A board on board fence is a wood privacy fence built with two staggered layers of pickets. The back layer goes up with even gaps, and the front layer covers each gap with a little overlap on both sides. The result is a fence with no see-through gaps, even after the boards dry and shrink. This guide covers how it’s built, the picket math, the pros and cons, cost, and how to sell it as an upgrade.
What is a board on board fence?
It’s a solid privacy fence where every front picket sits over the gap between two back pickets and overlaps them. Both layers attach to the same side of the rails, so from the street it reads as one clean wall of boards with a bit of texture.
It solves the most common complaint about a standard privacy fence: gaps. Pickets installed tight on a single layer shrink as they dry, and within a season you can often see light between them. With overlapping layers, the boards can move and the fence still stays closed.
People often mix up board on board and shadow box. They are related but not the same. Shadow box puts pickets on alternating sides of the rails. See our shadow box fence guide for how that style differs.
How is board on board built?
It’s built on standard posts and rails, with two layers of pickets fastened to one face of the rails. The only real difference from a standard fence is how the pickets are spaced.
Overlap and spacing
The overlap is how far each front board extends past the edge of the gap onto the back boards. Most crews use 1 to 1.5 inches per side. That is a common rule of thumb, not a code requirement.
To space the back layer, use this formula:
Back-layer gap = picket width minus (2 × overlap)
For 1x6 pickets, which are about 5.5 inches wide, with a 1.5-inch overlap, the gap is 5.5 − 3 = 2.5 inches. Cut a spacer block to that width and use it for every back board. Then center each front board over a gap.
Posts and rails
The framing is the same as a standard wood privacy fence: posts set in concrete or compacted gravel, with two or three rails depending on height. A 6-foot fence typically gets three rails. The extra layer adds weight, so many crews tighten post spacing on tall or windy runs. Our fence post spacing guide covers spacing and depth by fence type.
Pros and cons of a board on board fence
The main advantage is privacy that lasts. The main drawback is cost.
Pros
- No gaps, even after the wood shrinks
- Looks more finished and substantial than a single layer
- Can be built with standard pickets, rails and posts your crews already stock
- Works well as an upsell on any wood privacy job
Cons
- More pickets, fasteners and labor than a standard privacy fence
- Heavier, so posts and gates take more load
- Still has a back side with exposed rails, like a standard fence
- More surface area to stain or seal
Board on board vs. a standard privacy fence
Board on board costs more and uses more material than a standard privacy fence, but it holds its privacy better over time. Here is how the two compare on a typical 6-foot wood job.
| Standard privacy (single layer, tight) | Board on board | |
|---|---|---|
| Pickets per 8-ft section (1x6) | 18 | 24 at 1.5” overlap |
| Gaps after the wood dries | Can open up | Stay covered |
| Good side | Yes | Yes |
| Weight on posts | Baseline | Heavier |
| Install time for pickets | Baseline | Longer, two layers |
| Installed cost (consumer guides) | $10 to $50 per ft (Angi, privacy fences) | $15.50 to $52 per ft (Angi) |
Per-section counts come from the formulas in the next section. Cost ranges are national consumer averages from Angi’s privacy fence cost guide and Angi’s board on board cost guide. Use them to sanity-check a bid, not to set it. For more on the base fence, see our privacy fence cost guide.
How many pickets does board on board take?
To count pickets for board on board, divide the fence length in inches by the picket width minus the overlap. Each picket effectively covers its width minus one overlap.
Pickets = (fence length in feet × 12) ÷ (picket width − overlap), rounded up
For a tight single-layer fence, the formula is length in inches divided by picket width. Here is what that looks like with 1x6 pickets (5.5 inches actual), before waste:
| Overlap per side | Back-layer gap | Pickets per 8-ft section | Pickets per 100 ft | vs. single layer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single layer, tight | none | 18 | 219 | baseline |
| 1 inch | 3.5 inches | 22 | 267 | about 22% more |
| 1.5 inches | 2.5 inches | 24 | 300 | about 37% more |
| 2 inches | 1.5 inches | 28 | 343 | about 57% more |
Add 5 to 10 percent for split, warped or badly knotted boards. That is a rule of thumb; adjust it to your lumber and your crews.
Angi puts the overall difference at about 30 percent more materials and labor than a standard wood fence. Your picket count can land above or below that depending on the overlap you choose. The fence picket calculator runs this math for any length, picket width and overlap.
