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Groundworks · panels · posts · post-fix
How many fence panels and posts do I need?
Panels, posts, gravel boards and post-fix for a run of panel fence, with a price. A straight run of N panels takes N + 1 posts, and every corner or gate where the line breaks takes one more.
Measure it
Every box has its own unit next to it.
Change the unit beside any box and the number converts. The (i) beside each question says what the box wants and where the figure usually comes from. Anything marked per cent is a percentage of the quantity above it.
Check the rates
Rates and assumptions used
These are the figures the calculator works to. Change any of them and the order list updates — your merchant’s pack sizes and your own waste allowances beat the defaults every time.
Order list
The orange figure is the one you order to. Highlighted rows are the other numbers you order to. The small print under each row is the sum that produced it, so you can check it against your own take-off. Amber rows are warnings, not quantities.
How this one works
- Panels =
run ÷ (panel width + post width), rounded up - Posts =
panels + 1 + breaks in the line - Post-fix =
posts × bags per post - Gravel boards =
panels, if used - Cost =
panels × panel price + posts × post price + bags × bag price + boards × board price
The figures the calculator works to. Every one can be changed in step 2, and your merchant’s pack sizes and your own waste allowances beat these defaults every time.
| Rate | Default | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Post width | 0.1 m | A 100 mm square post. Concrete posts are about the same. |
| Post-fix bags per post | 2 | Rapid-set post mix. Check the bag: it depends on the hole and the post. |
A worked example
With the defaults the page opens on:
- How long is the fence? 20 metres
- Which panel width? 1.83 m (6 ft)
- Corners or gates where the line breaks? 0 number
- Gravel boards under the panels? Yes
- What does a panel cost? £35.00
- What does a post cost? £14.00
- What does a bag of post-fix cost? £7.00
- What does a gravel board cost? £12.00
Fence
- Run: 20 m
- Panels: 11 no. — run ÷ (1.83 + 0.1 m), rounded up
- Posts: 12 no. — panels + 1
- Post-fix bags: 24 bags — 12 posts × 2
- Gravel boards: 11 no. — one under each panel
Budget
- Panels cost: £385
- Posts cost: £168
- Post-fix cost: £168
- Gravel boards cost: £132
- Materials: £853 — excludes labour, fixings and VAT
Change any figure above and every line recalculates; the small print under each row is the sum that produced it.
Questions people ask
How many fence panels and posts do I need?
Run ÷ (panel width + post width), rounded up, for the panels; panels + 1 for the posts, plus one more for every corner or gate where the line breaks. A 20 m run of 1.83 m panels with 100 mm posts takes 11 panels and 12 posts.
How much post-fix per post?
The calculator allows 2 bags of rapid-set post mix a post, so 12 posts take 24 bags. It depends on the hole and the post - check the bag and change the figure in the rates.
Do I need gravel boards?
A board under each panel keeps it off the ground; the calculator adds one per panel when you say yes, and none when you say no.
What is not in the price?
Labour, fixings and VAT. The price is panels, posts, post-fix and boards at the prices you type.
Calculators for the same job
Doing this for a whole job rather than one wall? SiteLedger keeps the valuations, supplier statements, invoices and variations against the project they belong to.
Read before you order. These work out quantities, not structural design — spans, lintels, rebar and foundation depths need an engineer and Building Control sign-off. Waste allowances are defaults, not promises: awkward cuts, long runs and bad weather all eat more than 5%. Where a merchant sells whole packs, the figure is rounded up to whole packs.