Work out the fenced length, post count, rails and cost for a rectangular yard. Pick the sides to fence, then get posts, gates and a full material quote.
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This rectangle fence calculator works out the fenced perimeter of a rectangular property, then counts posts, rails, gates, and cost. Enter side A and side B, pick which sides get fencing, and the tool does the rest. It handles full-perimeter runs, three-sided yards with an open front, and partial runs where only one or two sides need fence.
Set the post spacing, rail count, and gate width, then add your unit prices. The output covers fenced length, actual spacing, post count, section count, net run after gates, material cost, labor, and a total. It switches between metric and imperial units and converts the existing values when you do.
Pick the unit system: metric (metres) or imperial (feet).
Enter side A, the longer dimension of the rectangle.
Enter side B, the shorter dimension.
Choose which sides to fence. All four, three sides, two, or one.
Confirm the post spacing and post height. 2.4 m and 1.8 m are common defaults.
Set how many rails run between each post.
Add the number of gates and gate width.
Enter cost per post, rail, linear unit, gate, concrete, and labor rate.
The Summary tab leads with fenced length and post count. Detailed Breakdown lists every line item, including diagonal and area.
A rectangle has four sides. Fencing all four is a closed loop. Fencing three or fewer is an open run with two ends.
Formula: Full perimeter = 2 × (Side A + Side B)
Formula: Fenced length = (A × A-sides) + (B × B-sides)
Formula: Diagonal = √(A² + B²)
Formula: Posts (closed loop) = max(4, ⌈ Fenced length ÷ Spacing ⌉)
Formula: Posts (open run) = ⌈ Fenced length ÷ Spacing ⌉ + 1
Formula: Sections = Posts − 1 (open run) or Posts (closed loop)
Formula: Actual spacing = Fenced length ÷ Sections
Formula: Rails = Sections × Rails per section
Formula: Net fence run = Fenced length − Total gate width
The closed-loop case uses one fewer post than a naive count. Four sides of fence meet at four corners, and each corner post serves two sides. So a closed rectangle with 20 posts has 20 sections, not 21. That’s why the tool returns posts equal to sections for the all-four option.
The open case adds one post at the starting end. A three-sided yard with two open ends needs a post at each end, so the count is bays plus one.
Fenced length drives everything. Area and diagonal are computed for reference but don’t feed the material counts. Gates subtract from the fenced length for the linear material cost, since a gate gap doesn’t get fence boards.
Cost comes from four inputs: posts, rails, linear fence material, and gates. Concrete per post is added to material cost. Labor is billed on the full fenced length, not the net run, since the gate posts still get set.
Say you’re fencing a rectangular backyard. Side A is 14 m, side B is 9 m. All four sides get fence. Post spacing is 2.4 m. Two rails per section. One gate at 1.0 m. Costs: $18 per post, $9 per rail, $12 per metre of fence material, $120 per gate, $6 concrete per post, $25 per metre labor.
Full perimeter: 2 × (14 + 9) = 46.00 m
Fenced length (all 4 sides): (14 × 2) + (9 × 2) = 46.00 m
Diagonal: √(14² + 9²) = √277 = 16.64 m
Posts (closed loop): max(4, ⌈46 ÷ 2.4⌉) = max(4, 20) = 20 posts
Sections: 20 sections (closed loop)
Actual spacing: 46 ÷ 20 = 2.30 m
Rails: 20 × 2 = 40 rails
Net fence run: 46 − 1.0 = 45.00 m
Post cost: 20 × $18 = $360
Rail cost: 40 × $9 = $360
Fence material cost: 45 × $12 = $540
Gate cost: 1 × $120 = $120
Concrete cost: 20 × $6 = $120
Material cost: $1,500
Labor cost: 46 × $25 = $1,150
Total: $2,650
Cost per metre: $57.61
Twenty posts for a 46 m perimeter. The actual spacing comes in at 2.30 m, tighter than the 2.4 m target, which is normal when bays round up. That small compression adds posts but avoids a ragged last bay.
Add the two sides and double the sum. A 14 m by 9 m yard has a perimeter of 46 m. That’s the full boundary, including any side that won’t get fence.
The full perimeter isn’t the same as the fenced length. If the front of the house is open, or if a driveway takes up one B side, the fenced length is shorter. This calculator splits the two so you can see both numbers.
It changes which rectangle edges get fence. All four sides is a full perimeter. Three sides leaves one long side or one short side open, which is common for a front-yard fence where the house closes the fourth side. Two sides leaves two edges open. One side is a single straight run.
