Wood Fence Company Tips: Selecting the Best Wood for Longevity

A wood fence can look timeless on day one and still feel right a decade later, or it can start cupping and graying before the first birthday party in the backyard. The difference usually isn’t the nails or even the finish. It’s the wood. After twenty years running crews for a residential fence company that also handles commercial fence company projects when schedules allow, I’ve replaced more tired pickets than I can count. The jobs that held up had two things in common: the right species for the site and a realistic maintenance plan. Everything else was secondary.

This guide distills what an experienced wood fence company weighs before ordering lumber, what we tell homeowners and property managers, and where we still see projects go sideways. You’ll find trade-offs laid bare, numbers where they help, and practical ways to get the most years for your money.

Start with your climate, soil, and sun

Wood isn’t a generic material. It moves, drinks, and reacts to sunlight. In humid regions, a fence battles fungal decay and termites. In arid, high-UV areas, the fight is against checking and surface degradation. Cold climates with freeze-thaw cycles push posts around and punish end grain. Soil chemistry matters too, especially clays that hold moisture or coastal soils with salt and high water tables.

A fence residential fence installation contractor who works locally learns these patterns the hard way. For example, in the Pacific Northwest, I lean heavily toward pressure-treated posts, stainless fasteners, and cedar or treated pine rails. Along the Front Range, I prioritize UV-resistant finishes and expect more shrinkage, so I space boards tighter at installation. In Gulf states, termite resistance drives the species decision more than anything. What a residential fence contractor installs in Denver will not be the same spec I sign off on in Tampa.

If you’re interviewing a wood fence company, ask them to name the three most common failures they see in your area and how they prevent each. Their answer will tell you if they are thinking beyond a brochure.

Wood anatomy that matters for fences

Longevity boils down to how the wood resists rot, insects, and weathering. Three variables drive that outcome:

Natural durability: Some species produce extractives in the heartwood that repel fungi and insects. Western red cedar, Alaskan yellow cedar, and old-growth redwood are classic examples. Sapwood of almost any species is vulnerable without treatment.

Density and stability: Heavier, denser woods often resist mechanical damage but may check and warp if not dried correctly. Stable woods move less across seasons, which keeps pickets straighter and gates truer.

Treatment potential: Pressure treatment forces preservatives into pine and fir, dramatically increasing ground-contact longevity. The retention level and chemical used matter as much as the species.

Grain orientation also plays a role. Vertical-grain cedar, sawn so rings run perpendicular to the face, cups less and wears more evenly. Flat-grain boards are cheaper and perfectly serviceable when finished promptly, but residential fence company reviews they show more movement in harsh exposures.

The short list: species most fence companies trust

Most residential fence company catalogs narrow down to a predictable lineup. Each choice has a sweet spot.

Western red cedar: The benchmark for pickets and rails in many regions. Its heartwood resists decay and insects, it’s light to handle, and it machines cleanly. A true cedar fence, not a “whitewood” substitute, will often look good past year 15 with periodic cleaning and finish refreshes. Watch for grade inflation. No. 2 and Better can include knots, and the knot quality dictates stability. If you can budget it, select tight-knot or appearance-grade for gates and visible runs. Expect 15 to 25 years on pickets above grade with a decent finish schedule.

Redwood: Comparable to cedar, a bit denser, and a touch more stable when you get heartwood-rich boards. It’s regionally available in the West and expensive elsewhere. I’ve seen redwood fences in coastal California hit 25 years with careful maintenance, but only when the posts were set correctly and the bottom edges could dry. Avoid sapwood. It looks appealing when fresh but decays fast in damp soil.

Pressure-treated southern yellow pine: The workhorse for posts and structural members east of the Rockies. It takes treatment well, it’s strong, and it’s affordable. The caveat is movement, especially early in the life of the fence if the lumber is still wet from treatment. Use the right treatment rating. Above-ground pickets don’t need the same retention as posts. Posts in contact with soil should carry a ground-contact rating, and I prefer 0.40 pcf retention or higher for the preservative. A pressure-treated pine post, correctly installed with gravel for drainage and concrete collaring above the gravel, can last 20 to 30 years in many soils.

Cypress: Sometimes called “poor man’s cedar” in the Southeast, cypress offers natural durability from cypressene in the heartwood. Quality varies with source. When I can get true tidewater cypress, I use it for pickets in termite-prone areas with good results, but I still pair it with treated posts. Sapwood again is not your friend.

