How Many Fence Pickets Do I Need?
Quick answer: fence length ÷ picket spacing. A 100-foot privacy fence with 5.5-inch pickets gapped 0.5 inches (6-inch centers) needs 200 pickets — 1,200 ÷ 6 — plus 2–3% waste.
- The spacing formula
- Privacy vs picket spacing
- Pickets by fence length
- Waste and damaged boards
- Worked example: 100-foot fence
- FAQ
The spacing formula
Picket count is a straight division: fence length (in inches) ÷ picket spacing (picket width + gap). Convert the fence length to inches first (feet × 12), then divide. For a 100-foot fence: 1,200 inches ÷ 6-inch centers = 200 pickets.
Privacy vs picket spacing
Privacy fences use 5.5-inch pickets with a small 0.5-inch gap — about 6-inch centers. Picket fences (decorative) use wider gaps of 2–4 inches, which drops the count. Board-on-board fences overlap pickets and need roughly 1.5× the count of a gapped fence — plan that before ordering.
| Fence length | @ 6-in centers (privacy) | @ 10-in centers (picket) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 ft | 100 | 60 |
| 100 ft | 200 | 120 |
| 150 ft | 300 | 180 |
| 200 ft | 400 | 240 |
Waste and damaged boards
Add 2–3% for cuts at corners, gates and uneven terrain. Warped, split or knotty pickets are common in bundles, so a few extras let you cull bad boards without running short mid-build. Ordering 205–210 for a 200-picket fence is a reasonable target.
Worked example: a 100-foot privacy fence
- Fence length = 100 ft = 1,200 in
- Spacing = 5.5-in picket + 0.5-in gap = 6-in centers
- 1,200 ÷ 6 = 200 pickets
- + 2.5% waste → 205–210 pickets
FAQ
Divide the fence length by the picket spacing — picket width plus gap. For a 100-foot privacy fence with 5.5-inch pickets gapped 0.5 inches, that's 1,200 ÷ 6 = 200 pickets, plus 2–3% waste.
Privacy fences use 5.5-inch pickets with a 0.5-inch gap — about 6-inch centers. Picket fences use wider gaps of 2–4 inches. Count = fence feet × 12 ÷ spacing in inches.
About 200 pickets for a privacy fence. 100 ft = 1,200 inches; at 6-inch centers that's 200 pickets. Add 2–3% for cuts — order 205–210.
About 100 pickets. 50 ft = 600 inches ÷ 6-inch centers = 100 pickets, plus 2–3% waste = 103. Adjust for wider pickets or gaps.
Yes — add 2–3% for cuts at corners, gates and uneven terrain. Warped or damaged pickets are common, so extras let you cull bad boards without running short.