Start with one continuous run
Use one total length when you are planning one straight stretch of fence. The calculator converts the chosen total-length unit to feet, then uses that common length for the result. Gate openings are removed from the run used for rails and infill; their supporting gate posts are counted separately.
This makes the result useful for a quick material list when the work is one continuous run. It also keeps a gate opening from being treated as a section that needs pickets, fabric, or rails.
Read each result as a planning quantity
- Posts: straight-run posts plus two posts for each gate.
- Sections: the straight-run spans created by the selected post spacing.
- Rails: sections multiplied by the rail count implied by the fence height.
- Pickets or fence fabric: the net run after gate openings, not the whole measured length.
- Concrete and fasteners: planning quantities derived from the post count and the selected fence type.
What to plan separately
Do not treat one straight-run result as a complete site layout. Add a separate measured run for each change of direction, and confirm the placement of corners, end posts, slopes, gates, utilities, property boundaries, permits, and the final structural design before buying materials or building.
Use the calculator for the material pass
Enter the run length, fence type, height, picket width and spacing, post spacing, and any gate count and width. Add your own unit prices only if you want a per-linear-foot planning estimate; the calculator does not include a built-in price list.