Fence Calculator
Enter your fence length, corners, height, style and gates to get the posts, concrete, rails, boards, gate hardware and screws, with posts set below Ontario's frost line.
Posts
16
Fence boards
280
2x4 rails
42
Concrete bags
54
See this fence in 3D
Opens our free 3D designer at 100 ft of privacy fence, 6 ft high, 1 gate. Try styles, colours and gates on your own yard, then send it to us for a quote.
Materials list
Fence materials estimate: 100 ft of privacy fence (board-on-board, no gaps), 6 ft high, 2 corners
Posts and concrete
- 4x4 posts, 10 ftEvery 8 ft, plus each end and corner
- 14
- 6x6 gate posts, 10 ftHeavier posts so the gates don’t sag
- 2
- Post holes10 in wide (12 in for 6x6), 1.2 m (4 ft) deep
- 16
- 30 kg bags of concreteThe hole less the post, above the gravel
- 54
- 30 kg bags of clear stone6 in in the bottom of each hole, for drainage
- 7
Framing and boards
- 2x4 rails, 8 ft3 per bay
- 42
- 1x6 pressure-treated boards, 6 ftBoard-on-board, no gaps; gates included, plus 5% for cuts
- 280
Gates
- 2x4 gate frame, 8 ftTop, bottom and a diagonal brace per leaf
- 3
- Heavy-duty hingesThree per leaf on taller gates
- 3
- Gate latches
- 1
Screws and rules
- 2 in exterior screwsTwo per board at each rail
- 1700
- 3 in exterior screwsRails, stiffeners and gate frames
- 200
- Height by-law2.0 m (6 ft 6 in) in back and side yards around Toronto; 1 to 1.2 m in front yards. This fence: 1.8 m
- Within
A planning estimate for a wood fence with posts set in concrete 1.2 m (4 ft) deep. Before you dig, request free locates from Ontario One Call: it’s required by law. Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton allow 2.0 m in back and side yards and 1 to 1.2 m in front yards; corner lots and driveways have extra rules. Confirm your property line, and talk to your neighbour about a shared fence.
How this calculator works
It estimates a wood fence the way it gets built in Ontario: posts in concrete below the frost line, 2x4 rails between them and boards on the rails. Many online fence calculators assume US frost depths of 2 to 3 ft, which is too shallow here.
- Posts no more than 8 ft apart (or 6 ft if you choose), plus one at every end and corner. Horizontal fences always use 6 ft.
- 4x4 posts up to 6 ft 6 in high and 6x6 above that. Every gate gets 6x6 posts.
- Holes 1.2 m (4 ft) deep with 6 in of gravel at the bottom, 10 in wide for 4x4 posts and 12 in for 6x6.
- Two rails per bay up to 4 ft, three up to 6 ft 6 in, four above that.
- Boards cover the gates too, plus 5% for cuts. Board-on-board overlaps, semi-privacy leaves 1 in gaps, and pickets are 1x4 with 2.5 in gaps.
- Walk gates are 4 ft and double drive gates 10 ft. The openings come out of the fenced length.
Before you dig
Request free locates from Ontario One Call before digging any post hole. It’s required by law, and gas, hydro and cable lines are often shallower than a fence post.
Confirm where your property line is, from a survey if you have one. If the fence is on the line, talk to your neighbour first: many neighbours split the cost of a shared fence.
Common questions
How many posts do I need for a 100 ft fence?
14 posts for a straight 100 ft run with posts 8 ft apart: 13 bays plus one post at the end. Add one post for each corner, and an extra post for each gate, since a gate needs a post on both sides. Gate posts should be 6x6.
How much concrete do I need per fence post?
About 3.3 bags of 30 kg concrete for a 4x4 post in a 10 in hole, 4 ft deep, with 6 in of gravel at the bottom. That's 46 bags for a straight 100 ft fence. A 6x6 gate post in a 12 in hole takes about 4 bags.
How deep should fence posts be in Ontario?
1.2 m (4 ft), the frost depth across most of southern Ontario. Posts set shallower can be pushed up by frost over a few winters, which leaves the fence leaning and the gates out of line. A 6 ft fence on 4 ft deep posts needs 10 ft posts.
How many boards are in an 8 ft fence section?
About 22 1x6 boards for a board-on-board privacy section, because the boards overlap on both sides. A semi-privacy section with 1 in gaps takes about 15. Add around 5% for cuts and boards you reject.
How high can a fence be in Toronto?
Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton all allow 2.0 m (6 ft 6 in) in back and side yards. Front yards are limited to 1.2 m in Toronto and 1 m in Mississauga and Brampton, and corner lots and fences near driveways have extra rules. A fence taller than the by-law allows needs an exemption from the city.