🪵 Shadow Box Fence Calculator
Calculate boards, posts, rails & pickets for your shadow box fence project
| Picket Width | Gap | Pickets/Side (8 ft section) | Total Pickets (both sides) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 in (1x6) | 1.5 in | 11 | 21 |
| 5.5 in (1x6) | 2 in | 10 | 19 |
| 3.5 in (1x4) | 1.5 in | 16 | 31 |
| 3.5 in (1x4) | 2 in | 14 | 27 |
| 7.25 in (1x8) | 1.5 in | 9 | 17 |
| 7.25 in (1x8) | 2 in | 8 | 15 |
| Fence Length | Posts (8 ft spacing) | 2-Rail Boards | 3-Rail Boards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 ft | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| 75 ft | 10 | 20 | 30 |
| 100 ft | 14 | 28 | 42 |
| 150 ft | 20 | 40 | 60 |
| 200 ft | 26 | 52 | 78 |
| Project | Length | Height | Approx. Pickets (1x6, 1.5 in gap) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Side Yard | 40 ft | 6 ft | ~168 |
| Standard Backyard | 100 ft | 6 ft | ~420 |
| Large Privacy Fence | 200 ft | 8 ft | ~840 |
| Pool Surround | 120 ft | 6 ft | ~504 |
| Garden Divider | 30 ft | 4 ft | ~126 |
A shadow box fence is a structure like a regular picket fence. It is a privacy fence variation with a special design that creates shade, allow ventilation and give other benefits. You call it also “board-on-board” fence.
It is called this because it is designed to cast shades and it is popular because it looks nice on both sides
What is a shadow box fence
The way it works is quite simple. Instead of placing the boards side-by-side as in ordinary privacy fences, the boards are alternated on different sides of the rails. This way the fence has a staggered arrangement.
The boards are fixed on one side, while other boards are installed on the opposite side. The final result is a fence with little gaps between the boards.
If you look at it directly, a shadow box fence looks like a full privacy fence. Even so, when you look at it from an angle, open spaces appear that allow contact with neighboors and let the wind pass. Rather than traditional fences, such as a stockade wall that blocks every sight, this type allows light and air to go across the gaps.
Even so, it stays a real “shadow box” because you can not see through it, because the boards cover one another on the rails.
This fence is known as “good neighbor“, because it looks equally well on both sides. It also allows the neighbor to look outside. Because of the ventilation, it is ideal for combining privacy with neighborliness.
The front and back sides are identical.
Although shadow boxes are not as safe as full walls, they do not leave so much light and visibility in the garden as regular picket fences. That is an attractive choice for homeowners who search for balance between protection and seclusion. You brilliant advantage of a wood shadow box fence is its big flexibility in the design.
A real shadow box is built on the place and follows the terrain without steps. The distance from the top part of the board to the top part of the rail should be the same through the whole project. The fence should smoothly follow the form of the ground.
You can use standard boards or style with “dog ears“. If the gap between boards is too small, around two inches, you cannot see through it, but then the special look of the shadow box is a bit lost.
Adding lights to the top looks very modern overnight. Horizontal shadow box is another option that some consider more private. The posts will still be visible on one side if you build it by the typical method.
You can also build gates for such a fence, although planning that design requiresabit more effort.
