Fence calculator

How it is worked out

• Posts stand at most 8 ft apart, evenly spaced along each stretch, with one at each end.
• Two rails run between the posts, one near the top and one near the bottom.
• Boards stand side by side, one every 6 in.
• A gate hangs between two of the fence’s posts, on two rails of its own with a brace across its back from corner to corner.
• A post’s length here is what shows above the ground. Add what you set in the ground, commonly a third of the post’s height.

We lay out and count the sizes you pick, close enough to plan a weekend and price the lumber. Span tables, your local code and, on a bigger job, an engineer settle what size each board has to be.

Questions

How many fence posts do I need?

One at each end and one every 8 ft or less between, with one each side of a gate. The list counts them.

How many boards for a fence?

Two for every foot of fence, with 5½ in boards set 6 in on centre.

How deep do the posts go?

Your ground and your frost line decide. The lengths here are what stands above the ground.