Wood & Vinyl Fence Material Estimator
Estimate posts, pickets or panels, rails, and the concrete per post hole from your fence length. Works for wood privacy, picket, and shadowbox styles and vinyl panels, with post spacing, gates, and a waste allowance.
How to Estimate Fence Materials
A fence material list starts from the length of the fence line. Enter the total linear feet, the height, and the post spacing, then pick a wood or vinyl style. The calculator above returns the posts, the pickets or panels, the rails, the concrete per post hole, and the gate count, with a waste allowance built in. Measure the run with a wheel or long tape and round corners into the total length.
Posts and Spacing
Posts carry the fence, so the count drives the concrete and the labor. Divide the fence length by the on center spacing, round up for the number of sections, and add one for the final post. Most wood and vinyl fences set line posts at 6 or 8 feet on center; tighter spacing stiffens a tall privacy fence against wind. Corner, end, and gate posts are counted in the total but should be set deeper and in more concrete than line posts.
Pickets, Panels, and Rails
For a wood fence, pickets per linear foot is 12 divided by the picket width plus the gap. A tight 5.5 inch (1x6) privacy picket is about 2.18 per foot; a 3.5 inch (1x4) with a 2.5 inch gap drops to about 2 per foot. A shadowbox boards both faces, so it uses roughly double the pickets. Rails run between posts: 2 for a 4 foot fence, 3 for a 5 or 6 foot fence, and 4 at 8 feet.
Vinyl fence is sold as preassembled panels with the rails and pickets built in, so the count is simply the fence length divided by the panel width, usually 6 or 8 feet. Match the panel width to the post spacing so panels drop straight between posts without cutting.
Concrete per Post Hole
A round post hole holds pi times the radius squared times the depth. A 10 inch by 30 inch hole is about 1.36 cubic feet. The quick field rule of one 50 pound bag per hole works for a fast shopping list, while the exact volume, minus the post and a gravel base, is closer to 3 to 4 bags of fast setting mix per hole. Bag the total by 50 pound or 80 pound mix, or order the full cubic yardage for a long run with the concrete calculator.
What a Fence Costs
Wood privacy fence materials usually run about $10 to $20 per linear foot, and vinyl runs about $20 to $40 per linear foot for materials. Installed by a contractor, a fence typically runs $25 to $60 per linear foot depending on the style, the height, and the terrain. Gates, corners, and rocky or sloped ground add to both the material and the labor.
Multiply your fence length by a local per foot rate for a quick budget, then add gate hardware and any stain or sealer for a wood fence.
Fence Building FAQ
Divide the fence length by the post spacing and round up to get the number of sections, then add one for the last post. At 8 feet on center, a 100 foot fence needs 13 sections and 14 posts. Corners, ends, and gate sides each still use one of those posts.
Divide 12 by the picket width plus the gap. A 5.5 inch (1x6) picket set tight for privacy is about 2.18 pickets per linear foot, so 100 feet needs about 218 before waste. Add a gap for a spaced picket look, which lowers the count, and double the pickets for a shadowbox that boards both sides.
A 10 inch diameter hole 30 inches deep holds about 1.36 cubic feet, which is one 50 pound bag as a quick field rule, or about 4 bags by exact volume once you leave room for the post and gravel base. Deeper or wider holes for taller fences and end posts use more, so size the hole to your fence height and frost line.
Set posts about one third of the above ground height into the ground, and always below the local frost line. A 6 foot fence commonly uses a 30 to 36 inch hole. Corner, end, and gate posts carry more load, so dig them deeper and wider than line posts.
A 4 foot fence usually uses 2 rails, a 5 or 6 foot fence uses 3, and an 8 foot fence uses 4. Total rail length is the fence length times the rails per section, then divide by your rail stock length for the board count. Vinyl panels come with their rails built in.
Wood privacy fence materials usually run about $10 to $20 per linear foot, and vinyl runs about $20 to $40 per linear foot for materials. Installed by a contractor, expect roughly $25 to $60 per linear foot depending on style, height, and terrain, with gates and corners adding cost.