Deck Boards, Patio Pavers, Fence Post/Picket & Retaining Wall Calculator

Estimate decking boards, patio pavers & gravel base, fence posts/rails/pickets, and CMU retaining wall blocks.

Decking Boards & Patio Paver Count (+10% Waste)
38 Deck Boards • 951 Pavers
Area: 192 sq ft • Fence (120 ft): 16 posts & 384 pickets • CMU Wall: 567 blocks
Decking (5.5" × 12' Boards) 38 boards • 672 screws
4×8 Patio Pavers & Base 951 pavers
Fence (120 Linear Ft) 16 posts • 45 rails • 384 pickets
CMU / Retaining Wall (4' High) 567 blocks
Inputs
ft
Length of the deck or paver patio in feet.
ft
Width of the deck or paver patio in feet.
in
Standard 5/4×6 or 2×6 decking is 5.5" wide; 2×4 is 3.5" wide.
ft
Standard stock lengths are 8, 12, 16, or 20 feet.
linear ft
Total perimeter length for fencing or retaining wall.
ft OC
Standard wood privacy fence post spacing is 6 ft or 8 ft.
ft
Used to compute 8×8×16" CMU / retaining block count.
Results & Graph
Decking Boards & Patio Paver Count (+10% Waste)
38 Deck Boards • 951 Pavers
Area: 192 sq ft • Fence (120 ft): 16 posts & 384 pickets • CMU Wall: 567 blocks
Decking (5.5" × 12' Boards)
38 boards • 672 screws
4×8 Patio Pavers & Base
951 pavers
4" Gravel Base: 3.2 tons
Fence (120 Linear Ft)
16 posts • 45 rails • 384 pickets
32 bags post concrete
CMU / Retaining Wall (4' High)
567 blocks
Wall face area: 480 sq ft

Deck Plank Layout, Fence Bay Elevation & Paver Subbase Profile

Deck Boards, Fence Pickets, and CMU Wall Blocks for Project Dimensions
Graph 1 • Top-Down Deck Plank & 16" OC Joist Schematic Shows perpendicular board courses and fastener density
Deck / Patio Length = 16 ft Width 12 ft Deck & Patio Footprint (192 sq ft) • Joists: 16" On-Center Framing Grid • Drainage Gap: 1/8" Between Deck Boards • Fasteners: ~672 Deck Screws
Graph 2 • Wood Privacy Fence Bay & Concrete Post Footing Elevation Posts, 3 horizontal rails, pickets, and buried footings
Fence Takeoff (120 Linear Ft) • Posts (8' OC): 16 posts • 2×4 Horizontal Rails: 45 rails • 3.5" Dog-Ear Pickets: 384 pcs • Post-Hole Concrete: 32 bags
Graph 3 • Patio Paver Trench & Crushed Stone Base Cross-Section 4×8 pavers, 1" bedding sand, and 4" compacted aggregate base
4"×8" Interlocking Brick Pavers (951 pcs) 1" Screeded Bedding Sand (0.59 yd³) 4" Compacted Crushed Stone Base (3.20 Tons) Compacted Native Soil Subgrade + Geotextile Fabric ICPI Hardscape Layer Spec • Excavation Depth: ~7.5 inches • Gravel Compaction: 95% Proctor • Polymeric Joint Sand: 3 bags
Summary: 192 sq ft requires 38 deck boards or 951 patio pavers; 120 ft fence needs 16 posts and 384 pickets.
Summary: A 16 ft × 12 ft (192 sq ft) deck or patio requires 38 decking boards (5.5" × 12 ft with 10% waste) and 672 deck screws, or 951 standard 4"×8" brick pavers laid over 3.2 tons of 4-inch compacted crushed stone base. For a 120-ft perimeter, a wood fence spaced at 8 ft OC needs 16 posts, 45 rails, and 384 pickets, while a 4-ft masonry wall requires 567 standard 8×8×16 blocks.
⚡ Send result to: Concrete & Sq Ft →Board Foot & Framing →Roofing, Stairs & BTU →
Interactive chart & math engine powered by CalculatorGraph

