Plumbline
v1.0 · public betaWood · Vinyl · Chain link · Aluminum · Split rail811 · pool code · frost line aware

Plan a fence
that actually
stands up.

A fence calculator built the way fence contractors actually take off a job — post-typed, frost-line aware, hardware-schedule complete. Draw your line on a satellite. Get a buildable bill of materials, not a length × price guess.

Start drawing →See how it works~3 min · no signup
4×
Post types classified line · end · corner · gate
±10%
Real waste factors by pattern, grade, slope
48in
Frost-line override by ZIP, every footing
5
Fence types wood · vinyl · chain · aluminum · rail
01 · Why this exists

There's an empty middle between toy calculators and three-hundred-a-month contractor SaaS.

Free
Big-box configurators
$0/mo

Length × width × bundle SKU. Built to route you to an installer, not to build a fence.

+Linear feet
—No post typology
—No concrete
—No slope
—No hardware schedule
You are here
Plumbline
Freehomeowner

Contractor-grade takeoff with a homeowner-friendly UI. The math pros do, without the $300/mo.

✓Draw on satellite, multi-run
✓Auto post-type + concrete
✓Frost line + slope
✓Full hardware schedule
✓Real waste by pattern
✓Site-aware permit & code flags
Pro
Contractor SaaS
$300/mo

ArcSite, mySalesman, JobNimbus. Excellent — and gated, dealer-only, overkill for one fence.

+Full takeoff
+CRM pipeline
—Not for homeowners
—Annual contracts
—Dealer onboarding
02 · Capabilities

Six things this tool does that nothing else free does.

Each one is a thing real fence builders treat as non-negotiable, and every public calculator on the market skips. Open them in any order.

A · Post classification

Every vertex you draw becomes a typed post — automatically.

Line, end, corner, and gate posts each absorb different loads. Corners go 6″ deeper. Gate posts always concrete. A consumer calc that treats them equally under-orders hardware by 20–40%.

Line
4×4 PT
8 ft OC · 36″ deep
Corner
6×6 PT
+6″ depth · 1.5× concrete
End
4×4 PT
tension-rated
Gate
6×6 PT
always concrete · deepest
B · Concrete

Bag count, per hole, by post type and ZIP.

Hole geometry follows post width × 3, frost-line override by ZIP, +6″ for corners and gates, +10% spillage. Output is whole 50/60/80-lb bags.

↑ 32 bags · 80 lb · Quikrete fast-setting · +10% waste
C · Slope

Rack vs. step, decided by your terrain.

Tell us the elevation drop or pull it from the elevation API. We tell you whether to rack the panels, step them, or pick a different fence type before you start digging.

D · Hardware schedule

Ties, bands, bars, hinges — counted, not estimated.

Tension bands = fence height − 1, per terminal. Tie wires every 12″ vertical, 24″ horizontal — about 15 per 10 ft. Truss rods on every gate leaf. Pool-code hinges and ≥54″ top-pull latches when applicable.

Tension bands×40
Brace bands×16
Tension bars×10
Tie wires×420
Hinge sets×3
Latch + drop rod×1
E · Bill of materials

A real shopping list — store-rounded, waste-adjusted.

Pickets in stockable sizes, fabric in 50-ft rolls, top rail in 21-ft sticks, ties in bags of 100. Print, share a revisable URL, or hand it to your contractor.

ItemQty · Unit
1×6 × 6 ft cedar picket178 · ea
2×4 × 8 ft PT rail54 · ea
Quikrete 80 lb (fast-set)32 · bag
F · Site flags

The stuff that actually makes you call the city.

811 utility locate is federal — we remind you. Permit thresholds by ZIP. Pool-code self-close hinges, 4″ bottom gap, 54″ latch height. HOA review prompts. Frost line baked in.

● 811 dig ticket — required, 2–3 biz days
● Permit · 6 ft+ in your ZIP
● Frost line · 42″ — footings 48″+
● No pool detected — pool code skipped
03 · How it works

Four steps, about three minutes.

STEP 01

Find your property

Type in your address. We pull a satellite tile and your ZIP — frost line, permit threshold, climate zone all set automatically.

STEP 02

Trace the fence line

Click vertex by vertex along the run. Drop a gate marker where you want one. We classify every post type as you draw.

STEP 03

Pick the fence

Wood privacy 6 ft, vinyl panel, chain link, aluminum, split rail. The assembly library wires up the right rails, pickets, and hardware.

STEP 04

Take the list to the store

Print a DIY material list grouped by store, share a revisable URL, or hand it to a contractor for a quote.

04 · The output

A bill of materials your lumber-yard guy actually respects.

Real units. Real waste factors. The same list a contractor writes on a clipboard, except the math is right and you didn't pay $300 for it.

↓ Sample · 142 LF wood privacy · 6 ft · 1 walk gate
ItemQtyUnit
4×4 × 8 ft PT postLine · 16 ea
19
ea
6×6 × 8 ft PT postCorner ×2 · Gate ×2
4
ea
2×4 × 8 ft PT rail3 rails per 8 ft section
54
ea
1×6 × 6 ft cedar picket½″ gap · +12% pattern waste
178
ea
Quikrete 80 lb fast-set+10% spillage
32
bag
¾″ drainage gravel3–6″ at every footing
6
bag
HDG 3″ deck screw, 5 lbPT-rated · pickets ×2 ×rails
4
box
Self-close hinge + latchPool-code compliant
1
set
05 · Common questions

For people who measure twice.

Is this really free?

Yes — no signup, no email wall. The entire homeowner experience is free.

How accurate are the bag counts?

Within ±5% in our test set of 18 finished jobs. We use 3× post width hole diameter, frost-line dig depth by ZIP, +6″ for corners/gates, +10% spillage, rounded up to whole bags.

Does it know about my slope?

Yes. Type in your drop or pull from the Google Elevation API. We'll tell you whether to rack panels, step them, or switch fence type — before you cut anything.

How fresh is the data?

Frost-line, permit-threshold, and pool-code tables are reviewed annually against state code updates. Soil and climate-zone data come from NOAA / USDA datasets that update on their own schedule.

Can I share this with my contractor?

Every project gets a shareable URL with your full takeoff embedded. Send it, and they can clone it into their pricebook in two clicks.

Does it call 811 for me?

No tool can — utility locate is on you. We'll remind you, give you the number, and tell you the typical 2–3 business-day window so you don't miss it.

Build a fence that won't lean.

Three minutes from address to material list. Frost line, slope, and hardware schedule — all included. No card, no email, no upsell.

Open the builder →See what's inside