Cedar fence cost calculator
Estimate a cedar fence budget from your own price per linear foot, with an adjustable contingency buffer for the extras.
Calculator
A 150 lf cedar fence at $32.00/lf is about $5,280.00. Cedar carries a grade premium over standard pressure-treated pine.
Cedar is the premium mainstream fence wood. It is naturally rot- and insect-resistant, stays straighter than pine, and takes stain beautifully — which is why it carries a grade premium over standard pressure-treated lumber. This calculator estimates a cedar fence from the price per linear foot you were quoted, applied across your run, with a labeled contingency buffer.
As with every cost tool here, no prices are baked in. You supply the real figure, and the arithmetic is shown so you can trust the number and adjust it as quotes come in.
Formula
Cedar fencing is priced by the running foot, so:
total = (length × $/lf) × (1 + contingency%)
- length × $/lf — your quoted cedar price across the fence length.
- contingency% — a labeled buffer (10% typical) for outdoor unknowns.
Worked example
A 150 ft cedar fence quoted at $32 per linear foot with a 10% contingency:
(150 × $32) × 1.10 = $4,800 × 1.10 = $5,280
So budget about $5,280 — roughly $660 more than the same run in $22/lf pine, the cost of cedar’s durability and looks.
Background & practice
Cedar buyers face two grade choices that change the price. Heartwood vs sapwood: the reddish heartwood carries most of cedar’s natural rot resistance, while the paler sapwood is cheaper but less durable near the ground. Grade and knots: clear or select cedar costs more than a knotty grade. Ask which grade a quote assumes — it can swing the $/lf noticeably.
Left bare, cedar silvers to a soft gray, which some owners love; to keep the warm tone it needs periodic staining. Size that recurring job with the wood fence stain calculator. To budget gates and tear-out alongside the fence, use the itemized wood fence cost tool. Keep this figure as a planning estimate until you hold itemized written quotes from licensed, insured fencing contractors.
Reference table
| Material (installed) | Typical planning band |
|---|---|
| Wood (pressure-treated pine) | $15–$40 / linear foot |
| Cedar | $22–$48 / linear foot |
| Solid-board privacy | $20–$45 / linear foot |
| Spaced picket | $15–$35 / linear foot |
| Vinyl / PVC (compare) | $25–$60 / linear foot |
| Chain-link (compare) | $8–$25 / linear foot |
Labeled national planning bands, not a quote. Installed prices swing with material grade, height, terrain, post setting, gates, tear-out, region and labor — enter the real price from your own written quote above.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cedar fence cost?
Installed cedar fencing commonly falls in a labeled planning band of about $22–48 per linear foot, above pressure-treated pine because of the wood premium. Height, grade and labor move it, so enter your quoted price.
Is cedar worth the extra cost over pine?
Often, yes: cedar resists rot and insects naturally, warps less, and looks better, so it can last longer with less fuss. Pine treated for ground contact is cheaper up front. Compare both by entering each quoted $/lf.
Does cedar need to be stained?
Not structurally — cedar weathers to gray on its own. Stain or seal it only to keep the warm color and add water repellency; plan on re-coating every few years and size it with the stain calculator.
What contingency should I add?
10% suits a normal yard; raise it to 15–20% for rocky soil, slopes or many corners where post work runs long.