This fence picket calculator tells you exactly how many pickets to buy for a fence of any length. It handles gaps, privacy and board-on-board layouts, gates and a waste allowance, and also estimates rails, fasteners and cost.
Elevation of one fence section. Pickets are enlarged to show detail and are not drawn to scale along the run.
Enter the total length of fence, the actual width of one picket, and choose either a side-by-side layout (set the gap, or 0 for full privacy) or board-on-board (set the overlap). Add the fence height, post spacing and any gates, then press Calculate. You get the number of pickets to buy including waste, plus rails, fasteners, an optional cost and a table comparing other gap choices. The diagram redraws with your own numbers.
Pickets are usually the biggest line item in a wood fence by piece count. A 100-foot run with 5.5-inch pickets takes 219 pickets with no gaps, 201 with a half-inch gap, and 185 with a one-inch gap. At $2.50 to $4 each, that 34-picket spread is $85 to $136. Lumber from different lots also varies in color and moisture, so running short and returning a month later often leaves a visibly mismatched strip of fence.
Homeowners use a picket count to compare contractor quotes. DIYers use it to place a single lumber order, and landscapers use it to price jobs. It also matters for compliance. Many jurisdictions cap fence height, commonly around 4 ft in front yards and 6 ft in back yards. Pool barriers and child-safety rules commonly require openings smaller than 4 inches, which limits how wide your gap can be. Local rules and HOA covenants vary, so confirm them before you buy.
The first picket takes one full width. Each additional picket then adds one "pitch", the center-to-center distance between neighbors. The calculator rounds up so you are never one picket short.
Pickets = ⌈(R − w) ÷ pitch⌉ + 1
R is the run length in inches and w is the picket width. Pitch is w + gap for a side-by-side fence, or w − overlap for board-on-board. Gates use the same formula with each gate's width and are added only if you choose to picket them.
Total to buy = ⌈(fence + gate pickets) × (1 + waste %)⌉
Post sections equal the net run divided by post spacing, rounded up. Rails per section follow a common rule of thumb, not a code requirement: 2 rails up to 4 ft tall, 3 rails up to 6 ft, and 4 rails above that. Fasteners are pickets × rails × 2, one pair where each picket crosses each rail. If you spread the pickets evenly, the real gap becomes (R − n × w) ÷ (n − 1), where n is the picket count. The tool shows this fit under the results table.
These are the default values in the tool: a 100 ft fence, 5.5 in pickets, 0.5 in gap, 6 ft tall, posts 8 ft apart, one 4 ft picketed gate and 10% waste.
It depends on width and gap. 5.5-inch pickets with no gap need about 2.2 per foot (12 ÷ 5.5), and with a half-inch gap exactly 2 per foot. Narrow 3.5-inch pickets with a 1-inch gap need about 2.7 per foot.
With 5.5-inch pickets, a 100 ft run needs 219 with no gaps, 201 with a half-inch gap, and 185 with a one-inch gap, before waste. Subtract any gates and add 5–10% for cuts and defects.
Privacy fences use 0 to ¼ inch. Decorative or semi-private fences often use ½ to 3½ inches. Keep gaps below 4 inches wherever pool-barrier or child-safety rules apply, and confirm local requirements.
The overlap shrinks the pitch, so you need more pickets. With 5.5-inch pickets and a 1-inch overlap, a 100 ft run needs about 267, roughly 22% more than a butted fence. The payoff is a fully private fence that stays opaque as the wood shrinks.
Ten percent is a safe default for a first-time builder. Experienced crews may use 5% on straight, high-grade stock. Add more if you have many angles, a sloped site or a lot of warped lumber.
No. It is a material estimator that rounds up on counts. Fence height, setbacks, pool barriers, wind exposure and HOA rules vary by location, so check with your local building department before you build.
Calculator by Toolwick