ProjectCalc (working name)

Fence Calculator

Posts, panels or pickets, rails and concrete for a wood privacy fence — gates included.

Feet — the full run including gate openings

ItemAmount
Sections
Posts (4×4, incl. gate posts)
Pre-built panels
Concrete, 80-lb bags

Planning figures: ~1.5 bags of concrete per post, panels/pickets rounded up to whole sections. Always confirm the property line before a single hole is dug.

🛒 Shopping list

ItemQty
4×4 posts (ground-contact rated)
Fence panels
Concrete, 80-lb bags
Gate hardware kits (hinges + latch)
Post caps
Exterior screws, 5-lb box (approx.)

✅ Project checklist

  • Call 811 for utility marking — free, and required in most states
  • Confirm the property line (survey stakes) and talk to the neighbor before you build on it
  • String line the run; mark post holes; dig below the frost line
  • Set posts in concrete, crowned at the top so water sheds; plumb and brace until set
  • Keep pickets/panels 2″ off the ground to stop rot and string-trimmer damage
  • Gates: diagonal brace runs from bottom-hinge side to top-latch side

How the math works

Sections = fenced length (total minus 4 ft per gate) ÷ post spacing, rounded up. Posts = sections + 1 end post + 2 per gate. Stick-built pickets are figured at real coverage — a 5.5″ picket with a 1/2″ gap covers 6″ of run, so an 8-ft section takes 16 pickets. Rails run horizontally between posts, one 2×4 cut to spacing length per rail.

For estimation only. HOA rules, setbacks and permit requirements vary — check before you dig.