Plank & Post

Free fence and deck calculators

Know what your project should cost before you call anyone.

Fence or deck, type in your measurements. You get a realistic price range, a list of what the job takes and a drawing to scale. No sign-up, no phone number, no sales calls.

Price my fence Price my deck
  • Prices checked
  • Use your own prices
  • Works on your phone

Estimate

Wood privacy, pine

150 ft · 6 ft tall · pro install

Materials$2,700
Labor$2,550
Walk gate × 1$350
Likely range$4,760 – $6,440$32 – $43 per linear foot

An example from the fence cost calculator

Fence calculators

Start with the first one if you're not sure. The rest go deeper on one kind of fence or one part of the job.

A 6 ft wood privacy fence with a gate, drawn to scale next to a personFence Cost CalculatorWood, vinyl, chain link or aluminum. Compare what each would cost for your yard.Open calculator A white vinyl privacy fence panel with a gate, between capped postsVinyl Fence Cost CalculatorPrivacy or picket vinyl, priced per foot with panels, posts and gates.Open calculator A 4 ft chain link fence: steel posts, a top rail and diamond meshChain Link Fence Cost CalculatorGalvanized or vinyl-coated, with or without privacy slats, from 4 to 8 ft tall.Open calculator A black ornamental aluminum fence with pointed picketsAluminum Fence Cost CalculatorFlat-top or ornamental aluminum, 4 to 6 ft tall, with panels, posts and gates counted.Open calculator Top view of a one-acre lot, 209 ft on each side, fenced all the way aroundCost to Fence an Acre CalculatorTurn acres into feet of fence, then price it for wire, split rail, chain link or wood.Open calculator A wood double drive gate, 12 ft wide, with two leaves and diagonal bracesFence Gate Cost CalculatorWalk gates, double drive gates and sliders in five materials, with or without an opener.Open calculator A wood fence shown before staining, gray and weathered, and after, a warm brownFence Staining Cost CalculatorHow many gallons your fence takes, and what it costs to stain it yourself or hire it out.Open calculator An old wood fence drawn faded, marked as coming downFence Removal Cost CalculatorPrice out tearing down an old fence, digging out the footings and hauling it away.Open calculator A 4 ft picket fence with gaps between the pickets and two rails behind themFence Picket CalculatorCounts pickets, rails, posts and concrete for a wood fence, with any gap.Open calculator Cut-away view of a fence post set in concrete, with gravel at the bottom of the holePost Hole Concrete CalculatorHow many bags of concrete your posts take, from the size of the hole.Open calculator A price line with a green band for the likely range and a marker showing a quote just above itFence Quote CheckerEnter a contractor's price and see how it compares with our range, plus what to ask before you sign.Open calculator

Deck calculators

The platform first, then the railing and the stairs, and what the deck costs to keep.

Top view of a 12 by 16 ft deck against a house, with railing on three sides and stairsDeck Cost CalculatorPrice a deck by size and material, with railing and stairs added on top.Open calculator A wood deck railing 36 inches high, with a person standing on the deck for scaleDeck Railing Cost CalculatorWood, composite, vinyl, aluminum, cable or glass railing, priced by the foot.Open calculator Top view of a deck half weathered gray and half freshly stained brownDeck Staining Cost CalculatorHow many gallons your deck takes, and the cost to stain it yourself or hire it out.Open calculator Top view of a 12 by 16 ft deck with new composite boardsDeck Resurfacing Cost CalculatorNew boards on the frame you already have: what it costs and how many boards it takes.Open calculator Side view of deck stairs with four risers, showing the rise and the runDeck Stair CalculatorFrom the height of the deck: how many steps, how tall each one is, and how far the stairs reach.Open calculator Chart of deck cost over 20 years: wood rising in steps, composite a flat lineComposite vs Wood Deck Cost CalculatorWood is cheaper to build, composite is cheaper to keep. See which wins over 20 years.Open calculator

Guides

What things cost, which materials last, and when you need a permit, with the sources behind every number.

Fences · 4 min readHow Much Does a Fence Cost in 2026?Prices per foot by material, what a typical backyard costs, and the extras people forget to budget for.Read the guide Fences · 4 min readWood vs Vinyl Fence: Cost, Lifespan and UpkeepWood is cheaper to put up, vinyl is cheaper to keep. Here's how the money works out, and how long each one lasts.Read the guide Decks · 5 min readDo You Need a Permit to Build a Deck?The four conditions that let a deck skip the permit, how cities change them, and what the process looks like.Read the guide Decks · 4 min readHow Long Does a Pressure-Treated Deck Last?Why the answer ranges from 10 to 30 years, what decides it, and how to tell when a deck is near the end.Read the guide Fences · 4 min readHow to Measure Your Yard for a FenceFind the line, measure the length, place the gates and count the posts before you ask anyone for a price.Read the guide Fences · 3 min readHow Deep Should Fence Posts Be?Hole depth for every common fence height, how wide to dig, the frost line, and how much concrete each post takes.Read the guide Fences · 3 min readWhen Is the Best Time to Build a Fence?What each season means for digging, concrete, prices and how long you'll wait for a crew.Read the guide Decks · 3 min readHow Often Should You Stain a Deck?The usual interval, the water test that tells you it's time, and what each staining costs.Read the guide Fences · 5 min readWho Pays for a Fence Between Neighbors?Usually nobody has to chip in unless they agree. California is the big exception, and farm states have their own rules for livestock fences.Read the guide Fences · 4 min readHow Close to the Property Line Can a Fence Be?Usually right up to it in the backyard, with extra rules near sidewalks, streets, corners and easements.Read the guide Fences · 3 min readHow Tall Can a Fence Be?About 6 feet in the backyard and 3 to 4 in front in most towns, with real examples and the exceptions.Read the guide Fences · 4 min readDo You Need a Permit for a Fence?Often not for an ordinary backyard fence, but it depends on your town. How to find out, and what the application involves.Read the guide Decks · 5 min readHow Much Does a Deck Cost?A whole 12 × 16 deck added up line by line, with what moves the price and what quotes tend to leave out.Read the guide Decks · 5 min readHow High Does a Deck Railing Have to Be?36 inches under the model code, 42 in California, 34 on stairs. How it's measured, and when you need one at all.Read the guide Decks · 5 min readHow Far Apart Should Deck Joists Be?Usually 16 inches on center, and 12 for diagonal boards. The code's tables, with a 12-foot deck worked through.Read the guide Fences · 4 min readFence Rules by CityFront-yard limits, back-yard limits and permit rules for 50 US cities, each linked to the city's own page.Read the guide

How it works

  1. Enter your measurements

    Length, height and the kind of fence, or the size of the deck. Don't know your fence length? The acre calculator works it out from your lot size.

  2. Check the prices

    You start with our mid-range national prices, dated so you know how fresh they are. Got a quote already? Type it in and the estimate uses that instead.

  3. Take the range with you

    Copy it or print it, then hold it up against the quotes contractors give you.

Why a range and not one number

Because nobody can see your yard from a website. The slope, the rock, the tree roots, how far the truck has to park, what labor costs in your town: all of it moves the price. One exact number would be a guess dressed up as a fact.

So we show 15% either side of the math, and we show you the math. Every suggested price is on our method page with the date we last checked it. If you've got better numbers for your area, use them. The calculators will.

Who is Plank & Post?

Plank & Post is a small independent site that makes free calculators for fences and decks. We don't sell fencing, we don't build decks and we don't pass your details to contractors, because we never ask for them. The site is paid for by ads.

The name is the two pieces most of these projects start with: a plank and a post. There's more on the about page.