Pro tip from the field: Decide the overlap before you quote, write it on the proposal, and use the same number in your takeoff. A half-inch change in overlap can swing the picket count by 10 to 15 percent on a long run.
How much does a board on board fence cost?
Board on board costs more than a standard privacy fence because it takes more boards and more time. According to Angi, a board on board fence runs $15.50 to $52 per linear foot installed, with an average project around $6,750. HomeAdvisor reports the same ranges, with labor at $13 to $19.50 per linear foot, and notes that an 8-foot fence generally costs about 30 percent more than a 6-foot one.
The things that move the price most are:
- Wood species: pressure-treated pine and cedar sit at the low end; redwood and tropical hardwoods at the high end
- Height: 8-foot fences need longer posts, more boards and often closer post spacing
- Overlap: more overlap means more pickets
- Gates: a two-layer gate is heavy and needs stronger framing and hardware
- Site conditions: slope, rock, roots and old fence removal
Those are consumer averages. Your number has to come from your own takeoff, labor rates and overhead.
How to install a board on board fence
Install it the same way as a standard privacy fence, then hang the pickets in two passes.
- Confirm the line and call 811. Verify property lines, check permits and HOA rules, and request a utility locate through 811 before anyone digs.
- Lay out and set posts. Run a string line, mark post centers and set posts plumb. Use the fence post concrete calculator to order the right number of bags.
- Hang the rails. Two rails for shorter fences, three for 6-foot. Keep them level or follow the grade, depending on how the customer wants it to look.
- Install the back layer. Start at one end, plumb the first board, and use your spacer block between every board. Check plumb every few boards.
- Install the front layer. Center each front board over a gap so the overlap is equal on both sides. Fasten into the rails, not just into the back boards.
- Build and hang the gates. Frame gates to carry two layers, add a diagonal brace, and use hinges rated for the weight.
- Trim and finish. Add a top cap or trim board if it’s part of the option, then clean up. Stain or seal once the wood is dry enough to take it.
Use corrosion-resistant fasteners rated for treated lumber. Board on board uses a lot of them, so it’s worth getting the count right in your takeoff.
How should contractors price and present board on board?
Price board on board as an upgrade built from the same takeoff as your standard privacy fence, then show it side by side in a good, better, best proposal. Customers can see exactly what the extra money buys.
A simple structure:
- Good: standard single-layer privacy fence
- Better: board on board on the same posts and rails
- Best: board on board with a top cap and trim board, or an upgraded wood species
Illustrative example: pricing the upgrade
Example numbers only. Use your own supplier prices, labor rates and margins. This compares a 150-foot, 6-foot-tall wood fence with 1x6 pickets at an illustrative $3.25 each, 5 percent waste, a 1.5-inch overlap, a $45 loaded crew rate, 15 percent overhead and a 15 percent net margin.
| Line item | Standard | Board on board | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickets (incl. 5% waste) | 345 | 473 | +128 |
| Picket cost at $3.25 | $1,121.25 | $1,537.25 | +$416.00 |
| Extra fasteners (example) | +$40.00 | ||
| Extra labor (example: 8 crew hours at $45) | +$360.00 | ||
| Extra direct cost | +$816.00 | ||
| With 15% overhead | $938.40 | ||
| Priced at 15% net margin (÷ 0.85) | $1,104.00 |
In this example the upgrade adds about $1,104, or roughly $7.36 per foot. Posts, rails, concrete and the base labor don’t change, which is why pricing it as an add-on is cleaner than building a second estimate from scratch. Our guide on how to bid a fence job walks through the base estimate.
Presenting it
- Show it, don’t describe it. A photo of a finished board on board job next to a standard fence does more than a paragraph.
- Explain the shrinkage gap. Many homeowners have seen an old fence with daylight between the boards. Board on board is the fix.
- Keep the options on one page. Same layout, same footage, three prices. Our guide on how to close more fence sales has more on option selling.
- Put the overlap in writing. State the overlap, picket size and wood species so the customer knows what they’re paying for.
Quote board on board faster
Board on board is one of the easiest upsells in residential fencing, as long as the picket math and pricing are right. Fencefox’s fence estimating software builds the material list from a drawn fence line, and fence quoting software lays out good, better and best options in one branded proposal. If you want to see it on one of your own jobs, book a demo.