Wood Fence Installation in Galveston County, TX

Cedar, pine or redwood?

The species sets the look, the price and how much protection the wood needs. The USDA Forest Products Laboratory groups heartwood by natural decay resistance. It also notes that resistance can be lower in ground contact and in warm, humid climates like ours, and that untreated sapwood of almost every species decays easily.

• Cedar (western red and similar cedars): heartwood rated resistant. It is lighter and more stable than pine, with a warm color, and it is the usual upgrade from pine. See cedar fences and does cedar need sealing here?
• Pressure-treated southern pine: pines not singled out in the table are rated slightly or non-resistant, so fence pine is treated with preservative. It is the most economical choice and strong. It moves more as it dries. See southern pine fences and pine pros and cons.
• Redwood: old-growth heartwood is rated resistant. The young-growth redwood sold today is rated moderately resistant. It is the premium look, available on request. See redwood fences.

Comparing two? Read cedar vs pressure-treated pine or redwood vs cedar. Weighing wood against other materials? See wood or vinyl in salt air.

Choosing a style

• Solid privacy: boards butted on one side of the rails. The most economical full-privacy fence. As the boards dry and shrink, small gaps can open. See privacy fences.
• Board-on-board: two overlapping layers, so no gaps open even as boards shrink. It uses more lumber (about 3 boards per foot vs 2.2 with 5½″ boards). See board-on-board.
• Shadowbox: boards alternate sides of the rail. It looks the same from both sides and lets some air through.
• Picket: spaced boards, usually 3–4 ft tall in front yards. See picket fences and picket height and spacing rules.
• Horizontal: boards run between the posts for a modern look. See horizontal fences.

Wind matters on the island. A solid fence catches the full force of the wind, and a spaced design lets some through. For storm-season choices, see hurricane-resistant wood fence tips and storm-ready fencing.

Care on the Gulf Coast

Fasteners. Plain steel nails and screws react with the tannins in cedar and redwood and leave black iron stains. The USDA recommends stainless steel, or high-quality hot-dip galvanized fasteners (ASTM A153), which are far less likely to stain. Copper-based preservatives in treated pine also corrode ordinary steel. In USDA testing, 300-series stainless nails performed well in lumber treated with copper azole or ACQ.

Finish. Stain or sealer slows weathering and moisture cycling. It doesn't replace treatment on posts. New pressure-treated lumber usually has to dry before it takes a finish. See when to stain a new pressure-treated fence, how often to restain here, stain vs paint, and our staining and sealing service.

Water and soil. Keep sprinklers off the boards, keep soil and mulch from piling against them, and keep vines off the fence. Each one keeps the wood wet longer. See wood fence maintenance in humid climates and how long a wood fence lasts in Galveston.

From estimate to finished fence

1. Free on-site estimate. We walk the line with you and measure it. We note gates, slopes, trees, drainage and any old fence that has to come out.
2. Species, style and a written price. We price the wood, height, style, gates and finish you choose.
3. Property line and permits. Know where your line is before posts go in. A survey is the reliable way. Check the city permit and any HOA rules.
4. Installation. Posts are set and checked for plumb, the rails go on, then the boards and gates.
5. Walkthrough. We check that the gates swing and latch, and we go over when the new wood can take a finish.

See finished jobs: a pine privacy fence in Galveston, a custom cedar gate in Galveston, and an 8 ft horizontal cedar fence.

What affects cost and timing

We give you a written price after the free on-site visit. The main things that move it:

• Species. Cedar and redwood cost more than pressure-treated pine.
• Length and height. An 8 ft fence uses longer boards and posts than a 6 ft fence.
• Style. Board-on-board and shadowbox use more boards than butted privacy or picket. Top caps and trim add more.
• Posts. Wood posts, or galvanized steel posts with wood panels.
• Gates, finish and site work. Each gate adds framing and hardware. Staining adds labor. Tearing out an old fence, slopes and clearing all add time.

For typical numbers, see wood fence cost per foot and how long installation takes. Financing is available through the providers on our financing page, subject to credit approval.

Questions we get about this