Two plans you can check by hand.
These are hypothetical dimensions used to verify the model. They are not inspected projects, local design recommendations or actual supplier quotes.
Example A: one 8 ft run, no gate
Choose Straight, enter 8 ft, use 8 ft maximum spacing, 3.5 in ordinary posts, 5.5 in side-by-side boards, zero gap, 3 rail rows, between-post coverage and 10% extra lumber. Ordinary concrete holes are 12 in diameter with 30 in fill. Use 0.375 cu ft per bag, 10% concrete allowance and per-hole rounding. Fastener counts are 2 per board/rail and 2 per rail end, with 100 pieces per box.
| Quantity | Hand calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Bays / posts | ceil(8 ÷ 8); endpoints | 1 bay; 2 ordinary posts |
| Clear infill | 96 − (3.5 + 3.5) ÷ 2 | 92.5 in |
| Base / purchase boards | ceil(92.5 ÷ 5.5); ceil(17 × 1.1) | 17 base; 19 to buy |
| Rail stock | 1 × 3 rows; ceil(3 × 1.1) | 3 installed; 4 stock pieces |
| Rail cuts | 92.5 ÷ 12 | 3 cuts of about 7.7083 ft |
| Picket fasteners | 17 × 3 × 2; ceil(102 ÷ 100) | 102 pieces; 2 boxes |
| Rail fasteners | 3 × 2 ends × 2; ceil(12 ÷ 100) | 12 pieces; 1 box |
| Concrete | 2 × 1.7508218 × 1.1 | 3.85180795 cu ft |
| Bags | ceil(3.85180795 ÷ 0.375); 2 × ceil(1.7508218 × 1.1 ÷ 0.375) | 11 pooled; 12 per-hole |
No gate kit, gravel or caps are included. There is no dollar total until the required prices are entered.
Example B: 20 ft with a 4 ft clear gate
Use a straight 20 ft run. Enter a 4 ft clear gate starting at the first gate-post center, 8 ft from the run start. Gate posts are 5.5 in square, with 18 in diameter holes and 36 in concrete fill. Other inputs are as in Example A. Gate post stock is 10 ft and the entered above-grade post height is 6 ft. These dimensions test the model; they are not a gate foundation recommendation.
Solid spans = 8 ft and 7.541667 ft
Left clear infill = 8 × 12 − (3.5 + 5.5)/2 = 91.5 in
Right clear infill = 7.541667 × 12 − (5.5 + 3.5)/2 = 86 in
| Quantity | Result |
|---|---|
| Supports / solid bays | 2 ordinary posts + 2 gate posts; 2 bays |
| Base boards | ceil(91.5/5.5) + ceil(86/5.5) = 17 + 16 = 33 |
| Purchase boards / rail stock | 37 boards; 7 rail stock pieces |
| Fasteners / boxes | 198 picket fasteners → 2 boxes; 24 rail fasteners → 1 box |
| Gate kits | 1 complete opening kit, priced by you |
| Concrete | About 14.12851235 cu ft including 10% allowance |
| Bags | 38 pooled; 40 per-hole at 0.375 cu ft per bag |
Overlap model check
For 92.5 in of coverage, 5.5 in boards and 1 in overlap between each alternating adjacent pair, ceil((92.5 − 1)/(5.5 − 1)) gives 21 boards before allowance. Twenty boards cover 91 in; twenty-one cover 95.5 in, so the last board requires trimming. A different manufacturer arrangement may give another count.