and post width; review all rates below.
Why this number
Use the selected fence system's specified spacing. Each run rounds up to whole bays.
Why this number
Subtract a post only where two entered runs share one physical post. Open chains only; closed loops need a separate layout.
Why this number
Square for wood and vinyl; round for chain link. Use the actual solid or concrete-displacing post dimension.
Why this number
Concrete column only. Gravel beneath it and unfilled space above it are excluded.
Your materials and work rates
Illustrative starting numbers, not local market averages. Replace them with supplier quotes and your own work speeds.
Why this number
Applies to wood pickets/rails, chain mesh and concrete. Whole vinyl panel kits are counted by bay, with no extra kit allowance.
Why this number
Example: 0.60 ft³ for an 80 lb bag of standard mix. Check your product.
Why this number
Include mixing, handling and setting, not just drilling. Drying time is not labor time.
Why this number
Includes rails/pickets, panel kits or mesh installation, depending on your selected mode.
Labor, overhead and profit
Why this number
Include labor not covered by the production rates, such as gates, disposal or drainage outlets.
Why this number
Your cost per person-hour, including payroll burden. Not your billing rate.
Why this number
Delivery, disposal, gate assemblies, permits, engineering or other materials. Add their labor separately.
Why this number
Price = cost / (1 - margin). Must be below 100%.
Estimated job price
$4,075
30.0% actual margin. Before sales tax. Rounded up to $5.
| Fence length | 100 ft |
| Posts | 14 posts |
| Bays | 13 sections |
| Concrete to mix | 0.8 yd³ |
| Concrete bags | 36 bags |
| Pickets incl. waste | 244 pickets |
| Rails incl. waste | 43 rails |
Your cost breakdown
- Dig and set posts
- 7.00 person-hr
- Installation
- 10.00 person-hr
- Labor incl. extra time
- $665
- Equipment + extra costs
- $100
- Overhead
- $259
- Profit
- $1,223
Straight runs only. Exclude gate openings from runs; add gate assemblies, additional posts and labor separately.
Hole dimensions are quantity inputs, not footing recommendations. Confirm soil, frost depth, wind exposure, utilities and the fence manufacturer's details.
Picket layout uses full bay lengths and may overallow boards at exposed posts. Rails are pieces spanning one bay; choose stock long enough.
How does the fence material calculator count posts and boards?
For each straight run, divide the length by the maximum post spacing, round up, then add one end post. Count runs separately and subtract shared corner posts once. The calculator turns those bays into wood rails and pickets, vinyl panel kits or chain-link mesh, then estimates concrete and labor.
Posts per open run = round up(length ÷ spacing) + 1. Job price = total cost ÷ (1 − target margin).
Concrete is round-hole volume minus the post's displacement. Bag yield varies by product. For another pour on the same job, use the concrete volume and cost calculator.
QUIKRETE's post-setting guide describes hole sizing and a gravel layer below the concrete. Our fill-depth input excludes that gravel. Get your actual dimensions from the specified fence system and site requirements, not from the calculator's starting numbers.
Wood, privacy, picket, vinyl or chain link: what changes?
| Fence type | What this tool counts | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Wood privacy | Posts, rails, boards, concrete | Actual board width, overlap and stock rail length |
| Wood picket | Same wood takeoff, with an editable gap | Spacing pattern and the shorter board price |
| Vinyl | Posts, whole panel kits, concrete | Specified bay width and kit contents |
| Chain link | Posts, mesh footage, concrete | Terminal posts, top rail, ties, tension bars and roll rounding |
Fence height matters when you choose materials and production rates. Enter prices for the correct post length, board height, panel kit or mesh roll. Changing the material menu doesn't magically turn a six-foot privacy quote into a four-foot picket quote.
A 100-foot wood fence estimate, worked through
This hypothetical example uses one straight run, 8-foot maximum spacing, 5.5-inch pickets with no gap, three rails per bay and 10% extra infill and concrete. The 3.5-inch square posts sit in 12-inch round holes with 24 inches of concrete fill. These are quantity assumptions, not a recommended footing design.
| Line | Example |
|---|---|
| Posts and bays | 14 posts, 13 bays |
| Pickets and rails, including allowance | 244 pickets, 43 rails |
| Concrete, including allowance | 0.80 yd³; 36 bags at 0.60 ft³ each |
| Materials | $1,828 |
| Labor | 7 hours digging/setting + 10 installing + 2 cleanup = 19 person-hours |
| Loaded labor | 19 × $35 = $665 |
| Equipment | $100 |
| Overhead | 10% × $2,593 = $259.30 |
| Total cost | $2,852.30 |
| Price at 30% target margin | $4,075, rounded up to $5 |
The material subtotal uses $25 posts, $3 pickets, $8 rails, $7 concrete bags and a $150 hardware allowance. Replace these example prices with supplier quotes. Two people sharing 19 person-hours do not necessarily finish in 9.5 elapsed hours: access, task sequence and curing time still matter.
Turn fence installation cost into a quote
Add materials, loaded labor, equipment and other costs, then overhead. Divide by one minus your margin. A 30% markup is different from a 30% margin; the margin and markup calculator shows the difference.
- Walk the route and confirm boundaries, access, utilities and the fence specification.
- Separate runs at corners and gates. Count any shared posts carefully.
- Replace material prices and work rates with your own numbers.
- Add removal, hauling, gate assemblies, delivery, permits and extra labor before sending the quote.
When the scope is ready, WinPal's landscaping estimating tools help turn the numbers into an estimate. For other job types, browse the contractor calculator library.
Common questions about the fence calculator
How many fence posts do I need for 100 feet?
For one straight, open run with a maximum spacing of 8 feet, you need 14 posts: round 100 ÷ 8 up to 13 bays, then add the end post. Gates, corners and changes in direction need their own layout. Enter separate runs and subtract only genuinely shared corner posts.
How many pickets do I need for a privacy fence?
Divide each bay's width by the actual picket width plus the gap, allowing for no gap after the last board, then round up per bay. Our 100-foot example uses 221 boards before its 10% allowance, or 244 to buy. Shadowbox, overlapping boards and exposed posts need different layouts.
Can I use this as a vinyl fence calculator?
Yes. Select vinyl panel kits, enter the manufacturer's post spacing and use a kit price that excludes posts. The tool counts a kit for each bay, including a shortened end bay. Check whether kits include caps and brackets so your fittings allowance doesn't pay for them twice.
Does the chain-link fence calculator count all the fittings?
It estimates posts, mesh footage and post concrete. Top rail, tension bars, ties, terminal-post upgrades and gates belong in your fittings or extra-cost allowance. Mesh prices must match the chosen height and gauge. Divide footage by the supplier's roll length and round up when placing the order.
How much concrete do I need per fence post?
Calculate the round hole volume, subtract the volume displaced by the post, and divide by the bag's yield. Use only the depth filled with concrete. This tool totals all holes before rounding up bags, so the crew can share leftover mix between holes. Confirm the footing detail before ordering.
Turn the numbers into your next estimate.
Use your reviewed quantities and rates to create an estimate in WinPal.