Picket Fence Calculator

Pickets are sold as boards cut to set lengths, and lumber is named by a nominal size larger than the finished board. Measure the width on a board you actually have before you order.

How to use this calculator

1. Measure the fence line in feet, from the outside of the start post to the outside of the finish post. For a bent run, measure each straight section and add the picket counts.
2. Enter the actual width of a picket across its face, not the nominal size on the tag.
3. Open More options and set the gap between pickets. The starting gap suits a classic spaced fence, so change it to the gap you want, and check the layout in the even-gap section below.
4. Check the post spacing. The starting value is 8 ft, and wood fence posts usually sit 6 to 8 ft apart. Set rails per section to the number of rails you will install.
5. Enter any gates under More options. Each gate adds a post, and the gate stays in the full length because it is picketed too. Buy the count of pickets plus a few spares.

Worked examples

Pickets for common fence lengths at each gap

Each cell: Pickets. Inputs not in the table use the calculator's starting values.

How the picket count is built

The calculator converts the length to inches and finds how many pickets fit with a picket at each end and one gap between each pair, rounding up. A wider picket or a bigger gap lowers the count, and a narrower picket raises it.

The same length sets the sections, found by dividing it by the post spacing and rounding up. Posts are the sections plus a final post at the far end, plus a post for each gate. Rails are counted per section, so the rail count is the sections times the rails per section.

Posts go into holes, and the depth and concrete for each hole are on the fence post depth calculator page.

Choosing a gap that looks even

Judge the gap by eye as well as by arithmetic. Lay a few pickets on the ground along a section, and check that the spaces look the same from end to end.

The calculator uses the same gap for the whole run, so a section may not divide evenly at the gap you enter. If the last picket in a section lands with a narrow or wide space at its post, change the gap a little and count again.

Picket fence or solid privacy fence

A picket fence has a gap between boards, and a solid privacy fence has none. To count a privacy fence, remove the gap under More options and keep the picket width. The count goes up, because boards placed side by side each cover only their own width.

The gap gives a picket fence its open look, and it is also what lowers the count. If your fence is not a picket fence, use the fence calculator, the general page for other fence types.

Mistakes to avoid

• Using the name on the lumber tag as the picket width. Measure the face of the board you bought instead.
• Buying exactly the count. Pickets can split when they are nailed, so buy a few spares from the same bundle.
• Forgetting the gates. Each gate adds a post, so set the gate count before you order posts.
• Skipping the local rules. Fence height and setbacks are set locally, so check with your building department or association.

How do I space pickets evenly when I build the fence?

Cut a scrap board to the width of your gap and use it as a spacer. Set it against the last picket, press the next picket against it, nail, then slide the spacer along. Check that the pickets are plumb every few boards so small errors do not add up.

Common questions