Free · Material quantities

Fence Components and Material Cost

Estimate straight-run fence posts, rails, pickets, post-hole concrete and supplied material costs.

  • Formula & worked example
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Calculator inputs

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How to use this calculator

  1. Enter the known values in the units shown. Results update as you type.
  2. Where results are editable, change one to solve backwards. Lock a value to hold it fixed.
  3. Use the worked example to check the method. Reset restores the starting fields.

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Inputs and results stay in this browser tab. Bookify does not upload or store the values you enter.

Formula and method

In initial displayed units, Fence length 10, Post space 2.5, Fence height 2, Rails per section 2, Picket width 8, Picket spacing 2, Post width 10, Post thickness 10, Price of post 10, Price of railing material 5, Price of picket 2, Price of concrete per volume 100 gives Number of posts 5, Number of sections 4, Number of rails 8, Number of pickets 100, Concrete volume 0.4, Cost of posts 50, Cost of railing materials 40, Cost of pickets 200, Cost of concrete 40, ✔ Total material cost 330.

Posts = ceil(length/spacing)+1; rails = sections×rails per section; concrete = hole volume minus embedded post volume, multiplied by posts.

Worked example

Enter these known values and leave the other values blank.

Fence length
10 m
Post space
2.5 m
Fence height
2 m
Rails per section
2
Picket width
8 cm
Picket spacing
2 cm
Post width
10 cm
Post thickness
10 cm
Price of post
10 USD /pc
Price of railing material
5 USD /pc
Price of picket
2 USD /pc
Price of concrete per volume
100 USD / m³
Number of posts
5
Number of sections
4
Post height
3 m
Number of rails
8
Number of pickets
100
Concrete volume
0.4 m³
Posts needed
5 pcs
Cost of posts
50 USD
Rails needed
8 pcs
Cost of railing materials
40 USD
Pickets needed
100 pcs
Cost of pickets
200 USD
Concrete needed
0.4 m³
Cost of concrete
40 USD
✔ Total material cost
330 USD

Assumptions and limitations

  • One straight run has both end posts and no gates or corners. Hole diameter/width is three times the post dimension and embedment is half fence height. These ratios are explicit planning conventions, not a site-specific foundation design. Exact whole-count operations accept finite quantities with magnitude below 10^50.
  • Use compatible measurement units. Clear an unknown before solving for it, and lock independent known values when comparing changes. Currency choices label amounts without exchange-rate conversion.

Common questions

Can I solve backward from the result?

Clear the unknown and enter independent known values. A rounded whole count cannot uniquely recover a continuous dimension; keep the original measured dimensions for procurement planning.

References

Round-hole concrete uses three times the post diameter and subtracts the embedded post volume for every post. Use exact decimal ceilings for whole quantities because the captured mathjs ceiling can undercount immediately above an integer boundary. Enforce the stated physical geometry and whole-count domains.

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