The calculation uses the side labels A and B directly. If you fence both A sides and one B side, the fenced length is 2A + B. Pick the wrong option and the material count drops or rises accordingly.
A closed rectangle is a loop. For 46 m of fence with 2.4 m spacing, you’d expect about 20 posts. But because the start and end share a post at the corner, the count is 20, not 21. The tool handles the loop math directly.
For smaller yards, the tool floors the count at four posts. A square yard that needs fewer than four still gets four, since a closed rectangle needs one post per corner at minimum.
A three-sided yard has two open ends. Each end gets a post. A 40 m run at 2.4 m spacing gives 17 bays and 18 posts. If the two ends are the two ends of a single continuous run, that’s the count.
If the three sides wrap a corner, the corner post serves both sides. The tool’s section math accounts for this: it counts bays along the fenced length, then adds one post for the open end. A corner doesn’t add an extra post on its own.
Because bays round to whole numbers. A 46 m loop at 2.4 m target spacing needs 20 bays, which puts the actual spacing at 2.30 m. Real spacing is always a bit tighter than the target.
The tighter spacing isn’t a problem. It just means the fence has one more post than the estimate by raw division. Each post adds cost, so the actual spacing matters for the budget. The tool reports it so you can see the compression before you dig.
Gates open up a section of fence. The gate posts still get set, and the fence material that would have filled the gate width is skipped. That’s why the tool subtracts total gate width from the fenced length when it prices the linear material.
Gate posts matter. A gate needs a post on each side. If the gate sits between two bay posts, those posts still count. If the gate replaces an entire bay, one post may be saved. Most gates are 1.0 to 1.2 m, well under a standard bay, so they don’t change the post count.
Switch the unit system at the top of the tool. The values convert. A 14 m side becomes 45.93 ft. Post spacing of 2.4 m becomes 7.87 ft. The labels switch and the math runs in the new unit.
Common metric spacings are 2.4 m and 3.0 m. Common imperial spacings are 8 ft and 10 ft. Post heights run 1.8 m (6 ft) and 1.2 m (4 ft) for garden fences. Gate widths are 1.0 m or 3 ft for pedestrian gates.
The biggest mistake is measuring the perimeter and forgetting that one side is the house. Fencing the house wall is pointless. Second is using the full perimeter for post count when only three sides are fenced.
Third is ignoring the loop case. Counting posts as bays plus one on a closed rectangle overshoots by one post. Fourth is ordering fence material without subtracting gate width. Fifth is forgetting corner bracing. A corner post carries load from two directions, so it needs more bracing than a line post.
Full perimeter and fenced length come out as separate numbers, so you see how much of the boundary actually gets fence.
Closed-loop post counting avoids the off-by-one error that trips up manual layouts.
Seven side-fencing options cover full boundaries, three-sided yards, partial runs, and single-sided fences.
Actual post spacing is reported alongside the target, showing how much the bays compress.
Diagonal is included for reference, useful for laying out stakes and checking squareness.
Metric and imperial switch converts the existing values, so you don’t have to re-enter them.
Material, labor, and total cost are separate, which helps compare a contractor quote line by line.
Cost per metre or per foot gives a comparison number that works across fence styles.
Add the two sides and double the sum for a full perimeter. A 14 m by 9 m yard has a 46 m boundary. If only three sides get fence, subtract the open side. The calculator handles both cases.
For a closed loop, divide fenced length by post spacing and round up, with a four-post minimum. For an open run, add one post. A 46 m loop at 2.4 m spacing needs 20 posts.
Perimeter is the full boundary of the rectangle. Fenced length is the sum of the sides that actually get fence. If one side is the house, the fenced length is shorter.
Pick the option that leaves the correct side open. The tool subtracts that side from the fenced length and adds a post for the second open end. The post count stays accurate.
Yes. A closed rectangle has four corner posts built into the count. An open run has end posts on each end. Corner bracing is a separate cost that you add to the Additional Cost field.
Gates subtract their width from the fenced length for material pricing. Gate posts still count. The gate itself is priced separately from the cost per gate field.
Two rails is standard for a 1.8 m fence. Three rails go on taller fences or heavy panels. One rail suits chain link or low garden fencing. The dropdown handles one through four.
Because bays round up. A 46 m perimeter at 2.4 m target needs 20 bays, giving an actual spacing of 2.30 m. The compression is normal and keeps the layout even.
Both. Pick metric and the tool uses metres. Pick imperial and it uses feet. Switching the unit system converts the values already entered.
Enter a rate per metre or per foot. The tool multiplies it by the fenced length, not the net run, since gate posts still get set. Contractor rates for wood fence installation often run $15 to $35 per linear metre installed.
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