Want it fitted?
Send your job details and we'll pass them to fencing companies in your area.
Enter your fence length to see your materials list.
Your fence materials list
| Item | Qty | Specification | Estimated cost |
|---|
Work out how many fence panels, posts and bags of postcrete you need, and roughly how much it will cost.
Divide your fence length by 1.9 m (a 1.83 m panel plus its post) and round up. A 12 m fence needs 7 panels.
Send your job details and we'll pass them to fencing companies in your area.
Enter your fence length to see your materials list.
| Item | Qty | Specification | Estimated cost |
|---|
Guides and answers · Prices and figures last checked 20 October 2026
Divide the length of your fence by the width of one bay (a panel plus its post) and round up. Standard UK panels are 1.83 m (6 ft) wide, so each bay is about 1.9 m.
Worked example: 12 m of 6 ft panel fencing needs 7 panels and 8 posts.
| Panel | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 6 ft x 6 ft | 1.83 m | 1.83 m |
| 6 ft x 5 ft | 1.83 m | 1.5 m |
| 6 ft x 4 ft | 1.83 m | 1.2 m |
| 6 ft x 3 ft | 1.83 m | 0.9 m |
You need one more post than you have panels, plus an extra post for each gate. Use two 20 kg bags of postcrete per post, and always check the manufacturer's guidance on the bag.
The cost depends on the materials you choose, whether you fit it yourself or pay a fencer, whether you add gravel boards, and how many gates you need. The estimate above uses the latest prices we have checked and shows a range rather than a single figure.
The calculator covers four ready-made panel types, priced per panel: lap (overlap), closeboard, slatted and picket. They share the same panel width, so the number of panels and posts is the same, and only the price changes. Featheredge is different: it is built on site from arris rails and overlapping featheredge boards, rather than from ready-made panels. For featheredge the calculator assumes 3.0 m between posts, two rails for fences up to 1.2 m high and three above, and boards that cover 100 mm each with 5% spare.
Usually not for a fence up to 2 m high in a back garden, or up to 1 m next to a road. Gravel boards count towards the height. Check the Planning Portal and your local council, especially if you are in a conservation area or your property is listed.
Generally 2 m at the back and 1 m next to a road used by vehicles, including any gravel board. See the planning permission answer above.
Measure along the line where the fence will run, including any gates. Use "Add another run" for each separate straight section.
Gravel boards keep panels off the soil so they last longer. They are optional, and they are ticked by default here.
It gives a good estimate for flat ground and straight runs. Check your measurements and the assumptions before you order.
Your title deeds sometimes say, but often they do not. Talk to your neighbour before you start work.
FenceCalculator.co.uk is run by CI Media Ltd, a UK company registered in England and Wales (company number 10202404). It turns your measurements into a panel, post and postcrete count using standard UK panel sizes (1.83 m, or 6 ft) plus a small allowance for each post.
Prices come from published UK retailer listings and fence-cost averages, and include VAT. We review them from time to time. They were last checked on 20 October 2026. Everything on this site is an estimate, not a quote: read our estimates disclaimer for what the numbers assume.
If you ask for quotes, we pass your details to independent fencing companies. See the affiliate disclosure for how the site is funded and our privacy policy for how we handle your data. Spotted a mistake in a price or a measurement? Please tell us.