How the privacy fence calculator works
A wood privacy fence is a solid wall of boards nailed edge to edge across rails. The calculator splits your fence line into sections no longer than the post spacing, puts a post at every corner, end and gate, and then fills each section with boards.
Boards per section = section length ÷ board width, rounded up
Rails follow the height: two per section up to 4 ft, three up to 6 ft and four above that. Boards, rails and nails get 10% extra, the allowance Inch Calculator recommends for cutoffs and waste. Posts, gates and concrete are counted exactly.
The fence type menu also offers board on board, where a second layer covers the gaps of the first, and vinyl, which comes as ready-made panels. For vinyl the calculator counts panels and posts instead of boards.
A worked example
The calculator opens on 150 ft of 6 ft wood privacy fence with two corners and one 4 ft walk gate. That is three 50 ft sides, and the gate splits one side into two 23 ft stretches: 146 ft of fence.
- With posts at 8 ft at most, each 23 ft stretch gets 3 sections of about 7.67 ft and each 50 ft side gets 7 sections of about 7.14 ft. That is 20 sections on 22 posts.
- 1x6 boards are 5 1/2 in wide. A 7.67 ft section is 92 in, and 92 ÷ 5.5 = 16.7, so 17 boards. A 7.14 ft section takes 16 boards.
- 6 × 17 + 14 × 16 = 326 boards, plus 10% gives 359 boards.
- Three rails per section is 60 rails, or 66 with waste.
- Holes 42 in deep take 91 bags of 50 lb fast-setting concrete, about 4.1 per post. Each post needs 9 ft: 6 ft above ground plus 36 in below, standing on 6 in of gravel. The next stock length up is 10 ft.
The cost panel prices the same 146 ft fence and gate at $2,682 to $7,900 installed. Materials alone, if you build it yourself, come to $730 to $2,190.
Where the defaults come from
- Board width. Inch Calculator uses 5 1/2 in boards for a solid privacy fence. That is the actual width of a nominal 1x6, which ProWood lists as 3/4 by 5 1/2 in. Cedar dog ear pickets such as Stine's are 5/8 by 5 1/2 in, so the count is the same.
- Rails. America's Fence Store uses three rails per bay on a 6 ft fence and two on a 4 ft fence. Inch Calculator's rule of thumb is one rail for every 24 in of height, and never fewer than two.
- Post spacing. 8 ft centers is the usual maximum for wood. America's Fence Store sets posts at 7 ft 10 in center to center, and the calculator divides each stretch evenly, so every section in a stretch is the same.
- Fasteners. Two nails per board at each rail, as America's Fence Store specifies, plus two at each rail end.
How much does a privacy fence cost?
Cost guides give wide ranges per linear foot, installed:
| Privacy fence | Installed, per foot | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Wood privacy | $17 to $37 | Fixr |
| Wood privacy | $25 to $50 | HomeAdvisor |
| Vinyl privacy | $25 to $60 | HomeAdvisor |
The calculator combines the wood figures into $17 to $50 per foot and adds $200 to $600 per wood gate, HomeAdvisor's range. Fixr puts wood materials alone at $5 to $15 per foot. Old fence removal and a permit are optional lines in the cost panel. For a closer estimate with removal, gates and regional notes, use the privacy fence cost calculator.
Wood, board on board or vinyl?
A single layer of boards is the cheapest wood privacy fence: the boards butt edge to edge, and any gap between two boards goes straight through. Board on board overlaps a second layer over the joints, so there is no straight line of sight, at the cost of more boards. In our example it takes 432 boards instead of 359. The board on board fence calculator shows the overlap in detail.
Vinyl privacy fences come as panels, often 6 ft or 8 ft wide. The calculator defaults to 6 ft panels on 5x5 posts. Bufftech's installation guide sets its privacy panels on 5 in posts in 12 in holes 30 in deep. The vinyl fence calculator covers panel sizes and gate openings.
Questions to settle before you buy
- How deep do the posts go? The taller the fence, the deeper the post. The fence post depth calculator sets depth from height, frost line and soil.
- Is 6 ft allowed? Height limits and permits are set by your town or HOA. HomeAdvisor puts a typical fence permit at $20 to $60. Check the rules before you order.
- For other fence types on the same property, start from the fence calculator.