A 6 foot treated pine privacy fence runs $25 to $35 a foot installed around Toledo, cedar runs $35 to $55 and vinyl $45 to $75. On 150 feet that is $3,750 to $5,250 for treated pine against $6,750 to $11,250 for vinyl. Wood costs less to put in and needs a coat of stain every few years to keep its color. Vinyl costs more and needs a wash.
Side by side
| Treated pine | Cedar | Vinyl | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per foot installed | $25–$35 | $35–$55 | $45–$75 |
| 150 feet | $3,750–$5,250 | $5,250–$8,250 | $6,750–$11,250 |
| Upkeep | Stain every 2 to 7 years, or let it go gray | Stain every 2 to 8 years, or let it go gray | Wash it. No stain or paint |
| How long it lasts | Ground-contact posts 30 to 40 years | Heartwood resists rot. Untreated posts 8 to 27 years | Lifetime limited warranty against defects |
| Cold and wind | A little stronger in the cold. Rot at the ground line weakens posts | The same as pine | Stiffer in the cold, so a hard knock cracks it more easily |
| Repairs | Boards and posts from any lumber yard | Boards from any lumber yard | Parts from the same maker’s line, which may not match |
| Look | Green or brown at first, gray unless stained | Warm color that weathers to gray | Even color that fades slowly |
Cost now, and upkeep after
On 150 feet, vinyl costs $3,000 to $6,000 more than treated pine to put in, and cedar $1,500 to $3,000 more. See the wood privacy, cedar, vinyl, gate and removal pages for the detail.
After that, wood asks for a finish if you want to keep its color. A clear water repellent lasts 1 to 3 years. A semitransparent stain lasts 2 to 3 years on smooth pine boards, 4 to 7 years on rough-sawn pine and up to 8 on rough-sawn cedar. Over 20 years that is about three to five coats on rough-sawn pine.
Vinyl asks for a wash. Its warranties do not cover stains or mildew that build up from lack of cleaning, or vinyl that has been painted.
Near Ann Arbor the gap is narrower, with treated pine at $28 to $42 a foot and vinyl at $35 to $55 (Ann Arbor prices).
How long each one lasts
The post is the weak link, and rot is worst at the ground line, where wet soil meets air. Pine posts pressure-treated for ground contact should last 30 to 40 years, while untreated pine lasts 3 to 6 years in the Midwest. The lumber makers’ own rot warranties run from 1 year to life, depending on the tag, and cover the first owner only. Buy posts tagged for ground contact, not above-ground use.
The boards wear out differently. Sun and rain split, crack and warp them, and that weathering matters as much as rot to how long a wood fence lasts. None of the lumber warranties covers it.
Cedar heartwood, the darker wood from the center of the tree, resists rot, and the pale sapwood does not. Untreated cedar posts last 8 to 27 years depending on the kind of cedar. Toledo’s code requires treated lumber for wood fence posts, so a cedar fence there stands on treated posts.
Vinyl makers back their fence with a limited lifetime warranty for the homeowner who buys it, against defects such as peeling, blistering, splitting and rot, and 30 years on rentals and other property. That is a promise about defects, not a measured life.
Freeze, thaw and wind
Frost lifts shallow posts of any material. Lucas County’s frost line is 36 inches and Michigan’s code puts footings at 42 inches, so ask how deep the posts go. The industry’s standard practice for installing vinyl fence is written for ground that freezes no deeper than 30 inches, so dig to the local frost line, as the kits say.
Wood gets a little stronger as it cools, and rot fungi go quiet below about 35 degrees. Rigid vinyl gets stiffer and takes a hard knock less well as it gets colder, and the vinyl warranties we read exclude impact damage. Vinyl also grows and shrinks with the temperature, so kits leave a 2 inch gap under the bottom rail.
A solid 6 foot fence of either kind puts the full push of the wind on its posts. On wood, a post weakened by rot at the ground line is the one that goes. The industry standard for vinyl fence parts does not cover wind load, and kit instructions warn that extra parts may be needed to meet wind codes.
Repairs after a storm
Storm damage falls outside the warranties on both. The vinyl warranties we read exclude hail, lightning, tornadoes, ice, wind-borne objects and ground settling, and most pay nothing toward the labor to swap parts.
A broken wood board, rail or post can be replaced with lumber from any yard. Vinyl parts have to come from the same maker’s line. The makers can discontinue a style or color, and they say a replacement may not match the weathered original. Vinyl panels slide into slots in the posts, so replacing a post can mean taking out the panels on both sides of it.
Resale and neighborhood rules
We have no local figure on resale value, but the warranty does change at a sale. The treated lumber warranties we read cover the first owner only. Of four vinyl warranties we read, three transfer once and one ends when the house is sold.
A homeowners association can rule on a fence’s style and height, so check first. In Toledo’s Old West End, the design guidelines list masonry, decorative metal and wood for front, side and rear fences, and vinyl is not on the list. Ann Arbor’s guideline for historic homes lists plastic and vinyl-coated fencing as not appropriate.
Which to pick
- Pick treated pine if the budget leads and you are happy to stain it every few years or let it go gray.
- Pick cedar for the look of wood with heartwood that resists rot, at $1,500 to $3,000 more than pine on 150 feet.
- Pick vinyl if you would rather wash a fence than stain one, and no association or historic district rules it out. On a slope its panels are usually stepped, so mention a hillside when you ask for quotes.
See your price range
Draw your runs once in the estimator, then switch between treated pine, cedar and vinyl and watch the range move. The fence cost calculator and the Toledo cost hub cover the other styles. In the Old West End, check the guidelines before you ask for vinyl quotes.
Questions people ask
How much more is a vinyl fence than wood?
Vinyl privacy runs $45 to $75 a foot installed against $25 to $35 for treated pine and $35 to $55 for cedar. On 150 feet that is $6,750 to $11,250 for vinyl and $3,750 to $5,250 for treated pine.
Is vinyl fence cheaper than wood in the long run?
We have no local figure that settles it. Vinyl costs $3,000 to $6,000 more to put in on 150 feet, and a wood fence needs a coat of stain every few years to keep its color, about three to five coats over 20 years on rough-sawn pine.
How long does a wood fence last in Ohio?
The posts decide it. Pine posts pressure-treated for ground contact should last 30 to 40 years, while untreated pine posts last 3 to 6 years in the Midwest. Splitting and warping of the boards can end a fence just as rot can.
Does vinyl fence crack in the cold?
Rigid vinyl gets stiffer and takes a hard knock less well as the temperature drops. The vinyl warranties we read exclude impact damage, hail and wind-borne objects.
Does a vinyl fence warranty transfer when I sell my house?
Sometimes. Of four vinyl warranties we read, three transfer once, two of them for a $100 fee filed within 30 days of the sale, and one ends when the house is sold. Treated lumber warranties cover the first owner only.
Can I put up a vinyl fence in a historic district?
Check first. Toledo’s Old West End guidelines list masonry, decorative metal and wood for new fences, and Ann Arbor’s guideline for historic homes lists plastic and vinyl-coated fencing as not appropriate.