Fence neatly.
Posts, rails, and pickets for any fence length. Includes concrete for post holes and accounts for gates and corners.
How we calculated this
Posts are calculated by dividing the fence length by the post spacing (typically 8 feet) and adding one for the final end post. Each gate adds two posts (a hinge post and a latch post, both reinforced compared to regular line posts). Each corner adds one post where the fence changes direction.
Rails (horizontal 2×4s that support the pickets) are usually 2 per section for fences up to 4 feet tall, and 3 per section for 6-foot-plus fences. The extra middle rail prevents sagging on tall fences.
Picket count assumes standard 5.5-inch wide cedar or pine pickets with a 0.25-inch gap between each (for wood movement and airflow), giving 5.75 inches per picket. Narrower pickets or tighter spacing increases the count — recalculate manually if needed. For shadowbox or board-on-board fences, picket count roughly doubles.
Concrete for post holes: standard guidance is 1 bag of 60-lb ready-mix per post for fences 4 feet or shorter, and 2 bags per post for 6-foot or taller fences. This assumes 8-12 inch diameter holes, 2-3 feet deep. Freezing climates require deeper holes (below frost line) which may need more concrete.
The calculator does not include: gate hardware (hinges, latches, brackets), finish nails or screws (estimate 2-3 lbs per section), stain or preservative (see paint calculator), or post caps. These are typically selected separately based on style preference.
What does a fence actually cost?
Start with the number most people care about. A standard 200 linear foot wood privacy fence, professionally installed, costs between $4,500 and $7,000 in most US markets. That includes posts, rails, pickets, concrete for every post hole, one gate, and labor. The range is wide because labor rates in the Northeast run 40 to 60 percent higher than in the Southeast, and material prices swing with lumber futures.
Do the work yourself and the total drops nearly in half. Materials for the same 200-foot fence run $2,200 to $3,000. The catch is 26 post holes, concrete in every one, and two to four full weekends of labor. Not complicated work. Just physically exhausting.
DIY | Professional | |
|---|---|---|
| Materials (200 LF wood) | $2,200–3,000 | $2,200–3,000 |
| Post hole digging | $0 (manual) or $200 (auger rental) | Included |
| Concrete (26 posts) | $280 | Included |
| Labor | $0 (2–4 weekends) | $2,000–4,000 |
| Total | $2,500–3,500 | $4,500–7,000 |
Post hole digging is the hardest part of DIY fence installation. A power auger rental ($200/day) turns a 2-day job into a 4-hour job.
How we calculated these numbers▾
Post spacing follows American Fence Association residential guidelines (8 ft OC for wood/vinyl). Concrete per post is calculated from hole geometry using IRC R301.5 frost depth requirements. Cost data reflects 2026 installed pricing from HomeAdvisor, Angi, and Fixr regional databases. Material lifespan figures from manufacturer warranty terms and AFA longevity studies.
Picking the right material
Material choice determines three things: what the fence looks like on day one, how much maintenance it needs, and when you replace it. Pressure-treated pine is the cheapest to install and the most expensive to own over 20 years because it needs staining or sealing every 2 to 3 years. Skip the stain and the wood grays, warps, and eventually rots where it meets the concrete.
Cedar costs 20 to 30 percent more up front but resists rot naturally. It weathers to a silver gray that looks intentional rather than neglected. Many homeowners prefer the look of 5-year-old cedar to freshly stained pressure-treated pine.
Vinyl panels click together, never need paint, never rot, and last 25 to 30 years. The tradeoff: they look like plastic, they crack in extreme cold, and wind can pop panels out of the track if posts are spaced too wide. Aluminum is the most durable residential option short of masonry. No rust, no paint, good wind handling. But at $25 to $55 per linear foot installed, it costs roughly double what wood does.
Wood (PT) | Cedar | Vinyl | Aluminum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installed cost/LF | $15–35 | $20–40 | $20–45 | $25–55 |
| Lifespan | 15 yr | 20 yr | 25–30 yr | 40+ yr |
| Maintenance | Stain every 2–3 yr | Seal or let gray | None | None |
| Wind resistance | Good | Good | Fair | Excellent |
| DIY difficulty | Moderate | Moderate | Easy (panels) | Hard |
For most homeowners, pressure-treated wood is the practical choice. Cedar for natural beauty. Vinyl for zero maintenance.
Survey and permits: before you order anything
Composite illustration based on typical project dimensions, regional contractor pricing, and 2026 material costs. Not a specific real project.
Two things to verify before buying a single board.
First: your property line. Most jurisdictions require fences to sit 2 to 6 inches inside your property boundary. A fence built on the wrong side of the line belongs to your neighbor. If there is any uncertainty, get a professional survey. A $300 survey is far cheaper than ripping out a $5,000 fence.
Second: your local fence code. Height limits vary. Back yard: 6 feet is standard, 8 feet sometimes allowed with a variance. Front yard: 4 feet is typical. Some HOAs restrict material and color in front-facing applications. Some jurisdictions require a building permit for any fence over 4 feet. Call your building department before you order materials. The number is on your county website and the call takes five minutes.
Post spacing and post holes
Post spacing determines how many posts you buy, how much concrete you pour, and how well the fence handles wind. Standard residential spacing is 8 feet on center for wood and vinyl. A 200-foot fence at that spacing has 26 posts (200 divided by 8, plus 1 for the end). Every corner, gate, and direction change adds an extra post regardless of spacing.
