Fencing a 20 x 26 Foot Vegetable Garden with One 100-Foot Roll of 4-Foot 12-Gauge Welded Wire: 14 Posts, a 4-Foot Gate Gap, and 12 Feet Left Over

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A 20 x 26 foot garden has a 92-foot perimeter, and a 4-foot gate gap leaves 88 feet of fence to hang. One 100-foot roll covers it in a single piece with 12 feet left for tie-off wraps and a patch, so you never splice mid-run.

How much welded wire do you need to fence a small vegetable garden?

Measure the perimeter, subtract the gate opening, and add a few inches at each end for the wraps. A 20 by 26 foot garden needs 88 feet of fabric after a 4-foot gate, so one 100-foot roll of 4-foot welded wire fences it in a single piece.

The University of Georgia Extension garden fencing guide says a 3-foot-high wire fence is very effective for keeping out dogs and cats. For rabbits it recommends a 2-foot chicken wire fence with 1-inch mesh and a 12-inch apron bent toward the outside and buried several inches.

Iowa State University Extension's rabbit protection page also calls for mesh of 1 inch or smaller for rabbits. It says to pin the fence tightly to the ground or bury the bottom 1 to 2 inches.

Layout and Post Count

Side	Length	Posts on this side (corners shared)	Spacing
North (gate side)	20 ft.	2 corners + 2 gate posts	8 ft., 4 ft. gate, 8 ft.
South	20 ft.	2 line posts	6 ft. 8 in.
East	26 ft.	3 line posts	6 ft. 6 in.
West	26 ft.	3 line posts	6 ft. 6 in.
Total	92 ft. perimeter	14 posts	88 ft. of fabric

That is 4 wood corners, 2 wood gate posts, and 8 steel line posts, all set before the roll comes off.

Materials and Tools

• 12-gauge 4-foot by 100-foot welded wire roll, one roll
• Six treated 4x4 posts, 8 feet long, for corners and the gate
• Eight 6-foot studded T-posts with clips
• 9-gauge fence staples for the wood posts and a T-post driver
• A 50-foot roll of 24-inch 1-inch chicken wire if rabbits are the main pest
• String line, tape measure, gloves, and safety glasses

Build Steps

1. Stake the rectangle. Set corner stakes at 20 x 26 feet and check that both diagonals read about 32 feet 10 inches.
2. Set the wood posts. Sink the four corners and two gate posts 30 inches deep, with the gate posts 4 feet apart inside to inside.
3. Drive the line posts. Pull a string between corners and drive the eight T-posts on the spacing in the table.
4. Start at a gate post. Staple the cut end of the roll to the west gate post, wrapping the first vertical wire around the post.
5. Unroll clockwise. Walk the roll around the corners, stapling at each corner and clipping each T-post.
6. Snug it by hand. Pull out the roll's curl at each corner before stapling; a 4-foot garden fence needs no stretcher.
7. Finish at the east gate post. Cut the roll with 6 inches to spare and wrap the cut end around the post.
8. Add the rabbit band. Run the 24-inch chicken wire along the bottom outside face and pin or bury its lower edge.

Check that the gap at the bottom of the fabric stays under 2 inches everywhere.

Mistakes That Waste the Roll

• Starting at a corner instead of a gate post leaves a seam on a side
• Forgetting the gate gap and wrapping the roll around all 92 feet leaves you short
• Leaving the roll's curl in makes the fence bow between posts
• Large welded-wire openings let young rabbits walk through without the 1-inch band

Rabbits that still dig need the deeper wall in rabbit-proofing a vegetable garden with a 24-inch hardware cloth wall. Deer pressure calls for the taller layout in setting an 8-foot T-post deer fence around a vegetable garden.

The hardware cloth mesh size and gauge guide covers which mesh stops voles at the base.

Hard ground slows the line posts, so read driving 6-foot and 8-foot T-posts in clay and rocky soil first.

FAQ

Is 4 feet tall enough?

For dogs, cats, and rabbits, yes. Deer jump it easily.

Can I use the 12 leftover feet?

Yes, as a gate infill or a patch where a dog digs.