Alaskan yellow cedar and Port Orford cedar: Exceptional durability and dimensional stability, favored for high-end projects and coastal installs. Supply can be tight, and prices reflect that. If you’re building a statement fence, these species make sense for gates and visible sections even if you use treated pine posts.

Hardwoods like ipe, cumaru, or garapa: Overkill for most fences, and tough on blades. They’re dense, durable, and expensive. I’ve specified them for modern slat fences or commercial entries where the design called for clean, tight joints and a uniform surface. If you go this route, plan on stainless fasteners and pre-drilling every hole. Expect surface checking without regular oiling in high sun.

Whitewoods: A catch-all term that includes spruce, fir, and hemlock. You’ll see budget fence packages built from them. They work in dry climates with short service-life expectations, but I budget more frequent fence repair calls. If a fence company’s quote relies on “premium whitewood,” ask for a species breakdown and be clear on lifespan.

Posts make or break longevity

The fastest way a fence fails is at the post. Rails can sag and pickets can split, but a rotten post ends sections. On residential fence contractor projects, we’ll often upgrade posts even if the client wants to economize on pickets. It’s that important.

I specify ground-contact rated pressure-treated posts as standard. For top-tier builds, I’ll use steel posts sleeved in cedar to keep the visual while eliminating ground-rot risk. Where wind loads are significant, metal posts give peace of mind. If you prefer wood throughout, consider a post saver sleeve or bitumen wrap to protect the ground line, which is where rot concentrates. Keeping the post tops sealed, beveled to shed water, and capped also extends life. I’ve pulled 4x4s with intact bottoms but punky tops from sprinklers and standing water.

Set depth matters more than most people think. Thirty inches is a bare minimum for a 6-foot fence in moderate soils, and I push to 36 inches in frost-prone zones or when the fence catches wind. Flared footings are helpful in sandy soils. Rather than entombing the entire post in concrete, I use gravel for the bottom third to half for drainage and a concrete collar near the top of the hole to lock the post. That design allows water to escape, and I’ve seen it double service life compared with solid concrete encasement in clay.

Grading, moisture, and the bottom edge

Fences rot from the bottom up. If the bottom edge of your pickets sits in mulch, soil, or leaf litter, the clock affordable fence companies runs fast. I leave a 2 to 4 inch gap off grade, adjusted to follow terrain neatly without creating big steps. On steep yards, consider stepping rather than racking to keep that bottom edge clear.

I also pay attention to irrigation. Sprinkler heads that wet the fence daily will age it quicker. In fence installation planning, shift heads or throw distances so you aren’t hosing the wood. Mulch piled against pickets is another silent killer, especially on north sides that dry slowly.

Fasteners and hardware quietly decide the finish

Even the right wood fails early if the wrong metal touches it. Tannins in cedar and redwood react with plain steel, causing black streaks and rapid staining. The copper-based preservatives in treated pine will corrode unprotected steel and some lower-grade galvanized coatings. I standardize on stainless steel for visible fasteners on cedar and redwood, and hot-dip galvanized or stainless for treated lumber. Electro-galvanized nails and drywall screws don’t belong in a fence, no matter how tempting their price looks.

Gates deserve extra hardware attention. Heavier species or designs need strap hinges rated for the load, and I anchor them into framing with adequate bite. Lag screws into end grain don’t hold long; I prefer through-bolts or lags into side grain. A gate that sags a quarter-inch every month will start scraping and open the door to water and movement issues.

Finish choices, and when bare wood is defensible

Left unfinished, most exterior wood grays. That silver patina looks handsome on cedar in some settings. The trade-off is surface checking and quicker fiber breakdown in high UV. In rainy or humid climates, bare wood is more likely to host mildew and biological growth. When a client wants minimal maintenance with a natural look, I steer them to a penetrating, UV-inhibiting oil stain in a light to medium tone. Clear finishes rarely have enough UV blockers to last, and film finishes peel when they break down.

Film-forming paints or solid stains create a uniform look and hide color variation, but they need vigilant upkeep. The first failure point is usually the bottom edge and nail penetrations. With pine, I’m comfortable painting if the wood is dry and primed on all sides before install. With cedar, I often prefer penetrating semi-transparent stains that move with the wood.