Concrete for every post
Every post sits in a concrete footing. Hole diameter is typically 10 to 12 inches (about 3 times the post width). Depth depends on your frost line. Southern US: 18 to 24 inches. Midwest and Northeast: 36 inches. Minnesota, Montana, parts of Maine: 48 inches. Set the post shallower than the frost line and winter freeze-thaw will heave it out of the ground within two seasons.
The math for a 200-foot fence: 26 posts at 1.5 bags each is 39 bags of 80-lb mix. At $7.50 per bag, concrete for the entire fence costs about $290. Add 2 bags each for 2 gate posts and you are at 43 bags, roughly $320. Use the concrete calculator for exact per-hole volumes if your post size or hole depth differs.
Total project cost by yard size
These numbers assume professional installation, a 6-foot privacy fence, one standard gate, and typical soil. Rocky soil increases post hole labor by 30 to 50 percent. Sloped yards require stepped or racked panels, adding 10 to 20 percent to material costs.
DIY logistics: what to rent, what to skip
The single most important rental for a DIY fence is a two-person power auger. Digging 26 post holes by hand with a clamshell digger takes two full days in good soil. The power auger does it in 3 to 4 hours. Rent it for one day ($200), dig all holes in the morning, set posts and pour concrete in the afternoon.
Other tools you need: a string line to keep posts aligned, a 4-foot level, a speed square, a circular saw for cutting rails and pickets, and a drill with a framing bit. You probably own most of these already. The string line is the one people skip, and it determines whether the fence looks straight from the street. A wavy fence is structurally fine but visually terrible. Run the string between corner posts before setting intermediate ones, and align each post to it.
What to skip: do not rent a trencher unless you are setting a bottom rail or concrete mow strip. And do not bother with premixed fence post concrete (the pour-dry-add-water type). Regular 80-lb bags mixed in a wheelbarrow are stronger, cheaper per bag, and set within 24 to 48 hours. The premixed products cost twice as much and set so fast you cannot adjust the post if it shifts.
Maintenance over 20 years
Year 1 | Years 2–5 | Years 5–15 | Years 15+ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated | Let cure 6 months, then stain | Re-stain every 2–3 yr | Check base for rot, replace boards | Full replacement likely |
| Cedar | Seal or let weather | Re-seal every 3–5 yr (optional) | Boards gray, replace splits | Still solid if maintained |
| Vinyl | Nothing | Hose off annually | Check posts for lean | Panels may yellow slightly |
| Aluminum | Nothing | Nothing | Touch up scratches | Still like new |
Staining alone costs $300-600 per application for a 200 LF fence. Over 15 years that adds $1,500-3,600 on top of the original install price.
The real cost of a pressure-treated fence is not the $2,500 you spend on materials. It is the $300 to $600 you spend every two to three years on stain, brushes, and a weekend of your time. Over 15 years, maintenance on a PT fence costs $1,500 to $3,600 in stain alone, plus 6 to 8 lost weekends. Cedar cuts that schedule in half. Vinyl and aluminum cut it to near zero. The cheapest fence to install is often the most expensive fence to own.
Sources
- This Old House — Fence Installation Guide — Standard post spacing and rail count recommendations
- Family Handyman — Build a Privacy Fence — Concrete per post and picket spacing reference
Frequently asked
How many fence posts do I need for 100 feet of fence?
For 100 feet with 8-foot post spacing, you need 13 line posts (12 sections + 1 end post). Add 2 posts per gate and 1 per corner. So a straight 100-ft run with 1 gate and 2 corners needs 17 posts total. The calculator above does this math for you.
What's the best post spacing?
8 feet on center is standard for most wood fences — balances strength with cost. 6 feet OC makes a more rigid fence that resists wind better, good for exposed sites or privacy fences. 10 feet OC is used for horizontal rail fences where pickets span further — not recommended for solid privacy fences because rails can sag between posts.
How deep should fence posts go?
At minimum 1/3 of the total post length, or 24-36 inches — whichever is deeper. In frost-prone climates, posts must go below the frost line (varies by region: 36 inches in Chicago, 48 inches in Minneapolis). Shallower posts will heave up over winters.
How much concrete per fence post?
For 4-ft fence: 1 bag (60 lb) of ready-mix per post — fills a 9" diameter × 24" deep hole. For 6-ft privacy fence: 2 bags per post — fills a 10-12" diameter × 30-36" deep hole. For 8-ft tall or heavy-gate posts: 3 bags. Always leave a slight cone of concrete above grade for water runoff.
Can I skip concrete and just use dirt?
For short fences (under 4 ft) in well-drained soil, tamped crushed gravel works and actually drains better than concrete. For any 6-ft+ privacy fence, or clay soils, or frost-prone areas: use concrete. The cost is minimal compared to re-doing a leaning fence in two years.
How do I handle a slope?
Two options: racked (pickets follow the ground angle, rails stay level) or stepped (each section is level, creating stairs). Racked is simpler and cheaper; stepped looks more formal. Post spacing stays the same either way. For racked installations, pickets need to be trimmed at angles — adds 5-10% to picket count.
What about gates?
Each gate adds 2 posts (a heavy hinge post and a latch post), typically sized up one dimension (use 6×6 if line posts are 4×4). Gates 4+ feet wide need a diagonal brace or sag cables to prevent dropping over time. Standard residential gate widths: 3-4 ft for walk-throughs, 5-6 ft for narrow drive access, 8-12 ft for driveways.
Does the calculator work for chain-link or vinyl?
Partially — the post count math is identical. Chain-link uses 1-5/8" or 2" galvanized posts set in concrete, with no rails (top rail only). Vinyl uses engineered panels that replace pickets+rails+some posts with a single 8-ft section. For those materials, use the post count and ignore the rail/picket outputs.
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