Wood fence, and the posts that decide how long it lasts
A wood fence is boards you look at and posts you do not, and the posts are what fails first. Willard Fence Co. builds redwood, cedar, and pressure treated fence across the north valley, sets footings at depth, and will put steel behind the wood on a run that has to stay straight for twenty years.
Styles people actually ask for
Most of what goes up around here is a 6-foot dog ear on three rails, and there is nothing wrong with it. The variations are worth knowing about, because a few of them cost very little more and look considerably better from the yard side.
- Dog ear: the standard. Fast, economical, and the top corners are cut so water sheds.
- Flat top: a cleaner line, often with a cap rail, which also protects the picket ends.
- Board on board: overlapping pickets, no gaps when the wood shrinks, and the same fence from both sides.
- Good neighbor: alternating pickets front and back, so neither side gets the rails.
- Horizontal: slats run long instead of tall. Modern, and it needs closer posts and a flat run to look right.
- Lattice or trim top: adds height and light without a solid 8-foot wall.
Redwood, cedar, or pressure treated
Redwood and cedar have natural decay resistance and take a stain beautifully; redwood is the traditional pick in this valley and holds color well. Pressure treated Douglas fir costs less and is the honest choice for a long utility run or a fence that is going to be painted anyway.
Whichever you pick, the ground contact part should be pressure treated or steel. Untreated wood in valley clay is on a clock.
Steel posts behind a wood fence
A wood post rots at the soil line, which is why an otherwise fine fence starts leaning at year twelve. Galvanized steel posts with a wood face solve it: the fence looks like wood from both sides, and the part in the ground does not care about moisture. It costs more per post and it is the upgrade we recommend most often on long runs and on fences the customer plans to keep.
Stain, and when to do it
New redwood and cedar should breathe for a few months before it gets sealed, then be stained or sealed rather than painted. Paint traps moisture in the grain and peels; a penetrating stain wears instead of failing. If you never treat it at all, it will silver out and last a long time anyway, just not as long.
How we build it
| Pickets | Redwood, cedar, or pressure treated fir |
|---|---|
| Rails | 2 rails to 5 feet, 3 rails at 6 feet and up |
| Posts | 4x4 pressure treated, or galvanized steel with a wood face |
| Footings | Concrete, typically 24" to 30" deep, deeper for gates |
| Fasteners | Hot dip galvanized or stainless; plain steel bleeds down redwood |
| Options | Kickboard, cap rail, lattice top, board on board, horizontal |
Post spacing is 8 feet on center as standard, tighter on horizontal slat and on anything exposed to wind.
What wood fence runs, installed
| 6' pressure treated dog ear | $28 to $45 per linear foot |
|---|---|
| 6' redwood or cedar | $38 to $65 per linear foot |
| Steel post upgrade | $6 to $14 per linear foot added |
| Board on board or horizontal | $45 to $85 per linear foot |
| Matching wood gate | $450 to $1,400 |
These are typical installed ranges for this part of Northern California, published so you can budget. They are not a quote. What a run actually costs is decided by the site: access, grade, what has to come out first, and how many corners and gates are in it.
Questions we get
Convention is that the finished side, the one without the rails, faces out. It is not a law anywhere in Butte County that we know of, and plenty of fences go up the other way. Board on board and good neighbor styles make the question disappear, which is part of why people pick them.
The boards will go fifteen to twenty five years. The posts decide the number: wood posts in clay often start moving at ten to fifteen, steel posts effectively remove the question. Sun exposure and sprinklers hitting the fence are the two things that shorten it fastest.
Yes. Posts get core drilled and set, or bracketed to the wall, depending on what is there. It is a common situation on older Chico lots and it is not a problem.
We do it. Removal and haul-off of the old fence is part of the quote unless you want to keep it for something.
Get an estimate: wood
Roughly how many feet, what is there now, how many gates, and which town. Photos help. Someone will call back to walk the line and put a real number on it.