The first step in any fence installation project is determining how much fence material you will need. If you over-estimate your needs, you'll end up spending extra money on material that you don't need. If you under-estimate, your project will come to a halt until you can order and receive more material. Estimating needed material is a simple process that can save you time and money, as well as help you budget the cost of your fence. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Determine the boundary of your property and where you will want the fence installed. You can call your local government for a property mark out if you aren't sure of your borders.
2. Determine what type of fence you would like to purchase--this will make a difference in your estimate. Most aluminum fence is sold in six-foot sections, but you may also come across eight-foot sections. The shorter the section, the more sections you will need to cover a distance.
3. Use a measuring wheel to measure the perimeter of your property. Set your wheel to "zero" and measure out one side of your property. Stop and record the number on a piece of paper. Set the wheel back to "zero" and measure out the next side. Record the number. Repeat this for all sides of your property that you wish to fence.
4. Use a calculator to divide each side by the length of one section of the style of fence you selected. For example: if your fence is sold in six-foot sections, divide each of your measurements by six. Round all numbers up. This will give you the total number of fence sections needed for each side.
Example: Length of one side of your property = 33 feet; one section of fence = 6 feet. 36 divided by 6 is 5.5, so you will need at least six sections for that side.
5. Determine how many fence posts you will need. Where the fence starts and ends, you will need end-posts. Where the fence turns or bends around the perimeter of your property, your will need corner-posts. For all posts in between, you will need line posts. Remember, you will always have more posts than sections. It takes two posts to hold up one section, three posts to hold up two sections (the two sections share the post in the middle), and so on.
6. Add up all of your needed sections and needed posts. Refer to a fence catalog from your local fence supplier for prices. Multiply the price of one section in the catalog by the number of sections you will need, then do the same for the posts. Add those prices together and you have the total price for fence material.
Tags: will need, your property, divide each, each side, fence material, fence sold, fence sold six-foot
