FenceTrace

Fence Picket Calculator

Enter your fence length and picket size — get pickets, posts, rails, and concrete, with the math shown. Free, no signup, works for privacy and spaced-picket layouts.

Pickets
Posts
Rails (2×4×8)
Concrete bags

This counts a straight run with posts 8′ on center. Real yards have corners, gates, slopes, and that one stretch where the neighbor's shed is in the way — that's what the full satellite estimator handles, down to every bracket and bag of concrete.

The formula (so you can check our work)

Pickets = fence length in inches ÷ (picket width + gap), rounded up, plus waste. A 100′ privacy fence with 5½″ pickets: 1,200″ ÷ 5.5″ = 219 pickets, +5% waste ≈ 230 pickets.

Posts = length ÷ 8′ spacing, rounded up, +1 to close the run. 100′ ÷ 8 = 13 sections → 14 posts.

Rails = sections × rails per section. 13 sections × 3 rails = 39 rails for a 6′ fence.

Concrete = posts × 2 bags of 50 lb fast-setting mix (10″ hole, 24″ deep).

Quick reference: 5½″ pickets, 5% waste

Fence lengthPrivacy (no gap)Spaced (2½″ gap)PostsRails (3/section)
50 ft115 pickets79 pickets821
100 ft230 pickets158 pickets1439
150 ft344 pickets237 pickets2057
200 ft459 pickets315 pickets2675
300 ft688 pickets473 pickets39114

What pickets cost in mid-2026

Picket type (6′ dog-ear)Typical each
Pressure-treated pine$2.50 – $4.50
Western red cedar$4.00 – $8.00
Vinyl (per equivalent panel width)$6.00 – $12.00
Composite$9.00 – $18.00

Prices vary meaningfully by region and by week — lumber is a commodity. A 230-picket fence swings by hundreds of dollars depending on when and where you buy, which is why a materials list beats a guess.

Frequently asked

How many pickets in one 8-foot section?

96″ ÷ 5.5″ ≈ 18 pickets butted tight; about 12 with a 2½″ gap.

Gap or no gap?

Privacy fences butt pickets tight (they'll shrink and open ~¼″ gaps as the wood dries — that's normal). Spaced-picket looks use 1¾″–2½″ gaps and cut your picket count by roughly a third.

How much waste should I plan for?

5% on a straight run; 10% with corners, slopes, or gates. Matching a lumber batch three weeks later is harder than storing ten extra boards.

How far apart do posts go?

8′ on center, max. Go 6′ in high-wind areas. Never stretch spacing to save posts — that's how fences end up in the neighbor's yard by February.

Now price the whole job in 60 seconds

Pull up the property on a satellite photo, draw the fence line, and get the full materials-and-labor estimate — every picket, post, rail, bracket, and bag of concrete, priced.

Try the Satellite Estimator — Free

Free plan includes 2 estimates a month. No credit card, no contracts.