Side by side
| 6 ft privacy fence | Installed / ft | 150 ft installed | Typical life | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood privacy, pine | $30–$40 | $4,460–$6,040 | 15–20 years | Stain or seal every 2–3 years |
| Wood privacy, cedar | $35–$47 | $5,230–$7,070 | 20–30 years | Stain or seal every 2–3 years |
| Vinyl privacy | $34–$46 | $5,100–$6,900 | 20–30+ years | Wash once or twice a year |
The prices are our suggested installed prices for a 6-foot privacy fence, reviewed in . The lifespans are estimates published by fence builders, listed in the sources below. Treat them as typical figures, not promises: climate, soil and upkeep move them a lot.
What you pay up front
For a 150-foot run of 6-foot privacy fence, pressure-treated pine comes to about $5,250 at our prices, and vinyl to about $6,000. Cedar, the wood people choose when they want it to last, comes to about $6,150.
Gates follow the same pattern, and the gate calculator prices them in both materials. To price your own yard, the fence cost calculator does wood and the vinyl fence calculator does vinyl.
What the upkeep costs
This is where the two really differ. A wood fence wants a coat of stain or sealer every two to four years to keep water out of the boards. A vinyl fence wants a wash with a hose and mild soap.
Staining both sides of a 150-foot, 6-foot fence means covering about 1,800 square feet. Doing it yourself takes around 8 gallons of semi-transparent stain, about $280 at our prices. Hiring a painter to wash and stain it comes to about $2,440.
At our prices, vinyl's head start of about $750 is used up after 3 stainings done yourself, or the very first one if you pay a painter. The fence staining calculator works it out for your length, height and stain.
Plenty of wood fences never get stained at all. They turn silver-gray, which some people like, and they don't last as long. Fence builders reckon regular staining and early repairs add five to ten years to a wood fence's life.
How long each one lasts
Pressure-treated pine: about 15 to 20 years by builders' estimates, more with regular sealing. The posts are usually what goes first, because they sit in damp soil.
Cedar: about 20 to 30 years. Its natural oils resist rot and insects better than untreated pine, though it still needs the same staining to look its best.
Vinyl: 20 to 30 years or more. It can't rot and never needs paint. Like most plastics it gets more brittle in the cold, so a hard knock in winter can crack a rail or a board.
The trade-offs that aren't about money
Repairs
A broken wood board is a trip to any lumber yard and twenty minutes with a drill. A cracked vinyl board or rail usually means ordering a matching part from the same manufacturer, which gets harder as the fence gets older.
Looks
Wood can be stained or painted any color you like, and repainted later when you change your mind. Vinyl comes in a handful of colors, mostly white, tan and gray, and it stays that color.
Movement
Wood moves. Boards shrink as they dry, and they can cup, warp or split, which opens small gaps in a privacy fence. Vinyl panels stay straight and keep their spacing.
Rules
Some homeowners associations specify the material or the color of fences. Check before you choose, because it may decide the question for you.
Which one should you choose?
Pressure-treated wood makes sense when the budget today matters most, you're happy to stain it yourself every few years, or you may move within the next ten years.
Cedar makes sense when you want real wood that outlasts pine and you'll keep up the staining.
Vinyl makes sense when you plan to stay, you'd rather pay once than stain every few years, or you'd be paying someone else to do the staining.
Fair questions
Is vinyl the same as PVC?
Yes. Vinyl fencing is made of PVC, polyvinyl chloride, with additives that help it stand up to sunlight.
Should a new wood fence be stained right away?
Usually not. New pressure-treated lumber is often too wet to take stain. Wait until the boards soak up a few drops of water instead of beading them, then stain. The label on the stain usually says how long to wait.
Which gives more privacy?
In a solid privacy style, both block the view completely on day one. Over the years, wood boards can shrink and open thin gaps, while vinyl panels don't.
Sources
- Cool Cat Fence, How long does a wood fence last?: a fence builder's lifespan estimates for pressure-treated pine and cedar, and what shortens them.
- Superior Fence & Rail, What type of fence lasts the longest?: a fence company's lifespan estimates for pine, vinyl and aluminum fences.
- How we calculate: every suggested price behind this calculator, with the date it was last reviewed.
