Materials · Wood & Cedar
Wood & Cedar Fences
The backyard fence most Conroe homeowners grow up with, built to last in heavy clay, Gulf humidity, and long summers.
- Free written estimatesItemized, no obligation
- Fully insuredLiability & workers’ comp
- 18-month warrantyOn our workmanship
- FinancingThrough Hearth
- As seen on HGTVThe 76 Fence family
Why wood
Warm, familiar, and easy to fix
Wood is still the default choice behind most houses in Montgomery County. It blocks the view, softens a yard full of new construction, and can be stained to sit quietly next to brick or siding.
Two species do most of the work. Western red cedar has a reddish tone and natural oils that slow rot and insects. Pressure-treated pine is less expensive, a little plainer, and holds stain well. If a picket cracks or a mower clips a board, the repair is a single board and a few nails.
How long a wood fence lasts here comes down to three things: posts set for the soil, boards kept off the ground, and a sealer that goes on early and gets renewed.
Weigh it up
What wood does well, and what it asks of you
Strengths
- Mid-range price. More than chain link, usually less than vinyl, composite, or ornamental metal.
- Full privacy. Board-on-board and shadowbox builds close the gaps that open as boards dry.
- Simple repairs. Damaged pickets and rails are swapped one at a time.
- HOA-friendly. Wood is the fence many community guidelines are written around.
Trade-offs
- Regular sealing. Skip it and boards gray, cup, and split faster in our sun.
- Moisture at the base. Wet clay and sprinkler spray are hard on the bottom of the fence.
- Wind load. A solid six-foot run acts like a sail during storms, so posts matter.
- Movement. Boards shrink and swell with the seasons, which is why style choice counts.
Build options
Ways to build a wood fence
The same lumber can be put together several ways. Each one changes the privacy, the look from the neighbor’s side, and how much material goes into the quote.
Side-by-side pickets
Boards butted edge to edge on two or three rails. The lowest-cost privacy build, though small gaps can show once the wood dries.
Board-on-board
A second layer of pickets overlaps the first, so the fence stays solid even after a dry summer. Uses more lumber.
Privacy fences
Shadowbox & spaced slats
Boards alternate on each side of the rails, or sit with a set gap, so both yards get a good-looking side and air can pass.
Semi-privacy fencesAdd-ons that change the look: a top cap and trim board, a rot board along the bottom, steel posts hidden behind the pickets, and a stain chosen from the start.
Local conditions
Keeping wood in shape through East Texas weather
- Humidity and rain. Around here, water does more damage to wood fences than anything else. A rot board keeps pickets out of wet grass, and a penetrating sealer keeps water out of the grain.
- Summer sun. UV grays bare wood within a season or two. A stain with UV blockers slows it, and south- and west-facing runs usually need recoating first.
- Clay that swells and shrinks. Much of the ground around Conroe moves with wet and dry spells. We set posts deep enough for the lot and request Texas 811 locates before digging.
- Storms and falling limbs. Wooded lots lose branches in every big blow. Well-set posts keep a damaged section from pulling the whole line over, and a broken bay is a quick repair.
- Sprinklers and beds. Aim heads away from the boards and keep mulch and soil below the bottom rail.
- A yearly look. Walk the line each spring for loose pickets, popped nails, and a gate that has started to drag.
Good fit for
Who picks wood
- Backyard privacy on a subdivision lot
- Replacing a builder fence
- HOA communities with wood guidelines
- Dogs that need a solid barrier
- Patios and outdoor kitchens
- Mid-range budgets
On acreage, wood usually stays close to the house. Long boundary lines are often cheaper and easier to keep up in ranch wire or rail.
Cost notes
Height, post type, and style move a wood quote more than anything else. Board-on-board takes more pickets than side-by-side, cedar costs more than pine, and steel posts add to the price but remove the most common failure point. Your written estimate lists each of these lines separately.
Pricing guideAround Conroe
Where wood fences are due for replacement
Some of the older neighborhoods south of town have plenty of wood fences that are reaching the end of their life.
River Plantation
Established lots near the West Fork of the San Jacinto, where low ground and wet soil are hard on posts and bottom boards.
River PlantationImperial Oaks
A Spring-area community in Conroe ISD, with many homes from the 1990s and 2000s and wood fences of the same age.
Imperial OaksLake Chateau Woods
Older, wooded lots off Woodson Road where tree roots and shade decide where posts can go.
Lake Chateau WoodsQuestions
Wood fence questions
Should I pick cedar or pressure-treated pine?
Cedar costs more up front, has a warmer color, and resists rot and bugs on its own. Treated pine is the budget pick and takes stain well. Many Conroe fences use pine posts or steel posts with cedar pickets, and we price both so you can compare.
How soon should a new wood fence be stained?
Give new boards a few weeks to dry out, then seal them within the first few months. After that, plan on a fresh coat every few years, sooner on the sides that face the afternoon sun or a sprinkler head.
Do steel posts make sense with a wood fence?
Often, yes. Galvanized steel posts don’t rot at the ground line, which is where most wood fences fail around here. The wood pickets and rails still give you the look of a wood fence.
Can my HOA tell me what stain color to use?
Many community associations review fence color along with height and style. We don’t guess at those rules. We check the current guidelines for your lot and include the stain details in your submittal.
Pricing a wood fence?
Call or text (713) 331-9419 and we’ll quote cedar and pine side by side.