How many fence posts do I need for 100 feet?

14 at 8 ft spacing (13 sections plus the end post) or 18 at 6 ft (17 sections). With one gate in the run it is 14 posts at 8 ft, because the gate hangs between its own pair of posts.

How many posts for 200 feet of fence?

26 posts at 8 ft or 35 at 6 ft, with 75 rails for a three-rail privacy fence at 8 ft and 52 bags of 80 lb concrete for the holes.

How far apart should fence posts be?

8 ft for a 6 ft privacy fence on firm ground, matching 8 ft panels and 16 ft rails cut in two; 6 ft for fences over 6 ft, heavy boards, windy sites or soft soil. Never more than 8 ft with wood rails: they sag. Spacing is measured centre to centre.

Do I need an extra post for a gate?

Yes, one. A gate needs a post on each side, and only one of them would have been a line post anyway. A 4 ft gate also takes 4 ft out of the boards and rails: 100 ft with one gate is 96 ft of fence, 12 sections and 14 posts; with two gates 15 posts. Use 6x6 posts for a wide or heavy gate.

How do corners change the post count?

Count each straight run on its own (sections plus one) and share the corner post: a 60 ft leg and a 40 ft leg at 8 ft are 9 + 6 − 1 = 14 posts, the same as 14 for 100 ft straight. The corner post carries rails in two directions, so set it in concrete even if the line posts are not.

How many rails per post?

Rails run between posts, so it is rails per section: two for fences up to 5 ft, three for a 6 ft privacy fence. 100 ft at 8 ft with three rails is 39 rails, 43 with 10% waste, each cut to the 8 ft section.

How many fence posts do I need? (50 to 300 ft)

Divide the run by the post spacing, round up, and add one: 100 ft of fence with posts every 8 ft is 13 sections and 14 posts, or 18 posts at 6 ft. Each gate adds a post and each corner is shared between two runs. The tables give posts, rails and the bags of concrete for the holes from 50 to 300 ft, and in metres.

Open the fence calculator

Posts, rails and concrete by fence length

Both tables are a straight run of 6 ft privacy fence with three rails and no gates: sections rounded up, one more post than sections, and two 80 lb bags of concrete per 4x4 post in a 10 in hole 2 ft deep (the concrete per fence post guide has other hole sizes). Rails include 10% waste.

Posts every 8 ft
Fence length	Sections	Posts	Rails (3 per section)	80 lb bags
50 ft	7	8	24	16
75 ft	10	11	33	22
100 ft	13	14	43	28
150 ft	19	20	63	40
200 ft	25	26	83	52
300 ft	38	39	126	78

Posts every 6 ft
Fence length	Sections	Posts	Rails (3 per section)	80 lb bags
50 ft	9	10	30	20
75 ft	13	14	43	28
100 ft	17	18	57	36
150 ft	25	26	83	52
200 ft	34	35	113	70
300 ft	50	51	165	102

Gates and corners

A gate hangs between its own two posts, so it adds one post to the run and removes its opening from the boards and rails. The fence calculator does this for any number of gates; the table is 100 ft at 8 ft with 4 ft gates.

100 ft of fence, posts every 8 ft, 4 ft gates
Gates	Fenced length	Sections	Posts	Rails
0	100 ft	13	14	43
1	96 ft	12	14	40
2	92 ft	12	15	40

Corners are counted per run: each straight leg is sections plus one, and the post where two legs meet is shared. A 60 ft leg and a 40 ft leg at 8 ft is 9 + 6 − 1 = 14 posts. Because each leg rounds up on its own, an L or a U can take one post more than the same length in a straight line; it never takes fewer.

Metric: posts per metre of fence

Panels come in 1.8 m and 2.4 m widths, so posts go at those centres. The rows are a 1.8 m privacy fence on 100 x 100 mm posts in 300 mm holes 600 mm deep, concreted with 25 kg bags of postcrete-type mix.

1.8 m privacy fence, 100 mm posts, 25 kg bags
Fence length	Post spacing	Sections	Posts	25 kg bags
10 m	2.4 m	5	6	24
10 m	1.8 m	6	7	28
20 m	2.4 m	9	10	40
20 m	1.8 m	12	13	52
30 m	2.4 m	13	14	56
30 m	1.8 m	17	18	72
50 m	2.4 m	21	22	88
50 m	1.8 m	28	29	116
100 m	2.4 m	42	43	172
100 m	1.8 m	56	57	228

Before you buy

Measure the run along the ground where the fence will stand, not the property line on the plan, and mark the corner and gate posts first; the line posts are then spaced between them.
Buy posts long enough for the depth: a 6 ft fence with 2 ft in the ground needs 8 ft posts. The post depth guide has the length for every height.
One or two spare posts: a split or twisted 4x4 in the bundle is normal, and the last section is rarely a full one.
Boards or pickets are counted in the pickets guide; stain in the fence stain guide.

Frequently asked questions

How many fence posts do I need for 100 feet?: 14 at 8 ft spacing (13 sections plus the end post) or 18 at 6 ft (17 sections). With one gate in the run it is 14 posts at 8 ft, because the gate hangs between its own pair of posts.
How many posts for 200 feet of fence?: 26 posts at 8 ft or 35 at 6 ft, with 75 rails for a three-rail privacy fence at 8 ft and 52 bags of 80 lb concrete for the holes.
How far apart should fence posts be?: 8 ft for a 6 ft privacy fence on firm ground, matching 8 ft panels and 16 ft rails cut in two; 6 ft for fences over 6 ft, heavy boards, windy sites or soft soil. Never more than 8 ft with wood rails: they sag. Spacing is measured centre to centre.
Do I need an extra post for a gate?: Yes, one. A gate needs a post on each side, and only one of them would have been a line post anyway. A 4 ft gate also takes 4 ft out of the boards and rails: 100 ft with one gate is 96 ft of fence, 12 sections and 14 posts; with two gates 15 posts. Use 6x6 posts for a wide or heavy gate.
How do corners change the post count?: Count each straight run on its own (sections plus one) and share the corner post: a 60 ft leg and a 40 ft leg at 8 ft are 9 + 6 − 1 = 14 posts, the same as 14 for 100 ft straight. The corner post carries rails in two directions, so set it in concrete even if the line posts are not.
How many rails per post?: Rails run between posts, so it is rails per section: two for fences up to 5 ft, three for a 6 ft privacy fence. 100 ft at 8 ft with three rails is 39 rails, 43 with 10% waste, each cut to the 8 ft section.

How deep should a fence post be? (by fence height)
A third of the height in the ground, 2 ft minimum: depth, hole size, post length to buy and concrete bags per hole for 3 to 8 ft fences, and what the frost line changes.
How many pickets for a fence? (per section and per 100 ft)
Pickets per 6 and 8 ft section and per 100 ft for 3 1/2 and 5 1/2 in boards at 0 to 3 1/2 in gaps, with waste, screws per picket, and the metric board counts.
How much does a cinder block garage cost? (blocks, mortar, grout and slab for 1, 2 and 3 car)
Blocks, mortar and grout for 1 to 3 car block garages, 12x20 to 36x24 ft, 8 ft walls, doors and windows taken off, plus the 4 in slab, at 2026 prices.
How much does a ton of gravel cover? (at 2, 3 and 4 inches, by stone)
A ton of 3/4 in crushed stone is 0.79 cubic yards: about 85 sq ft at 3 in, 128 at 2 in, 64 at 4 in. Coverage by stone, tons for 100 to 1,000 sq ft, price.

Last updated 2026-09-14. Figures are planning estimates from typical product data: check the yield, size or coverage printed on what you buy and round up.