A 100 ft fence with posts 8 ft apart takes 234 standard 1×6 pickets (5.5 in wide) set side by side — buy about 246 so you have spares for split boards and cuts. That is 13 sections × 18 pickets. Change the length, post spacing, gates, or picket width in the QtyLab fence calculator (prefilled for 100 ft) and it recounts as you type.
The math for 100 ft
- Sections = 100 ft ÷ 8 ft = 12.5 → round up to 13
- Pickets per section = 96 in ÷ 5.5 in = 17.45 → round up to 18
- Pickets = 13 × 18 = 234
- Buy = 234 + 5% extra = 245.7 → 246
Why 234 and not fewer? Thirteen full sections cover 104 ft, so the last section is really only 4 ft and you will have a few pickets left over. Counting the run straight through — 1,200 in ÷ 5.5 in = 218.2 → 219 pickets — is the bare minimum with no spares at all. Plan on 234, then buy the 5% extra for culls.
Use the actual width, not the name on the tag: a “1×6” is 5.5 in wide, a “1×4” is 3.5 in, and a “1×8” is 7.25 in. If your pickets measure differently, put the measured width in the calculator.
Pickets for 100 ft by picket width
Posts 8 ft apart, posts at both ends, no gate. Each row opens the calculator with those numbers.
| Picket (actual width) | Per 8 ft section | Pickets for 100 ft | Buy (+5%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1×4 (3.5 in) | 28 | 364 | 383 |
| 1×6 (5.5 in) | 18 | 234 | 246 |
| 1×6 with a ½ in gap (6 in) | 16 | 208 | 219 |
| 1×8 (7.25 in) | 14 | 182 | 192 |
Leaving a gap between pickets? Add the gap to the picket width. A 5.5 in picket with a ½ in gap counts as 6 in, which drops 100 ft from 234 to 208 pickets.
6 ft vs 8 ft post spacing (100 ft, 1×6)
Closer posts barely change the picket count but add 4 posts and 12 rails.
Pickets for other fence lengths (1×6, posts 8 ft apart)
| Fence length | Posts | Sections | Pickets | Buy (+5%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 ft | 8 | 7 | 126 | 133 |
| 75 ft | 11 | 10 | 180 | 189 |
| 100 ft | 14 | 13 | 234 | 246 |
| 150 ft | 20 | 19 | 342 | 360 |
| 200 ft | 26 | 25 | 450 | 473 |
100 ft with a gate
The calculator treats each gate as one section with no fence pickets, and can add a post for it. A 100 ft run with one gate and its own post: 15 posts, 12 sections, 216 pickets (buy about 227) — open it prefilled. Then add the pickets for the gate itself: gate width ÷ picket width, rounded up. A 4 ft gate with 1×6 pickets is 48 ÷ 5.5 = 8.7 → 9 pickets.
Mistakes that throw the count off
- Using the nominal size. Dividing by 6 in instead of 5.5 in leaves you 26 pickets short on 100 ft (208 instead of 234).
- Forgetting the short last section. 100 ft is 12.5 sections — round up, or the last 4 ft has no pickets.
- Ignoring the gap. If you space pickets, add the gap to the width or you will over-buy.
- Not counting gate pickets. The gate leaf needs its own pickets on top of the fence count.
- Using this count for board-on-board or shadowbox. Overlapping styles use more pickets than side-by-side; this page counts side-by-side only.
- Skipping spares. Some pickets arrive split, warped, or with big knots. The 5% extra covers that.
Shopping list for a 100 ft fence (1×6 pickets, posts 8 ft apart)
- 246 fence pickets (234 + 5%) — best bought at a local lumber yard or home center
- 35 bags of 50 lb fast-setting concrete (rough: about 2.5 per post for a 10 in × 24 in hole) — shop fast-setting concrete
- 14 4x4x8 pressure-treated posts, ground-contact rated — buy locally
- 39 2×4 rails (3 per 8 ft section for a 6 ft fence) — buy locally
- About 1,400 exterior screws or ring-shank nails (2 per rail per picket: 234 × 3 × 2) — shop exterior screws
- 1 post hole digger — shop post hole diggers
- 1 post level — shop post levels
- Mason’s line and stakes to keep the run straight — shop mason line
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page.
Planning the whole fence? The fence materials guide covers posts, rails, and concrete per post. Setting posts in regular concrete instead? Use the concrete calculator.
FAQ
How many pickets do I need for a 100 ft fence?
With 1×6 pickets (5.5 in wide) set side by side and posts 8 ft apart, a 100 ft fence needs 234 pickets: 13 sections × 18 pickets. Buy about 246 to allow 5% for split or warped boards. With 1×4 pickets it is 364; with 1×8 pickets it is 182.
How many pickets are in an 8 ft fence section?
An 8 ft section is 96 in wide. With 1×6 pickets (5.5 in) that is 96 ÷ 5.5 = 17.45, so 18 pickets. With 1×4 pickets (3.5 in) it is 28, and with 1×8 pickets (7.25 in) it is 14.
How many pickets are in a 6 ft fence section?
A 6 ft section is 72 in wide. With 1×6 pickets (5.5 in) that is 72 ÷ 5.5 = 13.09, so 14 pickets. A 100 ft fence with posts 6 ft apart has 17 sections and needs 238 pickets.
Do I count pickets with a gap between them?
Yes — add the gap to the picket width. A 5.5 in picket with a ½ in gap counts as 6 in, so an 8 ft section takes 16 pickets and a 100 ft fence takes 208 instead of 234.
How many posts does a 100 ft fence need?
With posts 8 ft apart and a post at both ends, a straight 100 ft run needs 14 posts. At 6 ft spacing it needs 18. Add a post for each gate that needs its own post.
Sources: actual lumber widths (1×4 = 3.5 in, 1×6 = 5.5 in, 1×8 = 7.25 in) per the American Softwood Lumber Standard, NIST Voluntary Product Standard PS 20. All counts are from the QtyLab fence calculator. Estimates for planning only — check your local code and HOA rules before you build.