Horizontal Hit and Miss Fence Calculator

Work out your posts and timber quantities for a true horizontal hit & miss fence — boards alternate front/back with a deliberate gap for airflow and screening.

Choose your privacy level. We turn that into a sensible gap guide (gap stays smaller than the board face).

Guide only. Built around standard UK fencing practice and stocked timber lengths.

What this calculator is for?

This calculator is designed for true hit & miss fencing (double sided). Each row of boards is fixed alternately to opposite faces of the supports, so you get screening from both sides while keeping airflow.

If you want a solid “privacy fence” with no through-gaps, this is a different build method and needs different take-off rules.

Use the calculator to estimate materials for a Horizontal Hit and Miss Fence (true hit & miss: boards alternate front/back with a deliberate gap for airflow and screening). This is a guide only — site conditions and build method can change requirements.

Calculator

1) Fence run & layout

We aim for your target, then space evenly across the run.
Horizontal boards need vertical fixing lines. This is the number of extra uprights between the posts in each bay.

2) Boards, height & privacy

Enter the finished height from ground level to the top of the fence.
“Face” is the visible board size on the fence face (the board’s coverage height per row).
Selected: 90% Gap guide: — mm Rule: gap < board face
Smaller gap = more privacy (uses more timber). Larger gap = more airflow and lighter look (uses less timber). A sensible starting point is board face minus 10% (90% setting).
Used only for “uprights/supports” cut to height. Boards across the run are chosen automatically from stocked lengths below.
Auto chooses stocked lengths to span your bay width with fewer joins where possible.
True Hit & Miss boards alternate front/back. Quantities assume both sides are clad.

Results

Item Recommendation