Fence Picket, Post & Rail Calculator
Posts, rails and pickets for a wood fence run — solid privacy or spaced picket, either way.
Set posts a third of their height into the ground and below frost depth. For privacy fences butted tight, expect ~5 mm shrinkage gaps to open as the pickets dry — that's normal.
Formula
Fence Picket, Post & Rail Calculator is a free fence calculator for civil engineers, contractors and quantity surveyors — instant, accurate and 100% client-side, with the governing formula and reference shown next to the result so the number can be defended, not just quoted.
About Fence Picket, Post & Rail Calculator
Posts, rails and pickets for a wood fence run — solid privacy or spaced picket, either way. The calculation implements posts = ⌈L ÷ spacing⌉ + 1; pickets = L ÷ (width + gap) × 1.05 (AWPA ground-contact lumber guidance; fence trade practice). Set posts a third of their height into the ground and below frost depth. For privacy fences butted tight, expect ~5 mm shrinkage gaps to open as the pickets dry — that's normal.
How to use Fence Picket, Post & Rail Calculator
- 1Enter Fence length in m.
- 2Enter Post spacing in m.
- 3Enter Picket width in mm.
- 4Enter Picket gap (0 = privacy) in mm.
- 5Read Pickets (5% waste), Posts, Rails (per-bay lengths) instantly — no submit button needed.
- 6Need US units? Flip the SI/Imperial toggle and every field converts.
Why use Fence Picket, Post & Rail Calculator?
- ✓Implements the standard formula — posts = ⌈L ÷ spacing⌉ + 1; pickets = L ÷ (width + gap) × 1.05
- ✓Reference cited on-page: AWPA ground-contact lumber guidance; fence trade practice
- ✓One-click SI ⇄ Imperial toggle — values convert in place, physics stays in SI
- ✓Live worked example: the substitution recomputes from your numbers
- ✓Runs entirely in your browser — nothing uploaded, free forever
Frequently asked questions
What formula does the Fence Picket, Post & Rail Calculator use?+
It computes posts = ⌈L ÷ spacing⌉ + 1; pickets = L ÷ (width + gap) × 1.05, per AWPA ground-contact lumber guidance; fence trade practice. The formula is displayed under the result along with a worked example substituted with your own inputs.
What should I keep in mind when using this calculator?+
Set posts a third of their height into the ground and below frost depth. For privacy fences butted tight, expect ~5 mm shrinkage gaps to open as the pickets dry — that's normal.
Does it include wastage?+
Yes — standard wastage/bulking factors are built in and stated in the formula line, so the quantity is an orderable number, not a bare geometric volume.
Is the Fence Picket, Post & Rail Calculator free to use?+
Yes — completely free, no sign-up, no limits. It runs client-side in your browser, so inputs stay private and results are instant even on slow connections.
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