Roofing & Exterior
Fence Calculator
Count posts, rails, sections and concrete bags for a wood fence of any length.
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Roofing & Exterior
Fence Picket Calculator
Work out how many pickets or boards a fence needs. Enter the fence length, the actual picket width and the gap you want between boards.
What is a fence picket calculator?
This calculator counts the vertical boards — pickets — along a fence line. It works for spaced picket fences and for solid privacy fences where the boards butt together.
How does it work?
Fence length in inches is divided by the width each picket occupies (picket plus gap). Rounding up and adding waste gives the count. The posts and rails that hold the pickets come from the Fence Calculator, and if you are pricing cedar by volume, the Board Foot Calculator converts pickets to board feet.
What information is needed?
- Fence length in feet
- Actual picket width in inches
- Gap between pickets in inches
How to use the Fence Picket Calculator
- Measure the fence line, excluding gate openings.
- Measure a picket — use the actual, not nominal, width.
- Decide on the gap.
- Select Calculate.
The formula
In plain terms, here is the calculation the tool runs:
Pickets = ⌈(Length × 12) ÷ (Width + Gap)⌉
Total = Pickets × (1 + Waste)
- Length
- Fence length in feet
- Width, Gap
- In inches
Worked example
Example
100 ft of fence with 5.5" pickets and ½" gaps, plus 5% waste.
- 100 × 12 = 1,200 inches
- 1,200 ÷ (5.5 + 0.5) = 200 pickets
- 200 × 1.05 = 210 pickets
Buy 210 pickets.
Frequently asked questions
Should privacy pickets touch?
Leave about ⅛–¼” for wood to swell when wet, or use a board-on-board layout so gaps are covered.
What length of picket should I buy?
Picket length equals fence height minus ground clearance — usually 2″ above soil to prevent rot.
How many pickets in an 8 ft section?
With 5.5″ pickets and no gap, about 17.5 — so 18.
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