Vinyl Fence Calculator
Vinyl fence panels = fence length ÷ panel width, rounded up. Posts = one fewer line post than panels, plus end, corner and two gate posts per gate, with a cap on each. 100 ft of 6 ft panels with two ends and one gate takes 17 panels, 20 posts and 20 caps. For picket-and-rail fences, use the Fence Calculator.
How it's calculated: Panels = ⌈length ÷ panel width⌉; posts = (panels − 1) + end + corner + 2 × gates; caps = posts.
Result appears here
Fill in the fields and press Calculate.
Formula, calculation, assumptions and sources
Panels = ⌈ fence length ÷ panel width ⌉
Line posts = panels − 1; total posts = line + end + corner + gate posts (2 per gate)
Caps = posts; concrete = π(d/2)² × depth per hole (vinyl posts are hollow)
Run the calculation to see each step with your own numbers.
100 ft of fence, 6 ft panels, 2 end posts, 0 corners, 1 gate, 10-in × 2-ft holes.
Panels = ⌈100 ÷ 6⌉ = 17
Posts = 16 line + 2 end + 0 corner + 2 gate = 20; caps = 20
Concrete ≈ 1.09 ft³ × 20 = 21.8 ft³
Bags: 21.8 ÷ 0.45 ft³ per 60 lb bag (Quikrete Concrete Mix 1101) ≈ 48.5 → buy 49; check the yield printed on your bag
- Straight runs of equal panels; the last panel is cut down (vinyl rails can be shortened, pickets re-spaced).
- A gate opening replaces a panel and needs a post on each side — count the gate, not a panel, for that bay.
- Post type matters for ordering (line / end / corner / blank) even though the count is the same — match each post to its position.
- Concrete assumes a hollow vinyl post fully encased; a metal or wood insert reduces the concrete slightly.
- Do vinyl fence posts need concrete?
- Yes — more than wood, if anything. Vinyl posts are hollow and light, so they rely on a full concrete footing (often with a rebar pin or wood insert in the bottom) to stay plumb and resist wind.
- How wide are vinyl fence panels?
- Usually 6 or 8 ft between posts — that is the rail length. Enter your panel width; the last bay is cut down to fit by shortening the rails and re-spacing the pickets.
- Do the posts need a wood or metal insert?
- Many installers drop a treated 2x4 or a steel channel into the bottom of a gate or end post before pouring, for stiffness. It slightly reduces the concrete per hole, but the calculator's estimate still covers it.
- How many posts do I need for a vinyl fence?
- One fewer line post than panels, plus every end and corner post and two gate posts per gate. 100 ft of 6 ft panels (17 panels) with two ends and one gate needs 16 + 2 + 2 = 20 posts, each with a cap.
- How much concrete per vinyl fence post?
- A 10 in × 2 ft hole holds about 1.09 ft³. Because vinyl posts are hollow, almost all of it is concrete. At Quikrete Concrete Mix 1101's 0.45 ft³ per 60 lb bag, that's about 2.42 bags per post. Twenty posts take about 21.8 ft³, or 48.5 bags, so buy 49. Other mixes differ, so check your product's printed yield.
Layout
Standard pre-fab panel-fence layout (panels between posts; 2 gate posts per gate). Hole volume is standard geometry; concrete-per-post matches vinyl-fence manufacturer installation guides.
About the Vinyl Fence Calculator
The Vinyl Fence Calculator turns a fence line into pre-fab vinyl panels, posts, post caps and post-hole concrete. Vinyl posts come in line, end, corner and gate types — the calculator gives the total count, and you match each to its position. Each gate needs a post on both sides. Because vinyl posts are hollow, nearly the whole hole is concrete.
What you enter
- Total fence length
- Panel width — Vinyl panels are usually 6 or 8 ft wide (rail length between posts).
- End posts — Posts where the fence stops at a wall or on its own.
- Corner posts
- Gates — Each gate needs a gate post on each side.
- Post-hole diameter
- Post-hole depth
- Waste allowance — Default 0%. Adjust to your own allowance — the exact figure is always shown too.
What you get back
- Panels — the exact result of the calculation.
- Posts — Line + end + corner + gate posts. Vinyl posts differ (line vs end vs corner vs blank) — this is the total count.
- Post caps — the exact result of the calculation.
- Concrete total — Vinyl posts are hollow — most of the hole is concrete. For a 10-in × 2-ft hole (≈ 1.09 ft³) at 0.45 ft³ per 60 lb bag of Quikrete Concrete Mix 1101, that's about 2.42 bags per post; bag yields vary by product, so check the yield printed on your bag.
The formula, a worked example, the assumptions behind it and the sources are shown in full below the calculator.
Related calculators
- Fence Calculator — Posts, rails, pickets and concrete for a fence run of a given length.
- Concrete Calculator for Fence Posts — Concrete volume to set a run of fence posts, allowing for the posts displacing concrete in each hole.
- Concrete Calculator — How much concrete a rectangular slab or footing needs, in cubic yards or cubic metres.
Part of the Fencing calculators.