Fence Post Spacing: How Far Apart by Fence Type
By Marko VisicBSc Physics, University of Ljubljana
Set posts too far apart and the rails sag or the panels won’t fit; set them too close and you dig holes you didn’t need.
Fence post spacing depends on the fence. Chain-link line posts go no more than 10 feet apart on center. Vinyl posts sit at the panel width, 72 to 99 inches in the guides we read. Wood posts go no farther apart than the rails are long, and NRCS Kentucky allows up to 14 feet between woven-wire field fence posts.
Fence post spacing chart
Line posts stand between the corner, end and gate posts. Their spacing comes from a different place for each kind of fence: the chain-link industry’s manual, the vinyl maker’s panel, the length of a wood rail, or a USDA fence specification for farm fences.
| Fence | Line post spacing, on center | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Chain link | no more than 10 ft | Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute |
| Vinyl privacy panels | 72 to 99 in, by product | the maker's panel |
| Wood rails and pickets | no more than the rail length | the rails |
| Woven wire field fence | up to 14 ft | NRCS Kentucky |
| High-tensile fixed-knot woven wire | up to 25 ft | NRCS Kentucky |
| Standard barbed wire fence | up to 20 ft, or 30 ft with stays | NRCS Missouri |
Chain link fence post spacing
The Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute’s product manual puts line posts, the intermediate posts between the terminal posts, at no more than 10 feet on center. Terminal posts are the ones the fabric ends on: end, corner, gate and pull posts. A pull post is a terminal post set at a change of grade or at intervals along a long run.
Ten feet is the most the manual allows. It also says to take wind load into account, particularly on fences 8 feet high or more. Each line post carries the wind on the fabric halfway to the posts on either side, so closer posts each carry less.
Distance between fence posts and how many you need
Spacing is measured on center, from the middle of one post to the middle of the next; the clear gap between two posts is that distance less one post’s width. For a straight run, the number of posts is the run divided by the spacing, rounded up, plus one. Count each run between corners on its own, and count a corner post once.
| Straight run | 6 ft spacing | 8 ft spacing | 10 ft spacing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 ft | 10 posts | 8 posts | 6 posts |
| 100 ft | 18 posts | 14 posts | 11 posts |
| 150 ft | 26 posts | 20 posts | 16 posts |
| 200 ft | 35 posts | 26 posts | 21 posts |
If you set the posts in concrete, the concrete bag calculator works out the bags for each hole.
Vinyl and wood privacy fence post spacing
A vinyl panel fits between two posts, so the panel sets the spacing. CertainTeed’s SimTek molded fence guide puts posts 72 in on center for 6-foot panels and 96 in for 8-foot panels. Superior’s Cambridge panel takes 76 in for a 6-foot section or 96 in for an 8-foot one, and its Boston panel 73½ in or 99 in. Take the number from your own panel’s guide before you dig.
A wood fence built on site has no panel. Its rails span from post to post, so the posts go no farther apart than the rails are long; the same holds for a split-rail fence. Closer posts make a stiffer fence where the wind is strong.
Picket spacing
To space pickets evenly between two posts, with a gap against each post, the number of pickets is the opening less one gap, divided by a picket plus a gap, rounded up. The gap is the opening less the pickets’ total width, divided by one more than the number of pickets.
With posts 96 in on center and 3.5 in wide, the opening is 92.5 in. Pickets 3.5 in wide, with gaps no wider than 2 in, come to 17 pickets with gaps of 1.83 in.
| Widest gap | 3.5 in pickets | 5.5 in pickets |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 in | 19 pickets, 1.30 in gaps | 13 pickets, 1.50 in gaps |
| 2 in | 17 pickets, 1.83 in gaps | 13 pickets, 1.50 in gaps |
| 2.5 in | 15 pickets, 2.50 in gaps | 12 pickets, 2.04 in gaps |
Balusters on a deck guard have a code limit on the gap; the deck railing height guide covers it.
Farm fences: woven and barbed wire
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service writes fence specifications state by state for its Code 382 fence practice. Kentucky’s woven-wire specification spaces line posts no more than 14 feet apart for conventional hinge-joint field fence and 25 feet for high-tensile fixed-knot woven wire. Brace assemblies go no more than 330 feet apart on the conventional fence and 660 feet on the high-tensile one.
Missouri’s specification allows 20 feet between posts on a standard fence, or 30 feet with wire stays between the posts no more than 15 feet apart. On straight sections its braced post pairs go no more than 1,320 feet apart on barbed wire and 330 feet on woven wire. Your own state’s specification may differ.
Fence post spacing FAQ
How far apart should fence posts be?
It depends on the fence. Chain-link line posts go no more than 10 feet apart on center, vinyl posts sit where the maker’s panel puts them, wood posts go no farther apart than the rails are long, and farm fences follow the NRCS specification for their wire.
How far apart are chain link fence posts?
No more than 10 feet on center between the terminal posts, under the Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute’s product manual. The manual also says to take wind load into account, particularly on fences 8 feet high or more.
How do you work out how many fence posts you need?
Divide each straight run by the spacing, round up and add one. A 100-foot run at 8-foot spacing takes 14 posts. Count each run between corners on its own and count a corner post once.
How far apart should vinyl fence posts be?
As far apart as the maker’s panel sets. CertainTeed’s SimTek guide puts posts 72 inches apart for 6-foot panels and 96 inches for 8-foot panels; Superior’s Cambridge panel uses 76 or 96 inches.
How far apart are posts on a woven or barbed wire fence?
NRCS Kentucky allows 14 feet for conventional woven field fence and 25 feet for high-tensile fixed-knot woven wire. NRCS Missouri allows 20 feet on a standard fence, or 30 feet with wire stays between the posts.
How do you space fence pickets evenly?
Between two posts, with a gap against each post, the number of pickets is the opening less one gap, divided by a picket plus a gap, rounded up. The gap is the opening less the pickets’ total width, divided by one more than the number of pickets. A 92.5 in opening with 3.5 in pickets and gaps no wider than 2 in takes 17 pickets with 1.83 in gaps.
Sources & method
Chain-link spacing and terminal posts are from the Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute’s product manual; vinyl spacing from CertainTeed’s and Superior’s installation guides; farm fence spacing from the NRCS Kentucky and Missouri Code 382 specifications. Post counts and picket gaps are worked out on the page from the formulas shown.
- Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute. Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute Product Manual (CLF-PM0610). March 2017
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Practice Specification Fence (Code 382) Woven, Kentucky. November 2023
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Practice Specification Fence (Code 382), Missouri. September 2008
- CertainTeed. SimTek Molded Fence Installation Guideline. ©07/22
- Superior Plastic Products. Vinyl Privacy Fence Installation (Cambridge and Boston). SPPIG240819
- Concrete Bag Calculator: How Many Bags Do I Need?Bags of concrete for each post hole, at all four bag sizes.
- Deck Railing Height: Code Rules for Guards & HandrailsThe code limit on the gap between balusters on a deck guard.
Marko Visic
I'm Marko Visic, a physics graduate who builds data-driven calculators. I run ConstructionCalc through my company, Moving Data Systems d.o.o.
The calculators help you plan a DIY job or check a contractor's quote before you sign. Each one cites its sources and shows its method, and cost figures are computed from public primary data. If a number looks wrong, email info@constructioncalc.org and I'll trace it to its source or fix it.