What Is the Fence Picket Calculator?
This calculator estimates how many pickets you need to build a fence. By entering the total fence length, the width of each picket, and the gap you want between pickets, you instantly get the number of pickets required to cover the run. It's ideal for DIY homeowners and contractors planning a wood, vinyl, or composite picket fence.
How to Use It
Enter your fence length in feet, the picket width in inches, and the desired gap between pickets in inches. The tool converts the length to inches, adds the width and gap to get the spacing per picket, divides, and rounds up so you never come up short.
The Formula Explained
The core formula is: $$\text{Pickets} = \left\lceil \frac{12 \times \text{Fence Length (ft)}}{\text{Picket Width (in)} + \text{Gap (in)}} \right\rceil$$. Each picket plus its adjacent gap occupies a fixed amount of horizontal space. Dividing the total length by that space gives the count, and rounding up ensures full coverage with a slight surplus.
Worked Example
Suppose your fence is 100 ft long, each picket is 5.5 in wide, and you want a 0.5 in gap. First convert: \(100 \times 12 = 1200\) in. Spacing per picket = \(5.5 + 0.5 = 6\) in. $$\text{Pickets} = \left\lceil \frac{1200}{6} \right\rceil = 200 \text{ pickets}$$
FAQ
Does this include posts or rails? No — it only counts pickets. Add posts and rails separately based on your layout.
Should I buy extra? Yes, buying 5–10% more pickets accounts for cuts, defects, and waste.
What if I want no gap? Set the gap to 0 for a solid privacy-style fence; the calculator divides by the picket width alone.
