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Free Timber Paling Fence
Calculator
Work out exactly what to buy for a timber paling fence — posts, rails, palings, concrete bags and fixings — using real Australian supplier sizes. Choose butted or lapped palings, add gates and corners, and get a complete shopping list with waste included and timber rounded to whole supplier lengths.
How to use this calculator
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Enter your total fence length and post spacing (centres) — 2.4 m bays are the common standard.
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Set your fence height, paling width and style — butted (side by side) or lapped (overlapping, with adjustable overlap per side).
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Add corners/ends, gates and gate widths — each gate uses two gate posts and reduces the paling run.
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Set rails per bay, concrete bags per post hole and your waste allowance, and read off the full order: posts, rails, palings, capping (optional), concrete and fixings.
What this calculator assumes
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Sizes are based on real Australian supplier stock — including the common 150 mm nominal paling face width — so your order matches what's on the shelf.
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Lapped palings overlap by a default 25 mm each side, hide gaps as the timber shrinks, and give more privacy — but use roughly a third more palings than butted.
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Each gate adds two gate posts and removes its width from the paling run.
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The waste allowance applies to palings, rails and capping; timber orders round to whole supplier lengths.
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Post depth, footing size and engineering vary with soil, wind exposure and fence height — confirm anything structural for tall or exposed fences.
Frequently Asked Questions (F&Q)
FAQ 1
Question: How many palings do I need per metre of fence?
Answer: For 150 mm palings butted side by side, roughly 6.7 per metre. Lapped with a 25 mm overlap each side, the effective cover drops to 100 mm — so 10 per metre, about a third more. The calculator applies your exact paling width, style and overlap.
FAQ 2
Question: What post spacing should I use for a timber fence?
Answer: 2.4 m centres is the Australian standard — it matches common rail lengths and keeps bays rigid. Closer spacing adds strength (and posts); wider spacing risks saggy rails.
FAQ 3
Question: How many rails does a paling fence need?
Answer: Two rails suits fences up to around 1.5 m; three rails is standard for 1.8 m privacy fences. The calculator lets you set rails per bay to match your design.
FAQ 4
Question: How many bags of concrete per fence post?
Answer: Commonly 1–2 bags of rapid-set per post for a standard 1.8 m paling fence, depending on hole size and soil. The calculator multiplies your bags-per-hole figure across every post — including gate posts.
FAQ 5
Question: Butted or lapped palings — which is better?
Answer: Butted is cheaper and faster. Lapped costs about a third more in palings but stays private as the timber shrinks, since the overlap hides the gaps. For boundary privacy fences, lapped is usually worth it.
FAQ 6
Question: Do I need my neighbour's agreement for a boundary fence?
Answer: For a dividing fence, usually yes — cost sharing and fence specifications between neighbours are governed by dividing fences legislation in each state, and councils may have height or material rules (especially on corner blocks and front boundaries). Check your local requirements before you build.