A timber picket fence is built from posts, horizontal rails and individual picket pales rather than installed as a pre-assembled fence panel. That gives you control over the finished height, pale style and spacing.
Our preferred sequence is simple: install the posts first, fit the rails, then fix the picket pales to the rails. If you need the materials first, browse our Picket Fencing range.
What do you need to build a picket fence?
- 90 × 18mm Round-Top Picket Fence Pales, 75 × 18mm Round-Top Pales or 75 × 18mm Pointed Pales
- Treated Smooth Picket Fence Rails
- Suitable timber fence posts
- Postmix for setting the posts
- A nail gun and suitable nails, or exterior screws
- A small scrap timber block cut to your chosen pale gap
1. Install the fence posts first
Start by setting out and installing the posts. Get the post line and spacing right before adding the rails and pales. The posts are the structure that everything else is fixed to, so there is little benefit in rushing this stage.
If you need help with the post installation itself, see our guide to how deep fence posts should be. This guide focuses on building the picket section once the post layout is established.
2. Fit the picket fence rails
Once the posts are in place, fit the horizontal rails between them. Our rule is approximately one rail for every 2ft of fence height, with a minimum of two rails.
That means even a low picket fence should normally have at least two rails. A taller 6ft picket fence would typically use around three rails.
The rails form the frame that the individual pickets are fixed to, so complete the post-and-rail structure before starting on the pales.
3. Decide how far apart the pickets should be
There is no single correct picket fence spacing. The gap is mainly a design choice. Some customers prefer a tight traditional appearance, while others deliberately leave a wider gap for a more open fence.
For a tighter layout, a useful starting point is roughly the thickness of a picket itself — around 15–18mm. For a wider gap, roughly the thickness of a roofing batten — around 25mm — gives a noticeably more open appearance.
The important part is not choosing one particular number. It is keeping whichever gap you choose consistent across the run.
4. Use a timber block as a picket spacer
We prefer using a small block of timber as a spacer rather than measuring and marking every individual pale.
Cut or choose a block that matches the gap you want. Fix the first pale, place the spacer block against it, bring the next pale up to the block and fix it. Then move the same block along for the next pale.
For example, a spare piece around 15–18mm thick works for a tighter layout, while a piece of roofing batten around 25mm thick works well as a wider spacer. Using the same block repeatedly is faster than measuring every gap and helps keep the spacing visually consistent.
5. Nail or screw the picket pales to the rails
If you have access to a nail gun, we would use nails. It makes fixing a full run of individual pickets much quicker.
If you do not have a nail gun, screws are the better DIY option. Suitable exterior screws let you fix each pale without repeatedly hammering against the fence.
You can hammer the nails in by hand, but a picket fence has enough flex to make that frustrating. The rails and pales tend to bounce as you strike them, so hand-nailing a complete run is rarely the enjoyable way to do the job.
Round-top or pointed pickets?
The installation method is the same for both profiles. The difference is the finished appearance. Round-top pickets give a softer traditional finish, while pointed pickets create the classic pointed picket-fence look.
Choose the profile and pale length you want, then use the spacing to control how open or closely packed the finished fence appears.
Shop the complete picket fencing range
For the pales and rails used in this guide, browse Picket Fencing. You can also add timber fence posts, Postmix and exterior screws for the complete job.
