Fence run
Spacing is on-center for the piece count. It is not an engineered span.
Defaults are a 5.5 in board (actual 1×6) with a ½ in gap. A classic picket look is often 3.5 in with a 3.5 in gap.
Rails per bay
4-ft picket fences often run 2 rails. 6-ft privacy often runs 3. You pick; height is only a label on the shopping line.
Waste
Waste applies to rail boards and pickets, then rounds up. Posts stay exact — grab a spare at the yard if you want one.
Buy
- Posts
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- Rail boards
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- Pickets
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- Sections
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Enter the run length in feet.
This is a piece-count estimate, not lumber board-feet, not a structural design, not a wind-load or snow-load check, and not install advice. Height is a label, not a volume. It does not size posts, pick footing depth, or design a gate. Confirm lumber, post size, and local code at the yard.
How the posts are counted
Piece count only — not lumber board-feet. A fence run is a string of bays. Divide the run by the post spacing and round up: that is the section count. Posts are sections plus one — two end posts and a line post at every joint. Height is a label on the shopping line; it is not multiplied into a volume.
Rail boards are rails per bay times sections. Each bay still buys full boards even when the last span is short. Pickets use the full run in inches divided by (picket width + gap), rounded up. Waste (5% or 10%) applies to rails and pickets only. Posts stay exact.
sections = ceil(run_ft / spacing_ft) posts = sections + 1 end_posts = 2 line_posts = posts − 2 rail_boards = rails × sections pickets = ceil((run_ft × 12) / (picket_in + gap_in)) rails_buy = ceil(rail_boards × (1 + waste)) pickets_buy = ceil(pickets × (1 + waste))
Example: 96 ft run, 8 ft spacing, 3 rails, 5.5 in picket, 0.5 in gap, 10% waste. 96 ÷ 8 = 12 sections → 13 posts (2 ends + 11 line). 3 × 12 = 36 rail boards → 40 with waste. 1,152 in ÷ 6 in = 192 pickets → 212 with waste.
FAQ
Why piece count only — posts, rails, pickets — not board-feet?
You buy fence parts as pieces: posts, rail boards, pickets (or panels). Lumber yards also sell board-feet of dimensional lumber. This page counts pieces, not lumber board-feet. It does not convert a 4×4 post or a 1×6 picket into board-feet.
How many posts for a 96 ft run at 8 ft centers?
96 ÷ 8 = 12 sections. Posts = sections + 1 → 13 posts (2 ends + 11 line posts). A leftover foot still needs another bay. Tighter spacing adds posts. That is the documented fixture on this page.
Why is height a label, not a volume input?
Height does not change the post count. A 4-ft picket run and a 6-ft privacy run on the same 96 ft at 8 ft centers are both 13 posts. Height labels the shopping line (“6-ft pickets”). You pick 2 vs 3 rails; height is not multiplied into a volume. Not lumber board-feet.
How are rails and pickets counted?
Rail boards = rails per bay × sections. 3 rails × 12 bays = 36, then 10% waste → 40. Pickets = run in inches ÷ (width + gap). 1,152 in ÷ 6 in = 192, then 10% waste → 212. Waste applies to rails and pickets only. Posts stay exact.
What about corners, gates, and panels?
This is one straight run. A corner is an extra post if you add a second run. A gate usually replaces pickets in one bay; you still buy the posts that frame it. Prefab panels are one panel per bay (12 on the 96 ft fixture) — still a piece count, not board-feet.
Is this a lumber takeoff or a structural design?
No. Piece count only. Not lumber board-feet. Not a span, wind-load, snow-load, or frost-line check. Not a gate kit. Confirm lumber and local code with the yard.