Picket Fence Installation

A picket fence does a different job than a privacy fence. It is meant to be seen through. It frames a front yard, keeps a dog or a toddler on the right side of the line, and gives a house a finished look from the street without turning the lot into a box. On lake lots and in-town lots around Livingston and Onalaska it is a common choice for the front and sides, often paired with a taller fence across the back. We build picket fences in cedar and pressure-treated pine, with the same post depth and hardware we use on everything else.

Picket shapes and spacing

Dog-ear pickets with clipped corners are the familiar look and shed water well. Pointed or gothic tops read more traditional. Flat-top pickets, sometimes under a cap rail, give a cleaner line that suits newer homes. Spacing is usually a picket-width or a little less; tighter spacing holds small dogs, wider spacing opens the view and uses less lumber. Picket width, spacing and height are the three choices that set the look, and we will show you samples on site.

Heights and where they fit

Three feet suits a decorative front-yard line. Four feet is the practical height for containing a dog and is still well under most deed-restriction caps for front yards. Anything taller starts to look like a privacy fence with gaps, and at that point a privacy fence or a spaced horizontal fence may serve better. Many lake-area properties run a four-foot picket fence across the front and sides and a six-foot privacy fence across the back.

How we build it

• Posts set in concrete below the soft topsoil, with corner and gate posts set deeper. A short fence is still a fence that has to stand in a storm.
• Two rails on a three- or four-foot fence, three on anything taller, so pickets stay straight.
• Pickets held off the ground. Where the fence follows a slope we step or rack the sections so the bottom stays a consistent height above grade.
• Galvanized ring-shank nails, so the pickets do not loosen or streak.
• Walk gates built to match with their own bracing, latched at a height that works for adults and not for the dog.

Cedar or treated pine

Cedar stays straighter as it dries and is the pick for a natural or clear-stained fence. Treated pine costs less and is the better base for a painted white picket fence, the classic look, once it has dried for a season. Our wood fence page covers the trade-offs, and we are glad to price both.

Upkeep

A picket fence has more exposed end grain than a privacy fence, so a stain or paint every few years matters. Keep grass and mulch off the bottom of the pickets, and walk the line after storm season. We offer staining and painting if you would rather not climb into that chore.

What affects the price of a picket fence

Height and picket spacing set the lumber: a four-foot fence with tight spacing uses more pickets than a three-foot one with wide gaps. Cedar costs more than treated pine. Decorative tops, a cap rail, an arbor over the gate and paint or stain are the add-ons. Gates are the most expensive foot of any fence. A straight front-yard run is the economical version; a lot with corners and a slope takes more fitting. We price it on site.

Frequently asked questions

How tall is a picket fence?

Most front-yard picket fences run three to four feet. That is tall enough to mark the boundary and keep a dog in the yard without hiding the house. Taller spaced-picket fences are built when a yard needs more containment.

Will a picket fence keep my dog in?

A four-foot picket fence with tight spacing holds most dogs. For a jumper or a small dog that fits between pickets we adjust height and spacing, or suggest a different style for the back of the lot while keeping pickets out front.

Can a picket fence be painted?

Yes. Treated pine takes paint well once it has dried for a season. Cedar can be painted but is usually stained to show the grain. Either way the finish needs to be kept up every few years in this climate.