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. For the exact depth mark on your specific jig, check Kreg’s official screw-selector chart — the settings vary by jig model.
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.