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Fence Calculator

How much fence do you need? Add up each straight run in feet, then divide by the post spacing, round up and add one post, plus two per gate. A 100 ร— 50 ft backyard fenced on three sides is 200 ft: at 8 ft spacing with one gate that is 28 posts and about 471 pickets with 10% waste. Installed, a fence costs about $32.36โ€“$52.49 per foot (Homewyse national averages, September 2026). Enter your fence length below for posts, pickets or panels, rails, concrete and cost โ€” wood, vinyl, chain link or aluminum.

Last updated October 4, 2026

Your fence

Add up every straight run. Need help? Use the linear footage calculator.

Estimated installed cost

$5,211

$26.06 per foot ยท materials $2,811 + labor $2,400

Posts
28
Pickets
471
Rails (8 ft)
50
Concrete (80 lb)
54 bags

Homewyse's Sept 2026 national average for this fence type: $31.95โ€“$51.60 per foot installed. Full wood privacy calculator โ†’

๐Ÿ›’ Your materials list

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From a local lumber yard or home centre (bulky, sold by the piece): posts 28 4x4 ร— 8 ft posts ยท pickets 471 ยท rails 50 ร— 2x4 ร— 8 ft ยท concrete, if you skip the foam 54 ร— 80 lb bags

Adds 7 items with these quantities to your Amazon cart; you review them there before buying. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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๐Ÿ“ฑ Free Android Apps by Dixon App Studio

Take every calculator to the job site. Every app is free, works offline and needs no sign-up.

๐Ÿ—๏ธ Fence Type Calculators

Total project cost rollups by fence material.

Worked examples

Each row is one run of the calculator above with its default 2026 prices. Lengths are the total of every run; a 4 ft walk gate counts toward the length.

JobFenceLengthPostsPickets / panelsConcreteInstalledPer ft
Small backyard, 3 sides of 50 x 50 ftWood privacy150 ft, 1 gate22351 pickets43 bags$3,969$26.46
Typical backyard, 3 sides of 100 x 50 ftWood privacy200 ft, 1 gate28471 pickets54 bags$5,211$26.06
Same yard in vinylVinyl privacy200 ft, 1 gate2825 panels44 bags$6,699$33.49
Same yard in chain linkChain link200 ft, 1 gate25200 ft of mesh26 bags$3,458$17.29
Front yard, ornamentalAluminum ornamental80 ft, 1 gate1714 panels22 bags$4,757$59.46
Quarter acre perimeter (โ‰ˆ417 ft)Chain link417 ft, 2 gates49417 ft of mesh50 bags$7,083$16.99

How to measure for a fence

  1. Find the property line from your plat or survey, and check setbacks with the permit rules before you measure.
  2. Mark every corner with a stake and run string between them.
  3. Measure each straight run with a 100 ft tape or measuring wheel, in feet. Don't count the side the house closes.
  4. Mark the gates โ€” a 4 ft walk gate and a 10โ€“12 ft double drive gate are the usual sizes.
  5. Add up the runs and enter the total above. For L-shapes and odd lots, the linear footage calculator adds them for you; on sloped ground see fence on a slope.

What a fence costs in 2026

Homewyse national averages, September 2026, installed per linear foot:

Any fence$32.36โ€“$52.49
Wood privacy$31.95โ€“$51.60
Vinyl$55.93โ€“$79.02
Chain link$29.02โ€“$44.92

HomeAdvisor, updated Jun 20, 2026: average job $3,277, typical $1,860โ€“$4,843, most homeowners about $23 per foot. Whole-job ranges by material: Wood $2,100โ€“$9,400; Vinyl $3,150โ€“$8,300; Chain link $1,650โ€“$8,300; Aluminum $3,550โ€“$18,800; Wrought iron $5,250โ€“$11,400; Composite $2,250โ€“$9,400.

๐Ÿงฎ Components & Quantities

Estimate individual parts of your fence.

๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Specialty & Cost Tools

Niche fences, repair, removal, comparisons.

Picket Fence

Picket Fence

Classic wood picket fence cost.

Split Rail

Split Rail

2 or 3-rail rural fences.

Pool Fence

Pool Fence

Code-compliant pool barriers.

Deer Fence

Deer Fence

7โ€“8 ft mesh fencing.

Barbed Wire

Barbed Wire

Strands, posts and braces.

Electric Fence

Electric Fence

Wire, posts, charger.

Stain & Paint

Stain & Paint

Gallons needed for any fence.

Materials Cost

Materials Cost

Full project cost rollup.

Fence Removal

Fence Removal

Tear-out and disposal cost.

