Free wood fence calculator

Wood Fence Calculator — Posts, Pickets & Rails

Estimate a wood fence the way a takeoff should: pickets counted from board width and gap, rails by bay, posts by spacing, and concrete by post type. Choose the board style and gate count, and the material list updates instantly.

  • Standard, tight-board & board-on-board picket math
  • 2 rails under 6 ft, 3 rails above
  • 4×4 line posts, 6×6 gate posts
  • Concrete bags per post included
Open the calculatorWood fence estimating guide

Wood board fence math: 5½ in pickets, 2×4 rails, 4×4 line posts, 6×6 gate posts. Costs are ballpark CAD from the FenceTracer starter pricebook.

Estimated material list

308 items · $1,909
≈ $19/ft in materials
MaterialQtyEst. cost
6 ft fence — 14 × 4×4 line/end posts8 ft posts, one per 8 ft bay plus the two ends14$322
6×6 gate postsTwo gate posts per gate, 9 ft long2$104
2×4 rails3 rails per 8 ft bay39$332
1×6 picketsStandard boards, ½ in gap — one board every 6 in201$653
50 lb concrete bags2 bags per line/end post, 3 per gate post34$187
Post capsOne per post16$64
1 × 4 ft wood walk gatePressure-treated gate with frame1$180
Gate hinge + latch setsOne hinge set and one latch per gate1$67
How this list is calculated
  • One straight run of 100 ft with posts every 8 ft.
  • Pickets are 5½ in wide; board style: Standard boards, ½ in gap.
  • Gate openings replace fence line but gate posts are added on top — real corners change the post count slightly.
  • Prices are the FenceTracer starter pricebook in CAD. Your supplier's prices will differ.
Need a professional estimate? Build it in FenceTracerTurn this material list into a priced, branded quote — free for 30 days.

Wood-specific math

Pickets, rails, and the decisions that move the count

Picket style changes quantity, not just looks

Standard board (½ in gap): 6 in of coverage per picket. Tight board: 5½ in. Board-on-board (1 in overlap): 4½ in. Between the loosest and tightest styles the picket count swings ~33% — about $650 on a 200 ft fence at starter prices. This is the single biggest material variance in wood fencing, and the first place a quick eyeballed estimate goes wrong.

Rails follow height, not preference

A 6 ft fence with two rails waves: the pickets flex in the middle and the fence reads cheap within two years. Three rails add roughly $200 per 100 ft and are the difference between a fence that stays straight and one you re-level every spring. The calculator applies the rule automatically.

Post length = height + 2 ft (gates: + 3 ft)

An 8 ft post on a 6 ft fence leaves 2 ft in the hole — barely enough where frost runs deep. Shops in frost zones buy 9 ft posts and trim, or bell the concrete. Gate posts carry the swing load, so the calculator sizes them one foot longer and one bag heavier.

Worked example: 150 ft of 5 ft cedar-style picket fence

  • Posts every 8 ft → 20 posts (19 bays rounded up + 1)
  • 2 rails per bay (under 6 ft) → 38 rails
  • Standard ½ in gap → 301 pickets (1800 in ÷ 6 + 1)
  • One 4 ft gate → +2 gate posts, +3 concrete bags
  • Concrete: 40 + 6 = 46 bags
  • 22 post caps, 1 hinge set, 1 latch set
  • ≈ $2,600 in materials, ≈ $17.30/ft
  • Sell at $35–$45/ft installed → 42–55% material share

A 5 ft fence is the height where 2-rail math applies — bump the same job to 6 ft and you add 19 rails and taller posts. Compare the two in the calculator before quoting either.

Contractor notes

What a wood takeoff should still add

This calculator produces the load-bearing list. A production takeoff for a real job adds the items below — all supported in FenceTracer so they roll into the quote instead of a sticky note.

Stain, paint, or sealer

Charged per linear foot per coat, with a second coat on the customer-facing side for stain. Miss it and the finish comes out of margin.

Kickboard and cap rail

A 2×6 kickboard keeps grass clippings and soil off the picket bottoms; a cap rail sheds water. Both are line items some customers want and most shops forget to price.

Old fence removal

Removal, hauling, and disposal of an existing fence runs $3–$7 per foot and changes the job’s labour day. It is never “included” for free on a healthy estimate.

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Estimating guides

FAQ

Questions contractors ask about this calculator

How many pickets do I need for a wood fence?

Divide the run in inches by the board width plus your gap, then add one starter board. Standard 1×6 pickets with a ½ in gap cover 6 in each, so an 8 ft bay takes 17 pickets. Tight-board takes 18–19 per bay; board-on-board takes about 21 per side.

2 rails or 3 rails for a wood fence?

Two rails are standard for 4–5 ft fences; three rails for 6 ft and up. Windy sites, heavy board styles, and 8 ft fences should get three rails regardless. The calculator applies 2 rails under 6 ft and 3 rails at 6 ft and above.

How deep should wood fence posts be set?

Roughly one-third of the post in the ground: a 6 ft fence uses 8 ft posts set 24–30 in deep. Below frost line (36–42 in in most of Canada) the concrete bell or a deeper hole prevents heave. Gate posts get an extra foot of post length and an extra bag of concrete.

Cedar, pressure-treated, or composite — does the calculator cover all three?

The quantities are the same; only the prices differ. The calculator prices pressure-treated starter-book numbers. Cedar runs 40–60% more per picket, composite more still. FenceTracer maps your supplier's catalogue so the same takeoff prices out in whatever species you sell.

Do gate posts really need to be 6×6?

For a 4 ft walk gate on level ground, a well-set 4×4 works. For 5–6 ft gates, double gates, or any gate on a slope, 6×6 posts (or steel posts in sleeves) stop the sag that makes a gate drag within a season. The calculator budgets 6×6 gate posts because that is the safe default.

FenceTracer

Price the wood fence with your real numbers

FenceTracer turns the same picket and post math into a quote with your cedar, PT, or composite pricing — plus tax, margin, and a branded PDF.
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