Fence Calculator

Posts, panels, rails, gravel boards - for lap panel, close board, picket, featheredge, and hit & miss fencing

Fence Style

Pre-made lap panels fixed between posts. The most common UK garden fence. Typically 1.8 m wide × 0.9-1.8 m tall. Simple and quick to erect.

Panel / Bay Width (m) Standard lap panel: 1.8 m. Trellis: 1.8 m.

Fence Height (m)

Arris Rails per Bay Lap panels: rails not separate. Close board / featheredge: 2 rails up to 1.5 m, 3 rails above.

Post Type

Post Burial Depth (m) Rule of thumb: 1/3 of total post length. Min 0.45 m for a 1.8 m fence.

Postcrete Bags per Post Typically 1-2 × 20 kg bags per post. Set to 0 for spikes or if dry-packed.

Include gravel boards 100 × 22 mm timber or concrete. Protects panel base from ground moisture.

Include post caps Protects post tops from water ingress. One per post.

Board / Rail Waste (%) Applied to close board / featheredge board quantity only.

Fence Sections

Each section is a straight run between corners. Corner posts are shared - the calculator accounts for this automatically.

Job Costing (optional)

Panel / bay cost each

Post cost each

Arris rail per metre

Gravel board per metre

Postcrete per bag

Post cap each

Labour per metre run

Results

Total Run
-
metres

Posts

inc. corners

Panels / Bays

panels

Arris Rails

linear metres

Section Breakdown

Section	Length	Bays	Posts	Rails (LM)	Gravel Board (LM)

Material List

Item	Quantity	Notes

Fence Styles

Lap panel - pre-made panels slotted between or screwed to posts. Quick to erect. Standard size 1.8 m × 0.9-1.8 m. Less strong than close board.
Close board - featheredge boards nailed vertically to arris rails on the face of posts. Strong and long-lasting. Typically 3 rails above 1.5 m.
Featheredge - same as close board but boards vary in thickness (thin at one edge). Most common close board style.
Picket / paling - open-style fence with gaps. Decorative - typically 0.9-1.2 m tall for front gardens.
Hit & miss - boards alternate front and back face. Looks the same from both sides; wind passes through. Privacy screen without wind resistance issues.
Trellis - decorative lattice, often used as fence topper or garden divider. Not suitable as a boundary fence on its own.

Post Depth Guide

Fence height	Min burial	Post length
0.9 m	0.45 m	1.5 m
1.2 m	0.45 m	1.75 m
1.5 m	0.50 m	2.1 m
1.8 m	0.60 m	2.4 m
2.1 m	0.75 m	3.0 m

In soft ground, loose soil, or exposed sites add 100-150 mm extra burial depth.

Tips

Always start and end each section with a post - corners are shared between sections
Use pressure-treated timber throughout - UC4 rated for ground contact on posts
Set posts in Postcrete (fast-set concrete) or dry-mixed concrete - prop plumb while setting
Gravel boards protect the panel or board base from ground moisture - add 50-100 mm clearance
For close board / featheredge, start with a full board at one end and trim the last board to fit
Cap all post tops - uncapped end grain is the biggest cause of post rot

Fence Calculator