What we build
A fence is the longest-running visible piece of woodwork on most North Dallas properties. The cedar that goes up today is going to be the first thing every visitor sees for the next 20 years — and the last thing your neighbor sees from their kitchen window. We build fences with that in mind: the right material, the right hardware, the right post depth, every time.
We default to #1 grade cedar for all our cedar builds. That's the lumber grade with the tightest grain and fewest knots — what you'd put on your own backyard if you cared. We don't use #2 (the budget grade most national fence companies push) or "cedar-tone" pressure-treated lookalikes. If you want a budget option, we have white wood pine — not pressure-treated pine — and we'll quote it honestly with the 12–15 year lifespan baked in. The budget fence still gets the same 13-gauge heavy-duty steel posts as a cedar build; we save money on the pickets, not on what holds them up.
Cedar fence styles we build
Most of our installs fall into one of nine style buckets. Ballpark pricing below is for an average residential lot in DFW with standard topography — exact pricing depends on access, post hardware, and gate count.
Cedar Side-by-Side
Standard residential privacy fence. 6-foot pickets butted next to each other on a three-rail cedar frame.
$30–$45 / linear foot
Cedar Board-on-Board
Overlapping pickets create a solid look from both sides. No gaps, no light bleed. Our most popular style.
$38–$55 / linear foot
Cedar Horizontal
Modern look with horizontal cedar planks. 1x6 boards in a metal-post frame, ipe-style spacing.
$50–$75 / linear foot
Cedar Privacy + Full Cap
8-foot privacy fence with a 2x6 cedar cap on top. Common in West Plano and Frisco for noise blocking.
$45–$65 / linear foot
Pine Side-by-Side
Budget option. White wood pine pickets — not pressure-treated — on the same 13-gauge steel posts and same install method. 12–15 year lifespan vs 20+ for cedar.
$22–$32 / linear foot
Metal Rail Fence
Steel post and rail with cedar pickets. Wind-rated and visually distinct, common on Plano east side.
$45–$70 / linear foot
Picket Fence
4-foot decorative cedar picket — front yards, historic-district properties.
$32–$50 / linear foot
Custom Wood + Metal Insert
Cedar frame with corrugated metal or decorative steel inserts. One-off designs.
Quoted individually
Pool Fencing
48-inch code-compliant cedar or metal-rail pool barrier with self-closing self-latching gate.
$40–$65 / linear foot
Our install method
The install method matters more than the lumber grade for long-term durability. Posts set shallow with bagged concrete will lean within 4 years; posts set deep with the right backfill stay vertical for the life of the fence. Here's our standard:
- Post depth: 30 inches for 6-foot fences, 36 inches for 8-foot fences. Below frost line and below the seasonal swing of DFW clay.
- Post material: 13-gauge heavy-duty galvanized steel posts — not wood 4x4s. Steel doesn't rot at the concrete line and doesn't warp in DFW heat.
- Post spacing: 8-foot or tighter center points on a 6-foot fence; 6-foot or tighter center points on an 8-foot fence.
- Concrete: Maximizer high-compression concrete — not quick-set — hand mixed in a wheelbarrow before we pour it into the post hole. Crown the top so water sheds away from the post.
- Rails: Three 2x4 cedar rails on a 6-foot fence, four 2x4 cedar rails on an 8-foot fence.
- Pickets: 1x6 flat-top or dog-ear pickets, installed with hot-dipped galvanized ring-shank nails. We don't screw new lumber — screws split green pickets. Screws are the right fastener for repair work on a fence a year old or older, once the wood has dried and settled.
- Kick board: A 2x6 treated pine board along the bottom of every run. We highly recommend one on every fence.
- Gates: Custom built to fit the opening (most of ours run 40–42 inches wide), braced properly so they don't sag. Three hinges per gate and a heavy-duty latch system — no welded steel gate frames.
- Hardware: Black hardware on gates. Everything else hot-dipped galvanized or stainless.
How long does a cedar fence last in North Texas?
#1 grade cedar, installed to the spec above with regular re-staining, typically lasts 20–25 years in DFW. White wood pine is shorter — figure 12–15 years before pickets start splitting. The single biggest lifespan variable is sprinkler over-spray: a fence hit by sprinklers every morning rots from the bottom up and won't see 15 years no matter what you spent. Step one of any new fence install: adjust the irrigation so nothing's spraying the cedar.
Permitting
Allen, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, and Richardson all have fence permit rules on the books for new fences over 30 inches, though most straight replacement jobs don't end up needing one — we rarely have to pull a permit. When a job does require it, we pull the permit, submit the site plan, and meet the inspector on site. Homeowners don't deal with the city either way. See our city-specific permit guides for Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, and Richardson.
What a quote looks like
We come measure, walk the property line with you, talk through materials and style options, and send a written estimate within 5 business days. The estimate is itemized: linear feet, picket style, post count, gate count, demo of the old fence, stain (if requested), and permit fees broken out separately. No upsells, no "professional discount" pressure tactics.
Looking for repair or re-staining on an existing fence instead of a new build? See our fence repair and staining page. Wondering about cedar vs pine in detail? Read Cedar vs Pine for a Texas Fence.