Timing matters more than brand. I let green or freshly treated lumber dry to a safe moisture content before finishing. You can’t always wait for perfect numbers, but swinging a meter helps. If we have to install wet boards, we plan a re-coat window later in the first year. Annual or biennial quick rinses and spot touch-ups keep a fence on track without the full strip-and-recoat dance.

Budget ranges and where to spend

Not every lineal foot warrants top-shelf material. I encourage homeowners to think of the fence like a roof: the wrong shingle fails, but the flashing decides whether you have leaks. On a budget, invest in high-quality posts and fasteners first. Then decide on pickets based on the visibility and climate exposure. A mixed spec is common on the residential fence company side: treated pine posts, cedar rails and pickets on street-facing runs, and treated pine pickets on less visible sides. Gates get upgraded hardware and better boards, because that’s where movement concentrates.

On the commercial fence company side, a lot of clients default to chain link fence for longevity and low maintenance. It’s a workhorse, but when a wood screen is required or design standards call for it, we standardize on steel posts, treated rails, and cedar infill. The upfront cost is higher than chain link or vinyl fence company solutions, but the service life and look align with design guidelines.

Kiln-dried vs. green: choose your movement

Many pressure-treated boards arrive wet. Install those tight together and they’ll shrink, opening gaps. Kiln-dried after treatment (KDAT) lumber costs more but starts closer to equilibrium, so your spacing stays put. For horizontal board designs where gaps telegraph the whole look, KDAT is worth every dollar. Vertical picket fences tolerate more variance, but I still factor moisture into initial spacing. A conscientious fence contractor will check the wood and adjust the plan rather than using a one-size-fits-all spacer.

With cedar, vertical-grain boards reduce cupping. They cost more. I reserve them for long, unbroken runs and gates, then use flat-grain elsewhere without issue when the finish schedule is sound.

Termites, marine borers, and other local headaches

Subterranean termites reshuffle the species deck. In high-pressure zones, treated posts aren’t optional, they’re baseline. I’ve also used borate-treated lumber above grade in areas where retrofitting for termite shields made sense. Borates are effective but water soluble, so they belong where they won’t leach out with heavy rain.

Near brackish water or marine environments, hardware upgrades from galvanized to stainless become non-negotiable. Salt air finds the weak link fast. I’ve seen powder-coated hardware fend off corrosion for a while, but a scratch exposes bare metal and the rot sets in. Stainless holds up longer, and a light freshwater rinse during maintenance helps.

The maintenance schedule that actually works

Homeowners hear maintenance and picture a lost weekend every spring. Most fences need attention in small doses that fit into an afternoon.

Rinse dirt and pollen a couple of times a year and spot-treat mildew early. Keep mulch and soil a few inches off the bottom edge. Touch up end grain, gate edges, and fastener penetrations after the first season. Plan to refresh penetrating stain every 2 to 4 years depending on sun exposure. Walk the fence once a year, tighten gate hardware, and replace any split boards before water finds its way in.

Those five habits extend a cedar fence from the 12-year range into the high teens or low twenties. For treated pine pickets, you can expect similar upticks, especially if you keep water off the bottom edge and lock down fasteners that back out during the first seasons of movement.

When repair beats replacement

A seasoned fence repair tech looks for patterns. If three posts are loose but the rest of the structure is sound, we can pull and reset or sleeve just those posts. If the rails are solid and pickets are tired, a re-skin makes financial sense. Gates absorb the most abuse and often benefit from a rebuild with upgraded framing and hardware while the rest of the fence remains.

Common repair triggers include irrigation leaks, a dog with determination, and a heavy wind event that exploited a shallow set. The first thing I check is footing depth and soil condition. If posts were set too shallow or encased in solid concrete that trapped water, replacement with a drainage-friendly footing buys years. For clients comparing a full replacement to a staged approach, the math usually favors targeted repairs if the underlying species and treatments were decent to begin with.

Comparing wood to vinyl and chain link honestly

The vinyl fence company pitch is compelling: low maintenance, uniform appearance, stable color. In regions with intense sun, lower-cost vinyl formulations can chalk or become brittle after a decade, while premium lines hold up better. Vinyl won’t rot, but it can crack from impact and is difficult to patch invisibly. It solves some problems and creates others, particularly if you want the warmth of natural material or need custom sizing around irregular terrain.

