Fence picket calculator
Estimate fence pickets from fence length, picket width, and gaps.
What this calculator covers
Estimate how many pickets a straight fence run needs from the fence length, installed picket width, planned gap spacing, and waste allowance.
The walkthrough keeps the board-spacing math visible so users can see how changing picket gaps affects the final count.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between nominal and actual picket width?
- Lumber is sold by nominal size, but the actual milled dimension is smaller. A "6-inch" picket is typically around 5.5 inches wide after surfacing. Enter the actual installed width, not the nominal label, to get an accurate count.
- How much gap should I leave between pickets?
- Gap width is a design choice. No gap gives a solid privacy fence, while gaps of half an inch to a few inches create a more open look. Larger gaps mean fewer pickets for the same run length, which reduces material cost but also reduces privacy.
- What waste percentage should I use?
- A 10% waste allowance is a common starting point for straight runs with simple cuts. Increase it to 15–20% for fences with many corners, angled sections, or detailed patterns where boards require more trimming.
- Does this account for the posts themselves?
- No. This calculator counts pickets only. Use a separate fence post calculator to estimate the number of posts, then purchase pickets and posts independently based on each estimate.
Tool
Run the calculation
Result
RESULT · FENCE PICKETS
â„–032
Primary result
264 pickets
120 ft of fence with 5.5 in pickets, 0.5 in gaps, and 10% waste needs about 264 pickets.
- Fence run
- 1,440 in
- Picket pitch
- 6 in
- Total pickets
- 264 pickets
Step-by-step solution
- 1.Convert the fence run into inches: 120 ft × 12 = 1,440 in.
- 2.Add picket width and gap width to get a pitch that displays as 6 in per picket.
- 3.Divide by the exact pitch to get 240 base pickets, then add 10% waste to reach 264 total pickets.
Walkthrough
Visual walkthrough
Fence picket planning converts fence length into inches, builds a repeatable picket-plus-gap pitch, then applies waste for cuts and damaged boards.
01
Convert fence length into inches
120 × 12 = 1,440 in
Using inches keeps the fence run in the same units as picket width and picket gaps.
02
Build the picket pitch
5.5 + 0.5 = 6 in
Each repeated fence section includes one picket and one planned gap, and the displayed pitch is rounded for readability.
03
Add waste to the base count
The base picket count uses the exact pitch before the waste allowance is applied.
264 pickets needed