Fence
One measurement — the run — becomes the whole lumber list: posts, rails, and the picket count your gaps decide.
Your buy list
0
pickets · 0 posts · 0 rails- Sections
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- Post length
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- Picket length
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- Post depth
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- Concrete bags
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Count gates separately — hardware, hinges, and a stiffer frame.
From one tape walk to a truck load
Walk the run once and the rest is arithmetic with opinions. Posts divide the line into sections — every section needs three rails on a privacy fence, and the line always ends with one more post than it has sections. Pickets march down the run at face-width plus gap, so the gap you choose for looks decides the lumber count directly.
Concrete is the hidden line item: each post hole wants about half a bag for a 6-foot fence, a full bag where frost digs deep. The estimate above uses half a bag per post — for the real number, take your hole diameter and depth to the concrete calculator in round-pour mode, which counts bags per hole and multiplies by the post count.
Corner posts are different posts
Corners and gate posts carry pull from two or more directions — use 4×4 or 6×6 there even if the line runs 4×4, and set them deeper than the field posts.
On the counter
The assumptions this calculator ships with — every one is adjustable in the form.
- Height
- 6 ft finished — sets post, picket and rail lengths
- Post depth
- One third of the height, minimum 2 ft, deeper than frost
- Post spacing
- 8 feet on center — adjust for wind exposure
- Rails
- Three per section (6 ft privacy standard)
- Pickets
- 5.5" face with 1.75" gaps — both adjustable
Questions from the aisle
How far apart should fence posts be?
6 to 8 feet for wood privacy fencing — 8 is the common default and what this calculator assumes. Shorter spans stiffen the run against wind and sagging gates.
How many pickets for 100 feet of fence?
With 5.5-inch pickets and 1.75-inch gaps, about 205 pickets. Tighten the gap and the count climbs; the calculator tracks it live as you adjust.
How deep do posts go?
One-third of the fence height, minimum 2 feet, and below the frost line where ground freezes. A 6-foot fence wants 8-foot posts set 2.5–3 feet deep.
How many rails per section?
Two for short decorative runs, three for 6-foot privacy fences — top, bottom, and center. The rail count above assumes three; halve it for a two-rail design.
The reasoning behind this one
Deck and fence material lists
Where the assumptions above come from, what changes them, and the mistakes that cost a second trip. Free to read, no account needed.