Fence PlannerPlan

Hypothetical planning example

Gate position and the final bay

Moving a 4 ft gate on the same 60 ft run keeps total fill constant while the two fill segments change.

Updated 2026-07-21 · Methodology

Question this answers

Why does sliding a gate along one run change the leftover panel bays on each side?

Assumptions

  • One 60 ft straight run
  • One 4 ft single gate (default fixture offset 10 ft from run start)
  • Panel system with the same module as other panel fixtures
  • Same total fill length when the gate moves; segment lengths change

Hypothetical planning example. These inputs and results explain and test Fence Planner. They do not describe a customer project or completed installation.

Plan view

Deterministic diagram from the same fixture the planner loads — not a photo of a finished job.

Top-down measured fence planGrid-backed plan showing fence runs with length labels, posts by role, and dashed gate openings where present. Post roles also appear as text in the surrounding page summary — colour is not the only cue.60 ftGATE · 4 ft1 ft grid
Top-down straight fence run with a dashed gate opening offset from one end

Calculator result

Derived with the shared materials engine — not hard-coded in this page.

  • Total fence length: 60 ft
  • Fill length (excludes gate openings): 56 ft
  • Posts: 10 total (end 2, line 6, corner 0, gate 2, terminal 0, structure 0)
  • Concrete bags (project rounding): 62
  • 6 full panels, 8 panels to buy (cut bay 1: pitch remainder 2 ft, clear space 1 ft (short); cut bay 2: pitch remainder 4 ft, clear space 4 ft (valid))
  • Fill segments on the gated run: 10 ft + 46 ft
Material lines from the estimate
ItemQtyUnit
4x4 fence posts4x4 x 10 ft ground-contact10ea
Wood fence panels6 ft H × 8 ft W wood fence panel8ea
Short clear opening (from stock panel)Final pitch 20 in O.C. · calculated clear panel space ≈ 16 in1ea
Cut panel (from stock panel)Final pitch 52 in O.C. · calculated clear panel space ≈ 48 in1ea
Concrete bags12 in × 36 in holes62bags
Gate hinge sets1sets
Gate latch sets1sets
Pyramid post capsSized for 4x4 posts10ea
Panel mounting bracketsRail/panel brackets (system-matched)32ea
Bracket mounting screws2-1/2 to 3 in exterior screws · HDG or stainless150ea
Gate hardware screws2 to 3 in exterior screws · HDG or stainless50ea

What this result means

  • Gate location is a layout decision — not only a hardware SKU.
  • Remainder bays are computed per fill segment after the opening is removed.
  • Open the planner example to try another offset and watch both sides update together.

What this scenario shows

  • Fill split into segments on either side of the gate
  • Total fill staying constant when only gate offset changes
  • Why final-bay remainders can differ by segment even when purchases look similar overall

What this does not prove

  • Does not prove swing clearance past obstacles or code-required gate widths.
  • Does not auto-optimize “best” gate placement for you.
  • Hypothetical inputs only.

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Calculations follow published methodology. Corrections welcome via contact.