Wood Fence vs Vinyl Fence Material Cost Per Foot
Wood usually costs less per linear foot than vinyl on materials alone. Here is how to build both order lists and compare them fairly.
How Many Fence Panels for 100 Feet With a Gate
A 100 ft run at 8 ft bays needs 12 panels, but a single gate removes one bay, leaving 11 panels, 12 posts and 22 rails.
The short answer
For a 100 ft straight run built on 8 ft bays with one single gate, you need 11 fence panels, 12 posts and 22 rails. The arithmetic is simple: 100 divided by 8 gives 12.5 bays, so you round up to 13 bays to cover the full length, then take out one bay for the gate opening. That leaves 12 bays of fencing, and because each bay holds one panel you order 12 panels if the gate is a separate gate kit, or 11 panels if one bay's worth of material is consumed by the gate itself. The calculator treats the gate as its own line item and reports 11 panels plus 1 gate.
Posts are counted at every bay boundary plus the two ends, which is why 12 bays produce 12 posts on a 100 ft run rather than 13. Rails are two per bay, so 11 fenced bays give 22 rails. Confirm the gate width with your supplier before ordering, since a single walk gate is usually narrower than a full 8 ft bay and the leftover space may need a short filler panel.
Measure and set the bay layout
Measure the actual run with a tape, not the nominal 100 ft. Mark the gate position first, because moving a gate later changes every post count after it. On a 100 ft run with the gate at one end, you have 11 full 8 ft bays plus a 4 ft remainder, which is why rounding up matters: 11 bays cover 88 ft, and the last 12 ft needs either a cut panel or a gate plus a narrow filler.
The default panel width is 8.00 ft and post spacing matches it, so each post sits on a bay boundary. Drive a stake at 0, 8, 16 and so on up to 96 ft, then place the final post at 100 ft. That gives 13 stake positions, but the gate bay replaces the panel between two of them, so you still set 12 posts. Check the diagonal between corners to confirm the line is square before digging.
Worked example with the numbers
Take a 100 ft run, 6.00 ft high, with one 4 ft gate at the start. Bays: 100 divided by 8 equals 12.5, rounded up to 13. Remove one bay for the gate, leaving 12 bays of fence, of which 11 carry full panels and one is closed by the gate and a filler. Panels: 11. Posts: 12, set at 8 ft centres. Rails: 2 per bay times 11 bays equals 22.
Concrete: each post hole is 254 mm diameter by 762 mm deep, roughly 0.039 m³ of hole. An 80 lb bag yields about 0.017 m³, so each hole needs about 2.3 bags, rounded to 3. Twelve posts at 3 bags each is 36 bags. The calculator applies the same hole volume and bag yield, so its concrete figure should match yours within a bag or two. Gate hardware and hinges are ordered separately from the gate kit.
Turn the count into an order list
Order 11 panels, 12 posts, 22 rails, 1 gate and 36 bags of concrete. Add one spare picket or panel for damage and one spare bag per ten posts. Picket width is 89 mm with a 13 mm gap, so a full 8 ft panel holds roughly 24 pickets; if you build panels on site rather than buying pre-assembled, multiply 24 by 11 panels for about 264 pickets.
Prices vary by region and supplier, so get a quote rather than relying on a national average. Delivery times, gate styles and treated versus cedar stock all change the total. Ask your lumber yard whether panels are sold pre-assembled or as kits, because that decides whether you buy pickets and rails separately. Run the fence calculator with your measured length and gate position to confirm the counts before you commit to the order.
Where the count can shift
Corner posts, end posts and gate posts usually need deeper or wider holes than line posts, which raises the concrete total. Sloped ground forces shorter bays or stepped panels, and each step can add a post. If your gate is wider than 4 ft, the filler bay may disappear and the panel count changes by one.
Local rules on fence height, setback and permit requirements differ by state, county and homeowners association, so confirm with your local building department before digging. The calculator gives material quantities, not permission. Treat its output as a shopping list to check against your supplier's stock and your site measurements.
Frequently asked questions
How many fence panels do I need for 100 feet with one gate?
Eleven panels, plus one gate. A 100 ft run at 8 ft bays rounds up to 13 bays; removing one bay for the gate leaves 12 bays, and the gate closes one of them, so 11 full panels are ordered. Confirm gate width with your supplier, as a narrow gate may need a filler panel.
How many posts and rails come with 11 panels?
Twelve posts and 22 rails. Posts sit at every bay boundary plus both ends, giving 12 on a 100 ft run once the gate bay is removed. Rails are two per fenced bay, so 11 bays need 22 rails. Gate posts are included in the 12 and may need deeper holes.
How much concrete do I need for 12 posts?
About 36 bags of 80 lb concrete. Each 254 mm by 762 mm hole holds roughly 0.039 m³, and a bag yields about 0.017 m³, so each post takes about 2.3 bags, rounded to 3. Deeper gate or corner post holes will add a few bags.
Does the gate count as a panel?
No. The calculator lists the gate as a separate item and deducts one bay from the panel count. That is why a 100 ft run reports 11 panels and 1 gate rather than 12 panels. Gate hardware, hinges and latches are ordered separately from the gate kit.
Why round 12.5 bays up to 13?
Because a partial bay still needs a post and a cut panel or filler. Rounding up covers the full 100 ft, then the gate bay is removed. Skipping the round-up leaves the last few feet unfenced, and the post count would be short by one.
Put the numbers in the calculator
Use your own measurements, panel width and post spacing. The tool returns posts, panels, pickets, rails, concrete bags and a material cost.