Fence material calculator
How many posts, rails, pickets, and panels do you need?
Pick a material, enter your linear feet, height, and gate count. You'll get a ballpark list of everything you need. Posts, rails, panels or pickets, concrete bags, and gate hardware kits. Designed for Southwest Florida fence projects.
Fence material count
Posts, rails, panels & pickets calculator
Estimated material count
For 150 linear feet of vinyl / pvc fencing at 6' tall with 1 gate:
- Posts
- 27
- Rails
- 57
- Panels (6' wide)
- 25
- Concrete (60-lb bags)
- 27
- Gate hardware kits
- 1
Ballpark only. Real counts vary with corners, slopes, HOA spec, and material availability. Add 5 to 10% for waste.
How the math works
Posts
For a straight-line fence, you need roughly one post every 6' (vinyl), 8' (wood), or 10' (chain link), plus one extra at the end and one extra for each gate. Formula: ceil(linearFeet / spacing) + 1 + gates. Add one more post for every 90° corner in your yard.
Rails
Two rails for fences under 6' tall (top + bottom), three rails for 6' and taller. Each rail is typically 8' long. Formula: ceil(linearFeet / 8) × railsPerRun.
Vinyl & aluminum panels
Standard panel width is 6 feet. Formula: ceil(linearFeet / 6). Round up. You can't install a fraction of a panel.
Wood pickets
Pickets-per-foot depends on the style:
- Solid privacy(3.5" or 5.5" pickets with minimal gap): ~2.3 pickets per linear foot
- Shadowbox (alternating both sides): ~3.0 pickets per linear foot
- Spaced picket (decorative with gaps): ~1.7 pickets per linear foot
Chain link mesh
Sold by linear foot at the height you need. 200 linear feet of 4' fence = 200 LF of 4' mesh.
Concrete
Plan one 60-lb bag of fast-set concrete per post. Florida sand soils and wind loads make deep footings non-negotiable. Southwest Florida code typically requires 24 to 30" post depth depending on height.
Common fence material scenarios
Pre-computed for quick reference. Use the calculator above for your exact numbers.
| Scenario | Posts | Rails | Panels / Pickets / Mesh |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 ft vinyl privacy, 6ft tall, 1 gate | 18 | 26 | 17 panels |
| 150 ft wood privacy (solid), 6ft tall, 1 gate | 20 | 57 | 345 pickets |
| 200 ft chain link, 4ft tall, 1 gate | 22 | 50 | 200 LF mesh |
| 250 ft aluminum, 6ft tall, 2 gates | 34 | 96 | 42 panels |
These numbers assume a straight-line fence. Corners, slopes, driveway cuts, and property boundary irregularities will add to the counts. Book a free on-site estimate for exact measurements.
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