Fence Picket Calculator
Count the pickets for a wood fence from the run length, picket width, and the gap between boards. Add a waste margin, subtract any gates, and optionally get the posts and rails you'll need to frame it.
Total run of picketed fence, all sides added together.
Actual width — a "1×4" is 3.5 in, a "1×6" is 5.5 in. Gap of 0 = butted privacy fence.
Advanced: gates, posts, rails & price
Total width of gates and openings that won't get pickets.
Leave post spacing blank to skip the post and rail estimate.
Formula & how it works
Pickets = (run × 12 + gap) ÷ (picket width + gap), rounded up — the gaps sit between pickets, so there's one fewer gap than pickets.
Buy quantity = pickets × (1 + waste), rounded up. Sections = run ÷ post spacing rounded up; posts = sections + 1; rails = sections × rails per section.
Worked example
A 100 ft run of 3.5 in butted pickets is 1,200 in ÷ 3.5 in = about 343 pickets. With 10% waste, buy 378. Framing it on 8 ft centers gives 13 sections — 14 posts and, at 2 rails each, 26 rails. Space those same pickets 2.5 in apart and the count drops to about 201.
Planning the fence
Use actual widths, not nominal
Lumber is named by its rough size but sold planed smaller — a "1×6" picket is really 5.5 in wide, and a "1×4" is 3.5 in. Enter the actual width or your count will drift wider and wider over a long run. If you're buying dog-ear or gothic pickets, the width is still measured across the face.
Gap changes everything
The gap is the biggest lever on picket count. A butted privacy fence uses zero or a hair of spacing; a spaced picket fence might leave an inch or several. Wood also swells when wet, so many builders leave a small gap even on "solid" fences to keep boards from cupping. Enter the real planned gap rather than assuming butted.
Subtract gates and frame the run
Gates and openings don't take field pickets, so subtract their width from the run first. Then frame the fence: posts every 6 to 8 ft with two rails for a short fence or three for a tall privacy run. Buy a few spare pickets — culling warped or split boards on delivery day is normal, and matching later is a hassle.