How the estimate works
- Gates come off the fence line. Gate openings are subtracted from the boundary (from the longest side) to get the length that needs wire or rails.
- Sections per side. Each side is divided by the post spacing and rounded up, so no section is longer than your spacing and every corner gets a post.
- Posts. On a closed loop, posts = sections. Every gate opening (or the far end of an open line) adds one end post.
- Material. Wire = fence length × strands × (1 + waste). Rails = sections × rails per section × (1 + waste), rounded up.
- Cost = posts × post price + material × its price + gates × gate price.
Worked example
A 330 × 264 ft paddock (exactly 2 acres) with one 12 ft gate, posts every 10 ft and 4 strands of wire with 10% waste. The gate comes off one 330 ft side, leaving 318 ft → 32 sections; the other sides give 33 + 27 + 27. That’s 119 sections, and the gate opening adds one post: 120 posts. The fence line is 1,188 − 12 = 1,176 ft, so wire = 1,176 × 4 × 1.10 = 5,174.4 ft. Open this example.
Our guide how to measure a field for fencing covers measuring the boundary, choosing spacing and allowing for bracing.
Typical post spacing
Spacing depends on the fence type, terrain, animals and local practice — follow the manufacturer’s or your supplier’s guidance. Closer spacing is common for board and woven-wire fences and on uneven ground; high-tensile wire fences are often built with wider spacing plus stays. Use the calculator to compare: changing the spacing from 10 to 12 ft on the example above drops the post count from 120 to 100.