Redwood vs Cedar Fence in Woodland: Which Holds Up in Valley Heat?
The second question on most Woodland Fencing calls, right after the price: redwood or cedar? Both are fence woods for a reason, and in Woodland the difference between them matters less than three things most people never ask about: which part of the tree the boards came from, what the posts are, and whether the fence gets stained. Here is the honest comparison for a yard that sees 100 degree Julys and wet Januaries.
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Redwood is the better fence in Woodland. It is denser, more stable in heat, more resistant to rot and insects, and it is a California wood with short freight to the Sacramento Valley, which is why the local yards stock it in every grade. A six foot redwood privacy fence from this network’s contractors runs $35 to $60 per linear foot installed, against $25 to $40 for the same fence in cedar. The cost guide has the full table.
Cedar is the better value when the fence is a budget decision or a short-term one: a rental, a yard you plan to redo, a side yard nobody looks at. Western red cedar resists rot nearly as well as redwood, weighs less, takes stain well and costs less. It is softer, so it dents and checks more in the sun, and most of what reaches California comes down from the Pacific Northwest, so the price moves with freight.
Either one, built right, outlasts a cheap version of the other. A redwood fence on untreated posts fails in eight years at the posts while the boards are still fine. A cedar fence on steel posts with a stain every three years is still standing at twenty. The species matters. The build matters more.
Heart vs Sapwood Matters More Than Redwood vs Cedar
Both woods owe their rot resistance to the heartwood, the darker center of the tree. The pale sapwood near the bark has almost none, in either species. A fence board labeled redwood can be mostly sapwood, and that board will rot about as fast as pine. Lumber grades tell you which you are buying.
For redwood, Construction Heart (often written con heart) is all heartwood with knots and is the standard for fence boards and posts that touch the ground or get wet. Construction Common allows sapwood and is fine for boards higher up the fence that dry out fast, and it is what most budget redwood fences are built from. Clear heart is furniture grade and not for fences. For cedar, look for boards described as heart or tight knot rather than the knotty utility grade, and for posts that are all heart or, better, not cedar at all.
A quote that just says redwood fence does not tell you which grade. The contractors in this network put the grade in the quote: con heart posts and rails, con common or con heart boards, and the price difference between them. That one line is the difference between a fence that lasts twelve years and one that lasts twenty-five.
What Woodland Heat and Winter Rain Do to Each Wood
Summer is the harder season. Months of sun at 95 to 105 degrees dry the boards, open checks along the grain and turn both woods silver grey within a year if nothing is on them. Redwood checks less because it is denser and its grain is straighter. Cedar checks more and the knots loosen sooner. Boards that were installed wet, straight from a lumber yard sprinkler, shrink and leave gaps either way, which is why the better contractors let the boards acclimate or pick the dry stack.
Winter is where posts fail. Woodland’s clay soils hold water from December through March, and a wood post in that soil rots at the ground line no matter what species it is. Redwood heart posts last longest among wood posts. Pressure-treated Douglas fir posts outlast both for less money but look like what they are. Galvanized steel posts, the kind that bolt behind the boards so you never see them, outlast everything and cost a few dollars more per post. Woodland’s code now requires every post set in concrete and wood posts stained, and the Spring Lake standard requires steel posts in two foot footings, which says what the City learned about wood posts in this soil.
Stain is the other half. An unstained redwood or cedar fence is structurally fine for years but looks old fast, and it loses the surface that sheds water. A semi-transparent penetrating stain every two to three years keeps the color and adds years to the boards. The City requires it on any fence along a public street. On a back yard fence it is a choice, and it is the cheapest one that makes a wood fence last.
Redwood, Cedar and Vinyl Side by Side
| Job | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Dog-ear cedar privacy, 6 ft, per foot installed | $25 to $40 |
| Redwood privacy, 6 ft, per foot installed | $35 to $60 |
| Redwood board-on-board, 6 ft, per foot installed | $42 to $65 |
| Vinyl privacy, 6 ft, per foot installed | $35 to $55 |
| Upgrade to steel posts, per post | $15 to $40 more |
| Stain, applied, per foot of 6 ft fence | $3 to $6 |
Typical ranges in the Woodland area. The contractor quotes your final price after a free on-site look.
Expected life with sealed boards and concrete footings: redwood on redwood heart posts, 15 to 25 years. Cedar on cedar posts, 12 to 20. Either wood on steel posts, 20 to 25, with the boards setting the limit. Vinyl needs no stain and lasts 20 to 30 with no maintenance, which is the comparison people end up making. The vinyl fence page covers that side. For a 150 foot back and side yard in redwood, the wood fence installation page shows what a full job includes.
Redwood vs Cedar FAQs
Which lasts longer in Woodland, redwood or cedar?
Redwood, by a few years, in the same grade and build. The posts and the stain decide more than the species.
Is cedar cheaper than redwood?
Usually, by $10 to $20 per foot on a six foot privacy fence in the Woodland area. The gap narrows when cedar freight from the Northwest goes up.
Does redwood need to be stained?
Not to stand up, but to keep its color and shed water. Unstained redwood goes grey in a year. Along a public street the City requires a stain, paint or coating.
What are good neighbor fences made of in Spring Lake?
Cedar or redwood, six feet, alternating face boards, galvanized steel posts in two foot concrete footings. That standard is a good recipe for any Woodland fence.
Should I use steel posts with a wood fence?
Yes if the budget allows. They are hidden behind the boards, do not rot at the ground line in winter clay, and let you keep the posts when the boards are eventually replaced.
Can a contractor mix the two?
Common and sensible: redwood heart posts and rails with cedar boards, or steel posts with either. The quote should list each part and its grade.
Get a Quote With the Grade and the Posts Spelled Out
CALL (530) 379-4447Related: Wood fence installation · Fence cost guide · Privacy fence · Woodland Fencing home. Woodland Fencing connects homeowners and businesses with independent, licensed local fence contractors. Quotes are free and the contractor sets your final price after an on-site look.