Paling Fence vs Picket Fence Quantities in Australia

The quantity difference that matters

For Australian quantities, the practical difference between a paling fence and a picket fence is the number of vertical boards per bay and how many rails carry them. Using the default 2.40 m panel or bay width and 100 mm palings with a 20 mm gap, each bay needs 20 palings: 2.40 m divided by 0.12 m effective coverage equals 20. A picket-style front fence with narrower 70 mm palings and a 40 mm gap covers 0.11 m each, so the same bay needs about 22 palings. Height does not change that count, but it changes rails, posts and concrete.

Both styles share the same post spacing of 2.40 m in this market, so post counts are identical for the same run length. What separates them is board count, rail count and the resulting concrete and cost totals. Confirm your intended paling width and gap with your supplier before ordering, because nominal sizes vary between producers.

Counting palings, rails and posts

Start with the run length in metres. Divide by 2.40 m to get bays, then add one for the end post. A 24 m boundary gives 10 bays and 11 posts. Multiply bays by palings per bay: 10 bays at 20 palings equals 200 palings for the 100 mm, 20 mm gap layout. A narrower picket layout at 22 palings per bay gives 220 palings over the same run.

Rails are counted per bay. The brief specifies two horizontal rails per bay, so 10 bays need 20 rails, and that figure is the same for both styles unless you change the rail specification. Gates are counted separately and are not part of the bay total. A fence calculator handles these divisions quickly, but the inputs that matter are bay width, paling width, gap and rails per bay. Check rail dimensions and fixing requirements with your supplier, since these are not fixed by any single national rule.

Worked example: concrete and cost

Take a 24 m run, 1.80 m high, with 11 posts and 300 mm diameter by 600 mm deep holes. Each hole is about 0.042 m³. At 0.010 m³ per 20 kg bag, that is roughly 4.2 bags per hole, so 11 holes need about 47 bags. Round up to 48 bags to allow for spillage and uneven ground.

Now compare palings. The 100 mm paling layout needs 200 palings and 20 rails. The narrower picket layout needs 220 palings and the same 20 rails. Posts, holes and concrete bags stay at 11 and 48 for both. Enter your local AUD unit prices for palings, rails, posts, concrete bags and gates into the calculator to get a material cost. Prices vary by supplier and region, so treat any total as an estimate to confirm with your timber yard.

What changes between the two styles

The main quantity driver is effective coverage per paling. Wider palings with a small gap mean fewer boards. Narrower palings with a wider gap mean more boards and more fixings, even though the bay width is unchanged. If you switch from a 100 mm paling with a 20 mm gap to a 70 mm paling with a 40 mm gap, expect roughly a 10 per cent increase in board count on the same run.

Rails are the second driver. Two rails per bay is the default here, but a taller or more exposed fence may need a third rail, which adds 10 rails to a 10 bay run. Post spacing of 2.40 m keeps post and concrete counts stable across styles. For permit requirements, boundary rules and height limits, check with your local council before building.

Ordering checklist for Australian buyers

Confirm four numbers before you order: run length, bay width, paling width and gap. From those, derive bays, posts, palings and rails. Add gates separately and allow a small waste margin on palings, commonly around 5 per cent, though your supplier may advise differently. Concrete bag yield of about 0.010 m³ per 20 kg bag is a working figure, not a guarantee for every mix.

Use the fence calculator to test both layouts side by side, then confirm stock, lead times and AUD pricing with your timber supplier. Council rules on front fences, corner blocks and height vary by local government area, so verify those with your council rather than relying on a general figure.

Why the comparison is not about height

A common assumption is that a taller fence simply needs more palings. In practice, height mainly affects rails, post embedment and wind loading, while board count follows bay width, paling width and gap. Two 1.80 m fences of the same length can differ by 20 palings purely because of board width and spacing.

That is why the paling fence vs picket fence quantities question is best answered with a coverage calculation rather than a rule of thumb. Work out effective coverage per board, divide the bay width by it, round up, then multiply by bays. Keep posts at 2.40 m spacing and two rails per bay unless your supplier or engineer specifies otherwise.

Getting the numbers right

Run the calculation once with 100 mm palings and a 20 mm gap, then again with your intended picket dimensions. Compare palings, rails, posts and concrete bags, and check the material cost in AUD using local prices. If the difference is small, choose on appearance and privacy rather than quantity. If it is large, confirm board availability first, because narrow profiles can be harder to source.

For anything involving boundary disputes, height limits or heritage areas, speak to your local council before ordering materials.

Frequently asked questions