Fence Picket Calculator

Your details

Total linear length of fence to build.
ft
Height of each picket (same as fence height). Used for paint area and post length.
ft
Face width of one picket. Common sizes: 3.5 in (1x4) or 5.5 in (1x6).
in
Space between adjacent pickets. Use 0 for a privacy fence, 1.5-3.5 in for a decorative picket look.
in
Single-sided: pickets on one side only. Shadowbox: pickets alternate front and back with a 1-2 in overlap, requiring roughly 1.5x more pickets.
Distance between fence posts center-to-center. 8 ft is the most common span.
ft
Horizontal rails connecting the posts. Taller or heavier fences need a third rail.
Extra pickets to buy to cover off-cuts, defects and measurement errors.
Price of one picket at your local lumber yard. Leave 0 to skip cost calculation.
USD
USD
USD
%
Pickets neededLarge project
241

Total pickets including waste factor

Posts needed14
Rail length208
Concrete for footings0.36
Paint / stain area600
Screws (box of 100)10
Estimated total cost1,169.1USD
Pickets241
Posts14
Screw boxes (x100)10

A 100 ft single-sided fence needs 241 pickets.

  • You need 241 pickets, 14 posts, and 208 linear ft of rail lumber.
  • Budget about 0.36 cubic yards of concrete to anchor the post footings.
  • The fence face covers roughly 600 sq ft of paintable or stainable surface.

Next stepEstimated material cost (with tax) is $1169.10. Add 10-20% for fasteners, post caps, and gate hardware not included here.

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