How many pickets and posts for 50 feet of fence?
50 feet of 6 ft privacy fence with posts 8 ft apart takes 10 posts, 20 rails, and 112 pickets with 10 percent waste, in 6 sections. Setting the posts takes 20 bags of 50 lb concrete, and hanging the pickets takes about 700 screws. With posts at 6 ft you need 12 posts and 27 rails.
Lumber for 50 feet of fence
| Post spacing | Rails per section | Posts | Rails | Pickets (10% waste) | Concrete bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 ft | 3 | 10 | 20 | 112 | 20 |
| 8 ft | 2 | 10 | 14 | 112 | 20 |
| 6 ft | 3 | 12 | 27 | 112 | 24 |
| 6 ft | 2 | 12 | 18 | 112 | 24 |
For a 6 ft privacy fence with 5-1/2 in pickets butted tight, 4 corners, and one 4 ft gate, with two 50 lb bags of concrete per post. Three rails are standard for 6 ft fences; two is common for 4 ft fences.
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Shopping list for 50 feet of privacy fence
- Posts: 10 pressure-treated 4 × 4 × 8 ft, set 2 ft deep (below frost line in cold climates, which may mean 10 ft posts).
- Rails: 20 pressure-treated 2 × 4 × 8 ft, three per section.
- Pickets: 112 dog-ear pickets, 5/8 × 5-1/2 × 6 ft, cedar or pressure-treated pine.
- Concrete: 20 bags of 50 lb fast-setting mix, two per post. The concrete calculator handles odd post sizes.
- Fasteners: about 700 exterior screws or ring-shank nails for pickets, plus 80 3 in screws or rail brackets for the rails.
- Gate: one 4 ft gate kit with hinges and latch, and a 6 × 6 or doubled 4 × 4 on the hinge side.
- Gravel: 2 bags of gravel for drainage at the bottom of each post hole.
What 50 feet of fence costs
Materials for 50 feet of pressure-treated privacy fence run about $600 to $928: pickets at $2.50 to $4 each, 4 × 4 posts at $12 to $18, rails at $5 to $8, and concrete at $5 to $7 a bag. Cedar pickets add roughly 50 percent to the picket line. Pre-built 8 ft panels cost $60 to $120 each, or $360 to $720 for 6 sections, and go up faster but cannot follow slopes as well. A fence contractor typically charges $25 to $45 per linear foot installed for wood privacy fence, so $1,250 to $2,250 for this run. Renting a gas auger for the 10 post holes is about $75 to $100 a day.
Common questions
How many fence pickets do I need for 50 feet?
112 pickets of 5-1/2 in width butted tight, including 10 percent for waste and a gate. With a 1/2 in gap between pickets it drops to 102.
How many fence posts for 50 feet?
10 posts at 8 ft spacing or 12 at 6 ft, counting the corners and gate posts. Posts on 6 ft centers make a stiffer fence in windy areas and let you use 12 ft rails cut in half.
How much does 50 feet of privacy fence cost?
About $600 to $928 in materials for pressure-treated pine, or $1,250 to $2,250 installed by a contractor. Vinyl runs $30 to $60 per foot installed; chain link about $15 to $30.