Picket Fence Calculator

Divide your fence run in inches by the sum of one picket's width plus the gap beside it, and round up. For example, an 80-foot run (960 inches) with 3.5-inch pickets and 2.5-inch gaps: 960 ÷ 6 = 160 pickets. Order about 5% extra for cuts, splits, and warped culls. The calculator above does this instantly and also figures your rails (two 8-foot 2×4s per section), posts (one per 8 feet plus the end post), and concrete — the complete shopping list.

As a typical 2026 US installed estimate, wood picket fences run $17–$45 per linear foot and vinyl picket $37–$70 per foot. An 80-foot cedar picket run therefore costs roughly $1,360–$3,600 installed; the same run in vinyl, $2,960–$5,600. Picket fences price higher per foot than solid privacy fences in the same material because each picket is individually spaced and fastened — the labor is fiddlier. Gates, decorative scalloped tops, and post caps add to the total.

The classic picket fence gap is 2–3 inches — traditionally, about the width that keeps the look airy while stopping a small dog from squeezing through. Tighter 1.5-inch gaps look more formal and private but need noticeably more pickets; wider 3.5-inch gaps look casual and cut material cost. Whatever you choose, keep the gap consistent: cut a spacer block from scrap lumber and use it between every picket. Inconsistent gaps are the difference between a fence that looks professional and one that does not.

Cedar pickets are the traditional choice: beautiful, cheaper upfront ($17–$45/ft installed), and they weather to an attractive silver-gray if you skip the stain. Vinyl pickets cost more ($37–$70/ft installed) but never need painting, won't rot, splinter, or warp, and stay bright white for 25+ years with an occasional wash — a real advantage in Lake County's wet springs and freeze-thaw winters. Choose cedar for classic character on a budget; choose vinyl if you never want to think about the fence again.

Three to four feet is the sweet spot for a picket fence — tall enough to define the yard and contain kids and small dogs, low enough to keep the open, friendly look that makes pickets charming. Most Waukegan-area municipalities cap front-yard fences at 3–4 feet anyway, so the classic height and the code usually agree. Going taller than 4 feet starts to look like a privacy fence with gaps; if you need real privacy, a 6-foot solid fence is the better design.

Wood picket fences need the most: restaining or repainting every 3–5 years, plus occasional picket replacement as boards split or warp — budget a weekend every few years. Cedar lasts longer than pine between treatments. Vinyl picket fences need almost nothing beyond an annual wash with soap and water to remove mildew and grime. Whatever the material, keep soil and mulch from piling against the bottom of the pickets and keep the rails' fasteners tight; those two habits prevent most premature failures.

Cut a spacer block from scrap lumber to your exact gap width and use it between every picket — never eyeball spacing. Start at one end (or the center for a symmetrical look on short runs) and work toward the other, letting the final gap absorb any remainder; a slightly wider last gap looks intentional, while uneven gaps all along look sloppy. Run a string line along the tops so picket heights stay consistent, and check every few pickets with a level. Consistent gaps and level tops are what separate a professional-looking picket fence from an amateur one.

No — keep the bottom of the pickets 2–3 inches above grade. Wood wicks moisture from soil contact, which rots picket bottoms years before the rest of the fence fails, and in northern Illinois the freeze-thaw cycle will heave soil against buried pickets. The small gap also lets you trim grass without chewing up the wood and keeps the fence line from damming water against itself. If the gap bothers you visually, a rot-resistant bottom rail or a gravel strip under the fence looks tidy without inviting decay.