How Many Pickets Per Kilometre of Fencing?

It's one of the first questions every property owner asks when planning a fencing job: "How many pickets do I need?" The answer depends on your spacing, and your spacing depends on your terrain, stock type, and mesh choice. Let's break it down.

THE QUICK REFERENCE TABLE

Here's a straightforward table for pickets per kilometre at common spacings:

  • 3m spacing: 333 pickets per km
  • 4m spacing: 250 pickets per km
  • 5m spacing: 200 pickets per km
  • 6m spacing: 167 pickets per km
  • 7m spacing: 143 pickets per km
  • 8m spacing: 125 pickets per km

These numbers include pickets at both ends of the kilometre. In practice, you won't have a picket at the very start and end of a run because those positions are strainer assemblies — but the numbers are close enough for ordering purposes. Always round up and order a few spares.

WHAT SPACING SHOULD YOU USE?

The "correct" spacing depends on several factors:

Flat ground with standard mesh (sheep or cattle): 5-6m spacing is the standard. This gives you a solid fence without overdoing it on materials. Most commercial fencing contractors in the Central West work at 5m spacing as their default.

Hilly or undulating country: Drop to 4-5m spacing. On hills, the mesh hangs differently and gaps can open up at the bottom on convex slopes and bunch up on concave slopes. Closer pickets keep the mesh following the ground contour more accurately.

High-pressure areas: Around yards, laneways, water troughs, and gateways — anywhere stock congregate and push against the fence — use 3-4m spacing. These areas cop the most abuse.

Exclusion fencing: For predator-proof or pest-proof fencing, 4-5m spacing is standard. The tighter spacing helps keep the mesh rigid and harder for animals to push under.

Lighter applications (garden fencing, internal horse paddocks): You can stretch to 7-8m on flat ground, but the fence won't be as rigid.

REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE

Say you're fencing a 2km boundary on rolling country outside Mudgee. You're running 7/90/30 mesh for mixed stock on gentle hills. Here's a rough material estimate:

Pickets at 5m spacing: 2000m / 5m = 400 pickets

Add 5% for spares: 420 pickets

At $8.50 each (165cm black bitumen): 420 x $8.50 = $3,570

Mesh: 2000m / 200m per roll = 10 rolls of 7/90/30

At $285 per roll: 10 x $285 = $2,850

Strainer assemblies: At 200m intervals plus corners and gates, you might need 12-15 strainer posts plus stays and braces.

Barbed wire (top line): 2000m, so 4 rolls of 500m

At $85 per roll (1.57mm HT): 4 x $85 = $340

This gives you a ballpark for budgeting. The pickets are often the biggest single cost in a fencing job, which is why spacing matters.

COST COMPARISON BY SPACING

For that same 2km fence using 165cm black bitumen pickets at $8.50:

  • At 4m spacing: 500 pickets = $4,250
  • At 5m spacing: 400 pickets = $3,400
  • At 6m spacing: 334 pickets = $2,839
  • At 7m spacing: 286 pickets = $2,431

That's a difference of $1,819 between the tightest and widest spacing — for pickets alone. On a 10km boundary fence, the difference in picket costs is nearly $10,000. So spacing matters for your budget, but don't go too wide just to save money. A fence that doesn't hold stock costs you far more in the long run.

OUR RECOMMENDATION

For most properties across the Central West — Orange, Bathurst, Cowra, Mudgee — running sheep, cattle, or a mix on gently rolling country, 5m spacing with our 2.1kg/m heavy-duty pickets is the sweet spot. You get a strong, straight fence that'll handle stock pressure and last for decades.

If you want to run the numbers for your specific job, give us a call on 0434 093 077 or use the fencing calculator on our website. We can also put together a full materials list and deliver to your property.

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