Work out what you need for a featheredge fence, including posts, arris rails, gravel boards, featheredge boards, nails and postcrete. This enhanced version also helps with stepped or sloping sites and gives a bay-by-bay planning view for closeboard, featherboard and arris rail fencing projects.
Enter your fence run, height and spacing below. Open the advanced options if you want to deduct gates, allow for capping, switch site layout type, estimate stepped bays or include a rough materials cost range.
Use this as a practical first materials list for featheredge or closeboard fencing. You can then tighten the figures once the exact layout is fixed.
This includes a rough allowance for boards, posts, rails, gravel boards, nails, postcrete and optional capping based on your current settings.
This estimate assumes a standard closeboard style setup with practical domestic post spacing and arris rails to suit the selected height.
Gate openings, tighter post spacing, steeper ground, extra end posts, different overlap, waste, capping and post type can all affect the final shopping list.
This section helps you sense-check how the fence may break down bay by bay. On stepped ground, it also shows the approximate drop between bays based on your current settings.
Use the net fence run after deducting any gate openings. Then pick your finished fence height, board width and post spacing. If your site slopes or will be stepped, use the advanced options to add a more realistic allowance.
It is especially useful before ordering timber or checking how different post spacings or overlaps change the final quantities.
In practical everyday use, people often use featheredge and closeboard almost interchangeably. A closeboard style fence is usually built from overlapping featheredge boards fixed to horizontal rails, often arris rails.
As a practical rule of thumb, lower fences around 1.2m often use 2 rails, while taller fences around 1.5m and 1.8m commonly use 3 rails.
A common practical approach is 2 nails per board per rail. That means a 3-rail fence usually needs 6 nails per featheredge board, while a 2-rail fence usually needs 4 nails per board.
That depends on the board width and the overlap you use. As a rough guide, 100mm featheredge boards with a 25mm overlap usually work out at around 13 to 14 boards per metre. Wider boards or smaller overlaps reduce the number needed.
A practical overlap of around 25mm is a common starting point for many featheredge fencing jobs. Some setups may use a little less or more depending on board width, finish preference and local practice.
About 1.8m is a very common spacing for domestic featheredge fencing. Wider spacings such as 2.4m are also used, but tighter spacing can create a stronger and more rigid fence depending on the job.
Both can work well. Timber posts often suit a full timber look and can be more economical, while concrete posts usually last longer and can reduce rot risk where the fence is exposed to damp ground conditions.
Gravel boards help protect the featheredge boards from ground contact and moisture. Timber gravel boards keep the look consistent, while concrete gravel boards usually last longer and are popular where durability is the priority.
A common planning allowance is around 1 to 2 bags per post, depending on the post size, hole size, soil conditions and fence height. This calculator uses a practical allowance so you can estimate totals before buying materials.
Yes, as an early planning guide, but sloping ground can affect post lengths, rail layout, board quantities and waste. On stepped or heavily sloping sites, the real material list may need adjusting once the fence layout is marked out properly.
It allows you to deduct the width of gate openings or other gaps from the total fence run. However, it does not currently calculate the actual gate frame, gate hardware or hanging posts separately.
Yes. This calculator is suitable as a practical planning tool for featheredge, featherboard and closeboard style fencing, especially where overlapping vertical boards are fixed to horizontal rails.
Waste allowance helps cover cutting, damaged timber, imperfect boards, awkward ends and site adjustments. Ordering too tightly can leave you short before the fence is finished.
That depends on the site and the look you want. A stepped fence can be easier to set out on a slope, while a raked or level-following fence may suit some layouts better. Material requirements and post lengths can differ between the two approaches.
Because stepped or sloping runs often create more cutting, more awkward end details and sometimes extra adjustment on boards, rails or gravel boards. That is why an extra waste allowance is often sensible on these sites.
If your project also involves levels, paving or groundwork, you can use the related Handyy tools below to plan those parts properly as well.
