What size pocket hole screw do I need?
Pick your material thickness and type — get the right pocket screw length, thread, and pilot guidance.
Material thickness
Use the actual thickness of your stock, not the nominal size.
Material
Use this screw
For ¾" (19 mm) stock
Coarse thread
Coarse-thread pocket screws bite into the softer fibers of softwood and plywood for a firm grip.
Get the gear
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Do you need a pilot hole?
No separate pilot hole needed — the pocket-hole jig’s stepped bit drills the pilot in the first board, and the self-tapping pocket screw drives directly into the second board.
Exceptions: very dense hardwoods, or screwing near an edge, can occasionally cause hairline splits — pre-drilling the receiving piece can help there. And if you use regular wood screws instead of pocket screws, you will need a pilot.
Using a Kreg jig?
Set the drill guide to your material thickness — then check Kreg’s official screw-selector chart for the exact depth mark for your jig model. Jig depth settings are specific to Kreg’s own jigs, so we point you to their chart rather than restating their proprietary marks as our own.
Where this comes from
Screw lengths and thread guidance follow standard pocket-hole practice — a screw about twice the thickness of the piece the pockets are drilled in, coarse thread for softwood and plywood, fine thread for hardwood and MDF. Pocket screws are self-tapping, so no separate pilot hole is needed in most woods. For exact Kreg-jig depth settings, see Kreg’s official chart.
Common questions
What length pocket hole screw for 3/4 inch material?
For ¾" (19 mm) stock, use a 1¼" (32 mm) pocket screw. Pocket-hole screw length is set by the thickness of the piece the pocket holes are drilled in — for ¾" material that's 1¼".
Do pocket hole screws need a pilot hole?
No separate pilot hole is needed. The pocket-hole jig's stepped bit drills the pilot in the first board, and the self-tapping pocket screw drives directly into the second board. Very dense hardwoods, or screwing near an edge, can occasionally cause hairline splits — pre-drilling the receiving piece helps there. (Regular wood screws, unlike pocket screws, do need a pilot.)
Coarse or fine thread pocket hole screws?
Use coarse-thread pocket screws for softwood and plywood, and fine-thread for hardwood and MDF. Match the thread to the material the screw drives into — the receiving piece — which prevents splitting and maximizes grip.
These are general guidance sizes cross-referenced from common woodworking sources. For structural, load-bearing, or manufacturer-specific work, follow the fastener manufacturer’s or an engineer’s specifications.