Fence post & picket spacing conventions
A fence take-off starts from a few spacing conventions: posts every ~8 ft, a nominal 1×6 picket 5.5 in wide with a ~1/4 in gap, and 2 rails per section (3 for tall privacy fences). The values below are labeled planning conventions you can adjust to your design. Use them in the fence-materials tool.
| Convention | Typical value | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Post spacing | 8 ft on center | Sections = length ÷ spacing; posts = sections + 1 |
| Picket width | 5.5 in | A nominal 1×6 picket is 5.5 in wide |
| Picket gap | 0.25 in | Pickets = length (in) ÷ (width + gap) |
| Rails per section | 2 | 2 for most fences, 3 for tall privacy |
Labeled planning conventions you can adjust to your design — add posts for gates and corners.