Fence panel calculator

With standard 6 ft wide panels and 100 mm posts, every 10 metres of fence needs about 6 panels and 7 posts.

metres

For a corner, work out each straight side separately.

Boards along the bottom that stop panels touching the soil.

Fence panels8 panels
Posts
9
Post length to buy
2.4 m
Postcrete bags
18
Gravel boards
0

15 m of 6 ft (1.83 m) fencing in 1.83 m panels.

For one straight run. Each corner or end shares a post, so check your layout.

Panels and posts for common fence lengths

6 ft wide panels (1.83 m) with 100 mm posts, two bags of postcrete per post.

Fence lengthPanelsPostsPostcrete bags
5 m348
10 m6714
15 m8918
20 m111224
25 m131428
30 m161734

What length fence posts do I need?

About 600 mm of the post goes in the ground.

Panel heightWithout gravel boardsWith gravel boards
3 ft (0.91 m)1.8 m1.8 m
4 ft (1.22 m)1.8 m2.1 m
5 ft (1.52 m)2.1 m2.4 m
6 ft (1.83 m)2.4 m2.7 m

How we calculate this

Each panel is 1.83 m wide and sits between two 100 mm posts, so every bay takes 1.9300000000000002 m. We divide your fence length by that and round up. You need one more post than panels.

Posts need about 600 mm in the ground, plus the panel height and any gravel board. We pick the shortest standard post that fits, allowing a few centimetres of leeway. We allow 2 bags of postcrete per post.

Panels = (fence length − 0.1) ÷ 1.9300000000000002, rounded upPosts = panels + 1Post length = panel height + gravel board + 0.6 m in the groundPostcrete = posts × 2

Questions people ask

How deep should fence posts go?

About a third of the post’s length, which for most fences is around 600 mm. Walford Timber says most contractors allow about 600 mm for a standard fence post.

How many bags of postcrete per post?

As a general rule, 2 bags per post. Larger posts or wider holes need more, and it is worth having a spare bag for each fence run.

What length posts do I need for a 6 ft fence?

2.4 m posts without gravel boards, or 2.7 m posts if you use gravel boards. The table above shows other heights.

What if my fence doesn’t fit a whole number of panels?

You can cut one panel down to fill the gap, or space the posts slightly closer if you are using concrete posts with slotted panels. We round up so you always have enough.

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