Formula & Mathematical Methodology: Deck Board Coverage, Paver Base Tonnage & Fence Picket Equations

Boards = [Adeck × 1.10Win + 0.12512 × Lboard],   Pavers = [Apatio × 4.5 × 1.10],   Posts = [LfenceSpacing] + 1
Boards = ⌈(A_deck × 1.10) / (((W_in + 0.125)/12) × L_board)⌉; Pavers = ⌈A_patio × 4.5 × 1.10⌉; Posts = ⌈L_fence / Spacing⌉ + 1
  • 0.125": Standard 1/8-inch drainage gap between adjacent deck boards
  • 4.5: Number of 4"×8" brick pavers per square foot (144 ÷ 32)

Rounding: All board, paver, post, picket, and block quantities round up to whole units.

Worked Example: 16' × 12' Deck/Patio (192 sq ft) + 120 Linear Feet of Privacy Fence

Calculate materials for a 192 sq ft deck or patio and a 120-ft wood fence with posts 8 ft on-center.

  1. Each 5.5" × 12' deck board (with 1/8" gap) covers 5.625 sq ft → ⌈(192 × 1.10) ÷ 5.625⌉ = 38 boards and 672 screws.
  2. For a paver patio: ⌈192 × 4.5 × 1.10⌉ = 951 pavers over 3.20 tons of 4" compacted gravel base.
  3. For 120 ft of fence: (120 ÷ 8) + 1 = 16 posts, 45 rails (3 per bay), and 384 pickets.
Result: 38 deck boards (or 951 patio pavers) and 16 fence posts with 384 pickets.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many deck screws or hidden fasteners do I need per 100 square feet?

With joists framed at 16" on-center and two screws per joist crossing, plan on 350 screws per 100 square feet of decking (or roughly 175 hidden clips plus starter clips).

How deep should fence post holes be dug?

Set fence posts to a depth of 1/3 to 1/2 of the above-ground fence height (typically 24" to 36" deep for a 6-ft fence) and extend below the local winter frost line.

Construction & Home · Outdoor Living, Masonry & Fencing

Deck Boards, Patio Pavers, Fence Post/Picket & Retaining Wall Calculator: inputs, method, and how to read the result

Estimate decking boards, patio pavers & gravel base, fence posts/rails/pickets, and CMU retaining wall blocks.

Choose inputs for the case you are checking

The defaults are illustrative. Replace them with values for your case and keep the units shown beside each field.

  • Deck or Patio Length (Feet): Length of the deck or paver patio in feet.
  • Deck or Patio Width (Feet): Width of the deck or paver patio in feet.
  • Actual Deck Board Width (Inches): Standard 5/4×6 or 2×6 decking is 5.5" wide; 2×4 is 3.5" wide.
  • Individual Deck Board Length (Feet): Standard stock lengths are 8, 12, 16, or 20 feet.

What the calculation includes

With the default values shown, Decking Boards & Patio Paver Count (+10% Waste) is 38 Deck Boards • 951 Pavers. The calculation follows Deck Board Coverage, Paver Base Tonnage & Fence Picket Equations; the formula and variable definitions above show how the inputs combine.

One-input check: With the other defaults held constant, changing Deck or Patio Length (Feet) from 16 ft to 18 ft changes Decking Boards & Patio Paver Count (+10% Waste) from 38 Deck Boards • 951 Pavers to 43 Deck Boards • 1,070 Pavers. This is a comparison inside the calculator's stated model, not a prediction.

Where to use caution

  • Includes a 10% cutting waste allowance for decking boards and patio pavers (use 15% for diagonal 45° herringbone decking).
  • Retaining walls taller than 4 feet generally require geogrid soil reinforcement and a stamped structural engineering design.

Scope: Global Construction & ICPI / AWC Outdoor Structure Standards Check the assumptions and limitations against your situation before relying on the estimate.

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