Introduction
The picket count is the price tag’s foundation — every other cost on a wood fence hangs off it: rails, posts, concrete, fasteners, gates, and finish. Once you know how many pickets a run needs, costing the fence is multiplication: pickets × unit price, plus the supporting materials, plus labor if you’re hiring. A picket fence budget built this way rarely surprises.
The Fence Picket Calculator produces the quantities this guide prices: enter your fence length, picket width, and gap, choose single- or double-sided and vertical or horizontal, and it returns the picket count plus the supporting material list. Below is what those quantities typically cost in the US, why picket prices vary, and where DIYers and contractors each overspend — so you can turn the count into a budget before you commit.
What Drives Fence Picket Costs
Six cost buckets make up a picket fence budget, in rough order of size:
- Pickets — typically the largest material cost, 40–55% of a materials-only budget for a privacy fence.
- Posts and concrete — 4×4 or 6×6 posts set in concrete; roughly one post per 8 ft of fence.
- Rails — 2×4 horizontal rails, usually 2–3 per span depending on fence height.
- Fasteners and hardware — exterior screws or nails per picket, plus hinges and latches per gate.
- Gates — frames, hardware, and their own pickets; the most per-foot expensive part of any fence.
- Finish — stain or sealer, optional but the cheapest longevity insurance a fence gets.
Lumber prices move with the market and the season, and they differ sharply by region — cedar is cheap in the Pacific Northwest and dear in the Southeast, pressure-treated pine is the reverse. Treat every figure below as a typical US planning range and confirm with local suppliers, as the material guide explains for each species.
Typical Picket and Material Prices
Per-unit planning ranges for the standard 5/8 × 5-1/2 × 6-ft picket and its supporting materials (US, 2026; your region may differ by 20–40%):
| Item | Typical range (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar picket (5/8×5-1/2×6) | $2.50–$4.50 each | The default privacy picket; price varies most by region |
| Pressure-treated pine picket | $1.50–$3.00 each | Cheapest wood option; needs sealing |
| Composite picket | $8–$14 each | High upfront, minimal maintenance |
| 4×4×8 pressure-treated post | $12–$22 each | One per 8 ft of run, plus corners and gates |
| 2×4×8 rail | $5–$9 each | 2 rails for fences ≤4 ft; 3 for 5–6 ft; 4 for 8 ft |
| 80-lb concrete bag | $5–$7 each | Roughly 1 bag per post hole for a 6-ft fence |
| Deck screws (5-lb box) | $30–$45 | Exterior-rated; covers ~100–150 pickets |
| Gate hardware kit | $25–$60 | Hinges + latch per gate |
| Stain/sealer per gallon | $35–$60 | Covers ~150–250 sq ft of fence face |
The picket style (dog-ear, flat-top, gothic) nudges the unit price a little — pointed cuts run slightly higher — but species and length dominate. The pro tips guide covers when it’s worth paying the premium for hand-selected boards versus cull-grade bundles.
Worked Cost Example: 100-ft Cedar Privacy Fence
Take the example from the complete guide: 100 ft (30.48 m) run, one 4-ft gate, 5.5-in cedar pickets, 0 gap, single-sided. Per-span rounding gives 213 pickets; with 10% waste, order 234 pickets.
Step 1 — Pickets. 234 × $3.50 (mid-range cedar) = $819.
Step 2 — Posts and concrete. 14 posts × $17 = $238; 14 bags of concrete × $6 = $84. Subtotal: $322.
Step 3 — Rails. 13 spans × 3 rails (6-ft fence) = 39 rails × $7 = $273.
Step 4 — Fasteners and gate. Two 5-lb screw boxes = $75; gate frame lumber ~$40; gate hardware kit = $40. Subtotal: $155.
Step 5 — Finish. One fence face ≈ 100 ft × 6 ft = 600 sq ft; at ~200 sq ft per gallon = 3 gallons × $48 = $144.