Chain link fence is the undisputed champion of utility. Galvanized or vinyl-coated wire, steel posts set deep, and minimal upkeep. For security per dollar, it’s hard to beat. When clients want privacy, we add slats or attach wood screens. Both add cost and wind load, so the original spec should account for that. If your priority is agricultural, kennel, or light industrial use, chain link remains the smart choice. For a backyard where texture, sound absorption, and warmth matter, wood still wins if you choose species and hardware wisely.

Sourcing that avoids surprises

The words “cedar” and “redwood” cover a lot of ground, from tight-grain heartwood to fast-grown, knotty boards with wide sapwood margins. Work with a fence company that can show you sample boards from their current supplier, not just a catalog photo. I look for consistent color, tight knots that don’t spin out when drilled, and minimal sapwood in decay-resistant species. When ordering treated lumber, I specify both the treatment chemical and the retention level along with end tags on delivery, then we keep a couple for the file.

If you’re acting as your own buyer, spend time at the yard. Check moisture, sight down boards for twist, and insist on swapping out egregious pieces. A good yard will accommodate reasonable requests, and it saves headache on the job.

Design details that add years without adding much cost

Small choices quietly stack the odds fence installation company in your favor. Bevel the top of horizontal rails so water sheds instead of sitting. Cap pickets with a slight angle if you’re fabricating custom tops. Use a small drip kerf under cap rails, just like exterior trim, to prevent water from curling back onto faces. Raise the bottom rail off grade so splashback and leaf litter don’t bury it.

For modern horizontal fences, use a breathable spacing of 1/8 to 1/4 inch to accommodate movement and airflow. Hidden fasteners look clean, but they can trap moisture if poorly designed. I prefer face-screwed boards with stainless screws and a neat pattern when longevity tops minimalism.

A practical spec for common scenarios

Home in a temperate climate with moderate rainfall and sun:

4x4 ground-contact pressure-treated posts set 32 to 36 inches with gravel bottoms and concrete collars. 2x4 cedar rails, beveled top edges. 5/8-inch thick cedar pickets, face-screwed with stainless steel fasteners, 2 to 3 inch ground clearance. Penetrating semi-transparent stain within 4 to 8 weeks, refreshed every 3 years on sunny sides, 4 years on shaded runs.

Coastal or high-salt exposure:

Galvanized or powder-coated steel posts with cedar wraps or exposed if design allows. Stainless steel fasteners throughout, stainless gate hardware. Cedar or Alaskan yellow cedar pickets. Regular freshwater rinses and a UV-inhibiting oil finish.

Termite-heavy, humid region:

Ground-contact treated posts and rails, borate-treated above-grade components where suitable. Cypress or treated pine pickets with a solid or semi-solid stain to slow moisture cycling. Aggressive vegetation management and 3 to 4 inch ground clearance.

High-UV, arid climate:

Kiln-dried material to minimize shrinkage surprises. Cedar or redwood pickets with mid-tone semi-transparent stain for UV protection. Expect to oil or stain on a shorter cycle, typically every 2 years on south and west exposures.

Choosing the right partner

A reputable fence contractor will talk more about site conditions and wood behavior than brand names. They’ll be comfortable mixing materials to hit your goals, and they’ll show examples that have aged, not just fresh installs. Ask for a fence installation timeline that includes drying windows and a first maintenance touchpoint. The residential fence company that plans a 30-day post-install check for gate adjustment and fastener retightening is thinking about your fence’s second decade, not just the final check.

If you manage multifamily or light commercial properties, look for a contractor who handles both wood and alternatives. A shop that also runs chain link fence crews and occasionally subs in vinyl knows where each system excels and fails. They won’t push wood into a role better served by steel and mesh, and they won’t default to vinyl when your design review board wants natural materials.

The bottom line

Longevity isn’t luck. It’s the sum of species, treatment, design, hardware, installation, and simple yearly habits. Western red cedar and redwood deliver long service lives when detailed and maintained. Pressure-treated southern yellow pine, especially in posts, is the backbone of durable structures in most soils. Upgraded fasteners and smart footings pay for themselves. Finish choices should match your climate and tolerance for upkeep.

When a fence does need help, targeted fence repair extends life without burning a full replacement budget. And when wood doesn’t fit the brief, a seasoned fence company will say so and steer you to chain link or a vinyl fence company partner where appropriate.

Pick the right wood for your yard, not for a brochure. Build with an eye toward water, sun, and movement. Then give the fence a couple of short afternoons a year. Do that, and you’ll still admire the fence long after the last contractor’s yard sign has faded.