Wood Fence Calculator
Enter your fence length below for a complete wood fence material list — posts, rails, pickets, and concrete bags. Covers privacy (6 ft) and picket (4 ft) styles. Free, no sign-up required.
Wood Fence Inputs
Material List
| Material | Base Qty | With 10% Waste | Notes |
|---|
Formula
Wood Fence Material Reference
Standard wood fence materials for a 6 ft privacy fence (as of June 2026):
| Material | Typical Size | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Line post | 4×4 × 8 ft | Support post every 8 ft; set 2 ft deep |
| Gate / corner post | 4×4 × 9 ft or 6×6 | Extra depth at stress points |
| Horizontal rail | 2×4 × 8 ft | 3 rails for 6-ft fence (top, mid, bottom) |
| Privacy board | 1×6 × 6 ft | Solid cover; 5.5 in actual width + gap |
| Picket (open style) | 1×4 × 4 ft | 3.5 in actual + 0.25–2 in gap |
| Concrete | 60 lb bag | ~1 bag per post (8-in dia, 24–36 in deep) |
Lumber dimensions: nominal vs. actual sizes vary. A 1×4 is actually 0.75 in × 3.5 in; a 2×4 is 1.5 in × 3.5 in. Source: Engineer Fix (verified June 2026).
Frequently Asked Questions
With standard 8-ft post spacing, a wood fence needs one post per 8 linear feet plus one extra (sections + 1). For a 100-ft fence: ceil(100 ÷ 8) + 1 = 14 posts, plus any gate posts. Add 10% for waste and mis-set posts.
A 6-ft privacy fence typically uses 3 horizontal rails per section (top, middle, bottom) to prevent warping. For a 100-ft fence with 8-ft spacing, that is ceil(100 ÷ 8) × 3 = 39 rails. Each rail is an 8-ft 2×4.
4×4 posts are standard for residential wood privacy fences up to 6 ft tall. 6×6 posts are used for corner posts, gate posts, and 8-ft fences. Posts should be 2 ft longer than the fence height (1/3 below grade): a 6-ft fence uses 8-ft posts.
The standard rule is one-third of the post length in the ground. For a 6-ft fence with 8-ft posts, set 2.5–3 ft deep. In frost climates, posts must extend at least 6 inches below the frost line regardless of the one-third rule. Check your local building code for specific requirements.
Yes. Any posts that contact soil should be pressure-treated lumber rated for ground contact (UC4B or higher for most residential applications). Rails and pickets do not need ground-contact rating but benefit from a weather-resistant species like cedar or treated pine.
See also: Fence Calculator (all styles) · Post Spacing Calculator · Picket Calculator · Privacy Fence Calculator