Materials total: ≈ $1,713, or about $17 per linear foot. The same fence in pressure-treated pine lands around $1,100–$1,300 in materials; composite pickets push it past $3,500. Double-sided board-on-board roughly doubles the picket and fastener lines — see the formula guide for the count math behind that.
DIY vs Pro: What Labor Adds
Materials are only half the story if you’re hiring. Typical installed prices for wood picket fences run $25–$45 per linear foot for a 6-ft cedar privacy fence, meaning the 100-ft example costs roughly $2,500–$4,500 installed versus ~$1,700 in materials. Labor effectively doubles the project cost — which is exactly why fences are among the most popular large DIY projects. The break-even analysis, including tool costs and time, is worked through in the DIY vs pro guide.
The labor premium also buys speed and warranty: a crew finishes 100 ft in 1–2 days; a DIYer working weekends should plan 2–4 weekends including post setting and cure time. When pricing, get 3 quotes — fence labor varies more than fence lumber.
Where the Money Leaks
Five places fence budgets quietly inflate:
- Under-ordering, then re-buying at retail. A second lumber run in a different dye lot or price tier costs more per picket than padding the first order. Order the waste allowance once.
- Upgrading species mid-project. Switching from PT pine to cedar halfway means mismatched weathering and a blown budget — decide before buying.
- Gate creep. Each added gate is $150–$300 in frame, hardware, and pickets — more per foot than any other section.
- Premium fasteners overkill. Exterior-rated screws are required; boutique stainless on a pine fence is not.
- Skipping the finish to “save” money. Unstained pine grays and checks within 2–3 years; a $144 stain job on the example fence protects an $819 picket investment.
Related Guides
- Fence Picket Calculator: Complete Guide — the full estimating walkthrough behind these costs.
- Fence Picket Material Guide — species, grades, and what drives picket prices.
- DIY vs Pro — the labor premium, broken down.
- Case Study — a full hypothetical 100-ft fence budget, line by line.
- Picket Fence Checklist — buy-day and build-day checks that protect the budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a 100-ft wood picket fence cost?
Materials typically run $1,100–$1,800 for pressure-treated pine or $1,500–$2,200 for cedar (6-ft privacy, one gate), or roughly $11–$22 per linear foot. Professionally installed, expect $25–$45 per foot — $2,500–$4,500 for 100 ft. Regional lumber prices move these figures substantially.
What is the cheapest way to build a picket fence?
Pressure-treated pine pickets, single-sided, minimal gates, and DIY labor. Widening the gap (spaced pickets) cuts the picket count directly — a 3-in gap on 5.5-in pickets uses about a third fewer pickets than a privacy fence, at the cost of visibility through the fence.
Does double-sided construction double the cost?
Nearly: pickets and fasteners roughly double, rails increase slightly for the added weight, and labor rises 30–50% since each span gets hung twice. Posts and concrete stay the same. Budget ~80–90% more in materials than single-sided.
How much do fence gates cost?
A single 4-ft wood gate typically adds $150–$300 in materials (frame lumber, pickets, hinges, latch) — and more in labor. Double gates for vehicle access run $300–$600+ in materials.
Is staining worth the cost on a new fence?
Yes for pine and usually for cedar: $35–$60 per gallon covering 150–250 sq ft adds a few hundred dollars to a 100-ft fence and meaningfully extends service life, especially for pressure-treated lumber. Budget for it in the original estimate rather than as an afterthought.
Get Your Number
Cost follows count: run your fence through the Fence Picket Calculator, multiply the quantities by your local per-unit prices, and add labor if you’re hiring. Build the budget with the ranges above as planning figures, then confirm with two local suppliers — lumber prices are regional, seasonal, and the one line item most likely to move between the estimate and the purchase.
Disclaimer: Calculator results and cost figures are planning estimates based on typical US material prices; actual costs vary with region, season, lumber market, and supplier. Verify quantities and prices locally and consult a qualified contractor or your local building authority for structural or code-related decisions.
