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Fence Post Spacing Calculator

Enter the fence length and your maximum post gap to get the post count and even spacing.

How it is calculated

Enter the total length of one straight fence run and the largest gap your panels or rails allow, both in metres. The tool computes sections = ceil(length / max gap), rounding up so no gap exceeds the limit. Then posts = sections + 1, because a straight run needs a post at both ends, and spacing = length / sections, the even gap between posts, shown to two decimals. The even spacing is always at or below your maximum. The result is for an open, straight run: for several runs, corners or a closed loop, calculate each run separately, and a closed loop needs as many posts as sections. Gate posts, thicker corner posts and post thickness are not added.

Worked example

A fence run of 15.5 m with a maximum gap of 2.4 m. Sections = 15.5 / 2.4 = 6.46, rounded up to 7. Posts = 7 + 1 = 8. Even spacing = 15.5 / 7 = 2.21 m, which is under the 2.4 m limit. Marking out 2.21 m between centres, with a post at each end, uses all eight posts at the same interval and leaves no short gap at the end.

Try this example →

Common mistakes

  • Counting one post per section: a straight run always needs one more post than sections, because both ends are posted.
  • Entering the length in feet and the gap in metres: both fields must use the same unit, and the tool is labelled in metres.
  • Using the panel width as the maximum gap without checking it is measured post centre to post centre.
  • Adding up several runs into one length: corners and gates add posts, so each straight run should be calculated on its own.
  • Rounding the spacing to a neat number and moving the last post: that leaves an uneven end gap, which the even spacing is meant to avoid.

About this calculator

Fence post spacing works backward from two numbers: the total fence run length and the maximum gap the rail or panel material allows between posts (commonly 6 to 8 feet for wood, tighter for wire mesh). The number of posts needed is the fence length divided by the maximum gap, rounded up, plus one for the closing post at the end; dividing the total length by the number of gaps then gives the exact even spacing that uses every post at the same interval instead of leaving an odd short gap at one end.

DIYers and fencing contractors use this calculation before ordering materials, because buying posts based on a rough guess either leaves you short mid-project or wastes money on posts you did not need, and an uneven final gap looks visibly wrong once the fence is built.

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