HesapHanem

Fence Panel Count Calculator

Enter the fence length and panel size to see the panels, posts and gravel boards to order.

Result

16
17
16

How it is calculated

All three lengths are in metres. The engine treats each bay as one panel plus the post beside it: bay = panel width + post width. The number of panels is panels = ceil(run ÷ bay), rounded up to a whole panel, and posts = panels + 1 because a straight run needs one extra post at the far end. Gravel boards equal the panel count, one under each panel. The post width is counted in the bay, so a thicker post can add a panel compared with ignoring it. Enter 0 as the post width to ignore posts. The calculation assumes one straight run: corners, gates, end panels cut to size and different post spacing are not modelled.

Worked example

A straight run is 30 m long, the panels are 1.83 m wide and the posts are 0.1 m wide. One bay is 1.83 + 0.1 = 1.93 m. Dividing, 30 ÷ 1.93 = 15.54, and rounding up gives 16 panels. Posts are 16 + 1 = 17, and there are 16 gravel boards. If you had left the post width at 0, 30 ÷ 1.83 = 16.39 would round up to 17 panels, one more than needed, which shows why the post width is worth entering.

Try this example →

Common mistakes

  • Entering the run in feet or the panel width in millimetres. All three fields must use metres, so a 6 ft panel is 1.83, not 6 or 1830.
  • Entering the post width as 0 and then using a thick post. The post is counted inside each bay, so the panel count can be one lower than a calculation that ignores it.
  • Using the result for a fence with corners or gates. The tool counts one straight run, so each corner needs an extra post and a gate replaces a panel; add those by hand.
  • Treating the result as exact for the last bay. The count is rounded up, so the final panel will usually be cut or the gap adjusted.
  • Adding the posts to the panels as if they were a single total. Panels, posts and gravel boards are three separate items to order.

About this calculator

Fencing a run of ground requires three linked quantities: the number of panels, which is the total fence length divided by the width of one panel plus the post beside it (rounded up to a whole panel), the number of posts, which is one more than the number of panels since each panel needs a post on both ends shared with its neighbor, and gravel boards, one per panel, which sit at the base to keep timber off the ground.

Homeowners and fencing contractors calculate this before ordering materials because fence panels are sold in fixed widths, so a run that doesn't divide evenly needs either a cut panel or an adjusted post spacing — getting the panel and post count wrong by even one unit means an extra delivery trip or a visibly uneven final gap.

Your total fence length, chosen panel width and the post width give you the number of panels, posts and gravel boards to order, so your materials list is right the first time.

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