How to Measure for a New Fence

The short answer

You do not need a perfect drawing. You need a simple sketch that shows every straight section, every turn, and every place a gate or obstacle changes the fence line.

Why it matters

One total distance cannot tell you where corners, posts, gates, or cut panels will land. A few separate measurements can.

Do this first

1. Sketch your house, patio, driveway, and the part of the yard you want to enclose.
2. Put a temporary flag or stake at each start, corner, gate, and end.
3. Pull string between two marks and measure that one straight side. Write its length beside the line on your sketch.
4. Start a new measurement every time the fence turns. Mark the gate width and what needs to fit through it.
5. Note anything that could force a post to move: steps, trees, downspouts, paving, equipment, or a slope.

Use Fence Planner for this part

Draw the same straight sides and gate in the planner. If its shape does not look like your sketch, fix the plan before trusting the material estimate.

How the estimate works

Fence Planner treats each straight stretch of fence (a run) as a separate line measured along the middle of the posts, from one end or corner to the next. Measuring those stretches one at a time keeps corners, gates, and short leftover sections in the right places.