About this calculator
Estimates the take-off for a straight profiled (corrugated or trapezoidal) sheet fence: sheets by effective coverage width, posts, rails, and fixing screws.
Formula
effective sheet width = nominal sheet width − overlap
sheets (incl. waste) = ceil(ceil(fence length / effective width) × (1 + waste% / 100))
posts = ceil(fence length / post spacing) + 1
rail length = rails per span × fence length
screws = sheets (excl. waste) × rails per span × screws per sheet per rail
A profiled sheet's nominal width overstates its real coverage: each sheet overlaps the next by one or more corrugations to keep the fence weathertight, so only the nominal width minus that overlap actually adds new coverage along the fence.
Worked example
Defaults: 20 m run, 1150 mm sheets with 100 mm overlap, 5% waste, 2.5 m post spacing, 2 rails per span, 5 screws per sheet per rail.
effective width = 1150 − 100 = 1050 mm
sheets = ceil(20000/1050) = 20; incl. waste = ceil(20 × 1.05) = 21
posts = ceil(20000/2500) + 1 = 9
rail length = 2 × 20 m = 40 m
screws = 20 × 2 × 5 = 200
FAQ
Why is this different from the general fence calculator's "panels" option? Fence's panel infill models a pre-made panel sized to fit exactly one post bay, cut down when a bay is short. A profiled sheet instead runs continuously along the whole fence, overlapping the next sheet by a fixed amount rather than aligning to post positions — different coverage maths, kept as its own self-contained calculator.
Why doesn't the calculator cite a standard?
Post spacing, rail count, and overlap all depend on the sheet profile and wind exposure — no
standard fixes them, so meta.standards is left empty.
Assumptions and limits
Models one straight run only — no corners or gates. Post spacing, overlap, rail count, and screw count are all disclosed estimates you should adjust to match your own sheet profile and site conditions.