You need
| 14 | 4x4 posts | $170–$318 |
| 39 | 2x4x8 rails | $190–$335 |
| 219 | 1x6 pickets | $449–$878 |
| 53 | 50 lb bags of fast-set concrete | $450–$688 |
- 9ft post, at least
- 10.5in wide holes
- 19.6cu ft concrete
Prices: what lumber yards and hardware stores post, October 2026, before delivery.
- For 100 ft of fence, get 14 posts, 39 rails and 219 pickets.
- Each post is in the ground 36 in. So each post must be at least 9 ft long.
- Dig holes 10.5 in wide. Set the posts with about 53 bags of 50 lb fast-setting concrete.
- The wood and concrete cost about $1,260 to $2,220. Delivery is extra.
- Check your city rules before you dig. They may set how deep posts go and how tall a fence can be.
Text this to a lumber yard
Hi! For a wood fence I need 14 treated 4x4 posts, 9 ft or longer; 39 treated 2x4x8 rails; 219 1x6 pickets, 6 ft; and 53 bags of 50 lb fast-setting concrete. What would it cost, and can you deliver?
How to space fence posts
Most wood fences have posts 6 to 8 ft1.8 to 2.4 m apart. Quikrete says rails are 2x4s cut 6, 8 or 10 ft long.
Some cities set a limit. Colleyville, Texas, says at most 8 ft for a fence under 7 ft tall, and 6 ft for a taller one. In Florida, where storms are strong, the code drawings set a 6 ft fence's posts 4 ft apart.
Millard Lumber, Quikrete, City of Colleyville (2022), City of Hialeah (2016).
How deep to set fence posts
Quikrete and Sakrete say to bury ⅓ of the post. So a post for a 6 ft fence goes about 3 ft into the ground. That post is 9 ft long.
Some cities ask for less. Colleyville says at least 24 in for a fence under 7 ft. The chain link rule is 24 in, plus 3 in for each foot of fence over 4 ft. That is 30 in for a 6 ft fence.
In cold places, the post must go below the frost line. Your city sets that depth.
Dig the hole about 3 times as wide as the post. For a 4x4, that is about 10.5 in. A 4x4 is really 3.5 in wide.
Quikrete (Nov 2025), Sakrete, Colleyville, Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute (2008), NIST PS 20-25.
How much concrete for a fence post
A 50 lb bag of fast-setting concrete makes about 0.375 cu ft.
Quikrete's bag says 2 bags set a 3 in post in a 9 in hole, 30 in deep. Our math for that hole gives about 2.5 bags. We count the whole hole, less the post. So we are a little high. That is safer than running short.
Fill to 3 to 4 in from the top. Then cover it with soil or sod.
How the math works
- Sections. Fence length divided by the space between posts, rounded up. Each corner adds one more.
- Posts. One more than the sections.
- Rails. Sections times rails in each section. No guide says how many rails. Florida code drawings show 3 on a 6 ft fence.
- Pickets. Fence length in inches divided by 5.5 in (how wide a 1x6 really is) plus your gap. Rounded up.
- Concrete. Each hole is 3 times the post width. Its volume, less the post, filled to 3.5 in from the top. Divided by 0.375 cu ft a bag, rounded up.
- Post length. Fence height plus the depth in the ground.
- Prices. What yards and stores post for treated wood and fast-set concrete, October 2026: posts $10.78 to $20.20 (8 ft), rails $4.88 to $8.59, pickets $2.05 to $4.01, bags $8.49 to $12.99. We leave out the cheapest and dearest tenth. For posts over 8 ft, we scale the 8 ft price by length. That is our estimate.
Questions
How many fence posts do I need?
Divide the fence length by the space between posts. Round up. Add 1. For 100 ft with posts 8 ft apart, that is 14 posts.
How many pickets for a 100 ft fence?
A 1x6 picket is really 5.5 in wide. 100 ft is 1,200 in. So a privacy fence takes about 219 pickets.
How many bags of concrete per fence post?
About 2 to 3 bags of 50 lb fast-set for a 4x4 in a 10 in hole, 2 to 2½ ft deep. Sakrete says 2.5 bags for a 10 in hole 24 in deep.
How deep should a fence post be?
About ⅓ of the post, say Quikrete and Sakrete. Your city may set a depth. Colleyville, Texas, asks for at least 24 in. In cold places, go below the frost line.
How much does a wood fence cost in materials?
For 100 ft of 6 ft privacy fence, the wood and concrete cost about $1,260–$2,220 at posted prices. Labor, gates and nails are not in it.
Sources
- Quikrete Fast-Setting Concrete Mix 1004-50, data sheetNov 20250.375 cu ft a bag; hole 3x the post; bury ⅓; fill to 3-4 in
- Sakrete Fast Setting Concrete Mix, data sheet2018Bury ⅓; bags for a 10 in hole by depth
- Millard Lumber, Building Wood Fences2015Posts 6 to 8 ft apart
- City of Colleyville, TX, fence rulesJul 2022Spacing and depth by fence height
- Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute, WLG 2445200824 in, plus 3 in a foot over 4 ft (after ASTM F567)
- City of Hialeah, FL, Wood Fence FBC detailOct 2016Posts 4 ft apart on a 6 ft fence; 3 rails
- NIST PS 20-25, American Softwood Lumber StandardJan 2025A 4x4 is 3½ in; a 1x6 is 5½ in wide