Adventures in homeownership: On the fence—cedar vs. pine?
Zina’s old fence
When my husband and I decided to fence in our backyard, replacing an existing fence, we imagined it would be a simple thing. As new homeowners, we're only now beginning to realize what some of you probably learned years ago—it’s never simple when it comes to home renovations.
Beyond the surprise of the project’s expense, we couldn't believe just how hard it was merely to decide what material the fence would be made of. Here's how we made our decision—and why this fence means more to us than just a few pallets of lumber.
How we decided on cedar vs. pine
We knew we wanted a wood privacy fence, which is more expensive than a chain link or wood picket fence. The sticking point was deciding between a cedar or pressure-treated pine fence.
Cedar fences are more expensive, but the average cedar fence lasts between 20 to 25 years, while a pine fence only lasts approximately 10 to 15 years. The average cost for a 150-foot cedar fence is $3,000 to $5,250, compared to $1,500 to $3,000 for a 150-foot pine fence.
The least expensive quote we received for pine was $3,300, and the cheapest quote for cedar was $5,400. We asked ourselves if spending $2,000 more for a fence was worth it—especially when we may only be in the house for another 10 years.
Then we spoke to my father-in-law, who owns a home restoration and remodeling company. Affirming so much of the advice we found online, he recommended cedar. He had installed a cedar fence at his own house and confirmed how well it ages, even after 20 years.
I read through countless discussions on Reddit, where the consensus was that cedar fences age better and need fewer repairs than pine fences. By this point, the decision to choose cedar seemed obvious.
Zina’s new fence
Is a fence a good investment?
While the ROI on a fence really is not entirely clear and is often dependent on the specific circumstances, it does seem that our fence will be a good selling point when we’re ready to move. A 2017 survey found that 33% of millennials said their biggest reason for buying a house was more space for their dog. Also, many real estate experts say that potential buyers in major cities love having fences.
But for us, the decision was less about how to increase our home’s value and more about our quality of life. We have two dogs who we currently walk twice a day. With no dog park nearby, they have very few opportunities to run around off-leash. With fencing in our yard, we can spend more time playing with them, and they will have a more fulfilling life.
My husband and I have always said we would choose home renovation projects based on what would make our lives better on a day-to-day basis. We believe that building a quality fence will help us—and our dogs—enjoy our backyard more.
