The short version
Cedar costs more than treated pine up front. In return it stays straighter, resists rot and bugs on its own, and looks better for longer. Treated pine costs less and is a strong, heavy board, but it moves more as it dries and needs stain or sealer to keep from cracking and graying out.
For most backyard privacy fences around Waxahachie, Corsicana and the rest of Ellis County, we lean toward cedar pickets if the budget allows. Either one can make a good fence when it's built on solid posts.
How cedar holds up here
Cedar has natural oils that help it resist rot and insects. It's a lighter, softer wood, and it's more stable than pine. It shrinks a little after it goes up, but it's less likely to cup, twist or bow.
Left alone, cedar turns a silver gray within a season or two of Texas sun. Some folks like that look. If you want to keep the warm color, it needs stain, and we cover the timing in when to stain a new cedar fence.
A few things to know going in:
- Cedar pickets have knots, and once in a while a small one works loose. That's normal for the wood.
- Cedar is soft, so it dents easier than pine. A big dog jumping on it will leave marks.
- Cedar pickets shouldn't sit in the dirt. We run a treated 2x6 rot board along the bottom so the pickets stay off the ground.
How treated pine holds up here
Treated pine is pressure treated with a preservative so it resists rot and termites. That's why treated lumber is what we use for rot boards and rails, even on a lot of cedar fences.
The catch is moisture. Treated pine is often still wet from the treatment when it's installed. As it dries out in our heat, the boards shrink, and some of them warp, cup or twist. On a side-by-side fence, the gaps between pickets open up as they dry. Pine also checks (small surface cracks) if it bakes in the sun with no finish on it.
Pine has to dry before stain will soak in, which usually takes longer than cedar. Once it's stained or sealed, it holds up well.
The posts matter more than the pickets
Most fences around here don't fail because of the pickets. They fail at the posts. Blackland clay swells when it's wet and shrinks and cracks when it's dry, and that works posts loose over time. Whatever wood you pick, we set the posts in concrete, and we offer galvanized steel posts, which won't rot at the ground line. There's more on that in why fence posts lean in Blackland clay.
How long each one lasts
There's no exact number, because shade, sprinklers hitting the fence, dogs and how well the posts were set all change it. As a rough rule, a cedar fence that gets stained and has good posts lasts somewhere around 15 to 20 years here. Treated pine is more often in the 10 to 15 year range. An unstained fence of either wood will look worn sooner.
Which one we'd pick
Cedar makes sense if you want a privacy fence that looks good for a long time, you plan to stain it, or your HOA asks for cedar.
Treated pine makes sense if budget is the main concern, you're fencing a long back property line, or you plan to use a solid stain that hides the grain anyway.
A lot of fences around here are a mix: a treated pine frame and rot board with cedar pickets. That's a good middle ground and it's how we build many of our wood fences. We'll show you both woods when we come out to measure, and you can see the difference in person. See our fence installation page for the other materials we build with.
Common questions
Is cedar or treated pine better for a fence in Texas?
Cedar stays straighter and resists rot and insects on its own, so it usually looks better for longer. Treated pine costs less and is a strong board, but it shrinks and can warp as it dries in Texas heat. Both last longer on good posts and with a stain or sealer.
How long does a cedar fence last in North Texas?
As a rough rule, a stained cedar fence with well-set posts lasts around 15 to 20 years. Shade, sprinklers, pets and post quality all change that.
Why do treated pine pickets warp?
Treated pine is often still wet from the treatment when it goes up. As it dries in the heat it shrinks, and some boards cup or twist. Staining or sealing once it has dried slows that down.