Number of Pales Needed for a Deck Railing

There are many different ways to attach a railing to a deck. For this calculator, the post exterior matches the pale in width. If you have a 5 1/2" width of the pale, the post will consist of a 2 x 6 to support the pickets and the rails. This 2 x 6 is screwed or nailed into the rim joist with a bevel cut at the bottom lapping a 9" rim board by 8". Often the pales come in a pre-cut length and to keep the required railing height you can't do the same with the pales. However, if you are cutting the pales, you could do the same with the pales. But whichever way you choose to do this, the number of post needed is subtracted from the pale count in this calculator, and the corners are L-shaped, counting for two post boards.

Pales, also known as pickets are the vertical boards or planks that make up a railing or fence.