The short answer
Measure the whole run, including the gate. Subtract each gate’s width to get fence footage. A 200 ft run with one 4-foot gate has 196 ft of fence, and a double gate made of two 6-foot leaves is a single 12-foot opening, so the same run has 188 ft.
How gates change the numbers
- Total length includes the gate openings.
- Fence footage is the total length minus every gate width. For a double gate, subtract both leaves.
- Gates are priced once each at your gate rate, not as footage.
- Panels and posts are counted for each span between gates and ends, so gates can change them even when footage barely moves.
Example 1: footage and price
A 120 ft run with two 4-foot gates, at sample prices of $35 per foot of fence and $450 per gate. Replace the prices with yours.
| Total run, including gates | 120 ft |
|---|---|
| Gate openings | 2 × 4 ft = 8 ft |
| Fence footage | 120 ft − 8 ft = 112 ft |
| Fence at $35 per foot | 112 ft × $35 = $3,920.00 |
| Gates at $450 each | 2 × $450 = $900.00 |
| Total before tax | $4,820.00 |
| Fence line if the gates were not subtracted | 120 ft × $35 = $4,200.00 |
Not subtracting the gates would overstate the fence line by $280.00 before the gate prices are added back.
Example 2: gates change panels and posts
The same 100 ft run, 8-foot panels, with the gates spaced evenly along it:
| No gate | 100 ft of fence → 13 panels, 14 posts |
|---|---|
| One 4 ft gate | 96 ft of fence, spans 48 ft (6) + 48 ft (6) → 12 panels, 14 posts |
| Two 4 ft gates | 92 ft of fence, spans 23 ft (3) + 46 ft (6) + 23 ft (3) → 12 panels, 15 posts |
Each gate takes footage out but also cuts the run into spans, and each span rounds up to whole panels and has its own end posts. Two gates removed 8 ft of fence, yet the run needs 1 more posts.
Example 3: gates in a closed yard
An 80 ft by 60 ft yard has 280 ft of fence before any gates. Add a 4-foot walk gate starting 38 feet along the south side and a 12-foot driveway gate starting 20 feet along the east side (measured from the south-west and south-east corners) and the fence footage drops to 264 ft, because 16 ft of the perimeter is gate openings. The yard then needs 35 panels and 37 posts, against 36 and 36 without gates.
Example 4: one double gate or two single gates
A 200 ft run needs a 12 ft opening. Built as one double gate it is one gate; built as two separate 6 ft gates it is two, in different places. The footage is the same either way, but the gate count, the spans and the price are not. At the same sample prices:
| One 12 ft double gate | 188 ft of fence, 1 gate → $6,580.00 + $450.00 = $7,030.00 |
|---|---|
| Two 6 ft single gates | 188 ft of fence, 2 gates → $6,580.00 + $900.00 = $7,480.00 |
That is why the estimate should say how many gates there are and how wide each opening is, not only how many feet of gate there are.
Pricing the gate
A per-gate price is yours to set, and it should say what it includes: the gate leaf, hinges, latch, any heavier gate posts and installation. Whatever you decide, keep it separate from the per-foot price, and say on the estimate how many gates there are and how wide each opening is.
Common mistakes
- Pricing the full run as fence and then adding gates on top.
- Subtracting only one leaf of a double gate.
- Placing a gate so that it extends past the end of the run. A gate cannot be wider than the run it sits in.
- Counting panels from the footage instead of from each span; see how many fence panels you need.
Assumptions used on this page
- Straight, level runs in feet, with 8-foot panels unless stated.
- In the straight-run examples the gates are spaced evenly along the run; in the yard example they sit at the offsets stated there. Where a gate sits changes the span widths, and so the panel and post counts, but not the footage.
- The posts beside a gate are the end posts of the neighbouring spans and are included in the count. Gate hardware is not.
- Prices are sample prices. Examples are fictional and calculated with the same planner as the fence gate calculator.
Questions
Do you subtract the gate from the fence length?
Yes. The gate is part of the measured run but is not fence footage.
How do I measure a double gate?
Measure the whole opening between the gate posts, which is both leaves together, and subtract that.
Do gates change how many posts I need?
They can. Each gate splits the run into separate spans, and each span has its own end posts. See how to calculate fence posts.
How do I show gates on an estimate?
List the number of gates, the width of each opening, the per-gate price, and the fence footage after the gates are subtracted. The fence estimate guide shows a layout.