Quotato · Calculators

Fence Calculator - Panels and Posts You Need (UK)

Give us the length of your fence run and we'll work out how many panels and posts you need to order.

Specialist UK trade calculator. Built to current UK material standards, with a trade wastage allowance included and the working shown - plus a free cost sheet & merchant shopping list you can download as a PDF, no account needed.

By Eddie & the Quotato team

Updated 9 June 2026

Interested? Then → Quotato for Landscapers · More advice on the Blog & Chips guides.

How to use this calculator

Enter the total length of your fence run and we'll tell you how many standard 1.83m panels you need, plus the right number of posts. You always need one more post than panels to finish both ends.

How we calculate this

  • Standard UK fence panels are 1.83m wide (6ft).
  • Panels = run length ÷ 1.83, rounded up to a whole panel.
  • Posts = panels + 1, because every run needs a post at each end as well as between panels.

Worked example

For a 20m fence run: 20 ÷ 1.83 = 10.9, rounded up to 11 panels. Posts = 11 + 1 = 12. So order 11 panels and 12 posts.

UK notes & gotchas

  • Standard panels are 1.83m (6ft) wide; heights are usually 6ft, 5ft or 4ft.
  • Concrete posts and gravel boards last longer than timber set straight into the ground.
  • Allow roughly 600mm of post in the ground for a 6ft fence, set in postcrete or concrete.

FAQ

How many fence posts do I need?

Always one more than panels - a post at each end plus one between every pair. For 11 panels you'd need 12 posts.

What size is a standard fence panel?

Standard UK panels are 1.83m (6ft) wide. Heights vary, with 6ft, 5ft and 4ft most common.

Timber or concrete posts?

Concrete posts with gravel boards last much longer and resist rot. Timber is cheaper but needs treating and replacing sooner.

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By Eddie & the Quotato team