Hardware Cloth Calculator — Chicken Run & Enclosure
Size the welded wire or hardware cloth for a chicken run, garden enclosure, or raised bed. Enter the dimensions and choose whether to cover the top and add a predator skirt — this calculator gives you the rolls to buy.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the enclosure length, width, and height in feet.
- Choose what to cover. Adding the top stops aerial predators; a buried 12-inch skirt stops diggers.
- Pick the roll width and length sold for your product (hardware cloth often comes in 48 in × 50 ft).
- The calculator adds 5% for overlap at seams and estimates staples or fence clips.
The formula
The wire area is the surface you are enclosing.
Sides = perimeter × height, where perimeter = 2 × (length + width). Top = length × width. A predator skirt adds perimeter × 1 ft, laid flat on the ground.
Rolls = total area × 1.05 (seam overlap) ÷ (roll width × roll length), rounded up.
Worked example
An 8 ft × 4 ft × 6 ft run, sides + top, 48 in × 50 ft rolls.
Perimeter = 2 × (8 + 4) = 24 ftSides = 24 × 6 = 144 sq ftTop = 8 × 4 = 32 sq ft → total 176 sq ftRoll area = (48 ÷ 12) × 50 = 200 sq ftRolls = 176 × 1.05 ÷ 200 = 0.92 → 1 roll
You need 1 roll of 48 in × 50 ft hardware cloth (176 sq ft) for sides and top.
Frequently asked questions
How much hardware cloth do I need for a chicken run?
Add the side area (perimeter × height) and, if covering it, the top (length × width). For an 8×4×6 ft run with a top that is about 176 sq ft — one 48 in × 50 ft roll.
What size hardware cloth keeps predators out?
1/2 inch galvanized hardware cloth is the standard for predator protection — it blocks raccoons, snakes, and rodents that slip through 1-inch poultry netting.
Do I need a skirt or buried wire?
Yes, for digging predators. Either bury wire about 12 inches down, or lay a 12-inch skirt flat on the ground extending outward and pin it — diggers hit the wire and give up.