What Goes Into a Fence Materials List?
A wood fence is a repeating unit — post, rails, pickets — so the whole materials list falls out of the length and three choices: how far apart the posts go, how many horizontal rails carry each section, and how the pickets are spaced. Getting the picket count right matters most; they're the largest line item and the easiest to under-buy when gaps enter the math.
Enter the run length, pick 6′ or 8′ post spacing (6′ resists wind and sag better; 8′ uses fewer posts), 2 or 3 rails (3 for 6′ privacy fences), and your picket width and gap. Standard dog-ear pickets are 5½″ wide; board-on-board privacy uses zero gap. The result is the full list: posts, rails, pickets, and concrete bags.
Setting posts in concrete and want the volume math instead of the bag rule? Use the Concrete Calculator.
How to Calculate Fence Posts, Rails and Pickets
Four lines cover the whole bill of materials:
Sections = ceil( length ÷ post spacing ) Posts = sections + 1 Rails = sections × rails per section Pickets = ceil( length in inches ÷ (picket width + gap) )
Worked example: 100′ of 6′-tall privacy fence at 6′ spacing = 17 sections → 18 posts and 34 rails (2 per section); with 5½″ pickets at ½″ gaps, 1,200″ ÷ 6″ = 200 pickets, plus about 36 bags of concrete at two per post.
Fence Materials by Run Length
Straight runs with 5½″ pickets, ½″ gaps, 2 rails per section — all rows computed by this calculator:
| Length | Posts (6′ / 8′ spacing) | Rails | Pickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 ft | 10 / 8 | 18 / 14 | 100 |
| 100 ft | 18 / 14 | 34 / 26 | 200 |
| 150 ft | 26 / 20 | 50 / 38 | 300 |
| 200 ft | 35 / 26 | 68 / 50 | 400 |
| 300 ft | 51 / 39 | 100 / 76 | 600 |
Picket counts don't change with post spacing — only the structure (posts and rails) does. That's why 8′ spacing saves meaningful money on long runs.
Gates, Corners and the Extras to Add
Small planning decisions with outsized material impact:
- Add a post at every corner, gate side, and grade change — the table above covers straight runs only.
- A 4′-wide gate consumes about 7 pickets plus hinge/latch hardware and its own 2×4 frame; price gates separately.
- On slopes, racked (parallel-to-grade) fencing wastes less lumber than stepped panels, but check that your rail stock is long enough for the true diagonal.
- Set posts with a third of their length in the ground as ballpark (2′ minimum for a 6′ fence) and always below your local frost line.
- Buy 5–10% extra pickets — culls, splits, and future repairs. Treated lumber shrinks; a snug ½″ gap today widens by itself.
Enter your supplier's per-piece prices against these counts and the whole fence budgets itself line by line.