Fence Repair

Fence Repair

Repair posts, pickets, gates.

Fence Replacement

Fence Replacement

Tear-out, disposal and the new fence in one price.

Staining & Painting Cost

Staining & Painting Cost

Contractor or DIY, one side or both.

Wrought Iron Fence

Wrought Iron Fence

Ornamental steel vs true wrought iron, with gates.

Invisible Dog Fence Cost

Invisible Dog Fence Cost

In-ground, wireless or GPS vs a real fence.

Fence Comparison

Fence Comparison

Wood vs vinyl vs more.

Cost to Install

Cost to Install

Full installed price with a budget range.

Cost Per Foot

Cost Per Foot

Check any quote against a per-foot price.

Chain Link Cost/ft

Chain Link Cost/ft

Price by height, gauge and coating.

Horse Fence

Horse Fence

Paddock posts, rails and no-climb mesh.

Horizontal Fence

Horizontal Fence

Rows, board cuts, posts at 6 ft and cost.

Fence on a Slope

Fence on a Slope

Stepped vs racked, step height, post length.

Cinder Block Wall

Cinder Block Wall

Blocks, mortar, rebar, grout and footing.

Picket Spacing

Picket Spacing

Pickets per section and the exact equal gap.

T-Post Calculator

T-Post Calculator

Line T-posts, length, clips and braces.

Rabbit Fence

Rabbit Fence

Mesh rolls, stakes and burial depth.

Cantilever Gate

Cantilever Gate

Slide gate length, tail and clear run.

Fence Height Extension

Fence Height Extension

Extenders, topper panels, permit check.

Hog Wire Fence

Hog Wire Fence

Wire panels, posts, rails and concrete.

Cattle Panel Fence

Cattle Panel Fence

16 ft panels, T-posts, weight and cost.

Corrugated Metal Fence

Corrugated Metal Fence

Sheets, posts, rails and concrete.

Fence Boards

Fence Boards

Boards, rails, posts and board feet.

Fence Paint

Fence Paint

Gallons for one side or both, per coat.

H-Brace Calculator

H-Brace Calculator

Corner, gate and pull braces, posts and brace wire.

Fence Staples

Fence Staples

Staples and pounds for wire on wood posts.

Woven Wire Fence

Woven Wire Fence

Field fence rolls, T-posts and braces.

Cost to Fence an Acre

Cost to Fence an Acre

Linear feet and price by lot size.

Fence Cost by State

Fence Cost by State

Installed price per foot in all 50 states.

๐Ÿ“‹ Fence Reference

Straight answers with the tables, when you just want the number.

Fence calculator questions

How do I calculate how much fence I need?

Measure each straight run along the fence line in feet and add them up. A 100 x 50 ft backyard fenced on three sides (the house closes the fourth) is 50 + 100 + 50 = 200 ft. Gates are part of that length; the calculator subtracts their width from the pickets.

How many fence posts do I need?

Divide the fence length by the post spacing, round up and add one, then add two posts per gate. A 200 ft wood fence with posts every 8 ft and one gate needs 200 รท 8 = 25 sections, so 26 posts plus 2 for the gate: 28 posts.

How many fence pickets do I need?

A 5.5 in picket set tight covers 0.458 ft, so you need about 2.2 pickets per foot โ€” 18 per 8 ft section. 200 ft with one 4 ft gate and 10% waste is 471 pickets.

How many bags of concrete per fence post?

A 10 in hole 30 in deep around a 4x4 post holds about 1.1 cu ft of concrete, which is two 80 lb bags (0.6 cu ft each). 28 posts take 54 bags.

How much does a fence cost per foot?

Homewyse's September 2026 national averages are $31.95โ€“$51.60 per foot installed for a wood privacy fence, $55.93โ€“$79.02 for vinyl and $29.02โ€“$44.92 for chain link. HomeAdvisor reports most homeowners pay about $23 per foot, with an average job of $3,277.

How do I calculate fence panels?

Divide the fence length by the panel width and round up; posts are panels + 1, plus 2 per gate. 200 ft of 8 ft vinyl panels is 25 panels and 28 posts with one gate.

Is there a fence calculator app?

Yes โ€” the free Smart Fencing Calculator app for Android has the same estimators and keeps your estimates on the phone. On an iPhone, the fence tools are inside the Roofing Calculator & Estimator app, and every calculator here works in the browser with no sign-up.

Pricing a specific material? The wood, vinyl, chain link and composite calculators let you enter your supplier's prices; fence cost by state shows the local price per foot, and the cost per foot calculator checks a quote.

๐Ÿ“š Fencing Guides

Learn how to plan, install and maintain a fence.

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