Cedar vs Redwood Fence: The Complete Comparison

Both are premium natural woods. Both resist rot without chemicals. Both look beautiful. So which one should you (or your customer) choose?

The answer depends on where you live, what you're willing to spend, and how much maintenance you'll actually do.

Cost Comparison

	Cedar	Redwood
Material cost (per LF)	$15-25	$22-40
Labor	$12-20/LF	$12-20/LF
Total installed	$27-45/LF	$34-60/LF
150 ft fence	$4,050-6,750	$5,100-9,000

Redwood costs 30-50% more than cedar for materials. Labor is roughly the same — both woods work similarly with standard tools.

Why the Price Difference?

Supply. Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) grows almost exclusively in coastal California and southern Oregon. Limited range = limited supply = higher prices. Redwood lumber has been getting more expensive every year as old-growth forests are protected and second-growth trees mature slowly.

Cedar (Western Red Cedar) grows throughout the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. Wider range = more supply = lower prices. It's the most widely available natural rot-resistant softwood in North America.

Durability & Rot Resistance

Both woods are naturally rot-resistant — no chemical treatment needed. But they're not identical:

Property	Cedar	Redwood
Natural rot resistance	Very good	Excellent (slightly better)
Insect resistance	Good (natural oils repel most insects)	Excellent (tannins are strongly insect-repellent)
Hardness (Janka)	350 (soft)	420 (slightly harder)
Density	23 lbs/ft³	28 lbs/ft³
Dimensional stability	Excellent (minimal shrinkage)	Excellent
Ground contact durability	Fair (will eventually rot at soil line)	Good (lasts longer in ground contact)

Bottom line: Redwood has a slight edge in durability, but both will last 15-20+ years with maintenance. The difference is maybe 2-3 years of extra lifespan — not enough to justify the cost premium on durability alone.

The Heartwood Factor

Both woods have a critical distinction between heartwood (the darker inner wood) and sapwood (the lighter outer wood).

Heartwood contains the natural oils and tannins that resist rot. This is what you're paying for.
Sapwood has almost no rot resistance — it's basically untreated softwood.

When buying either cedar or redwood for fencing, specify heartwood grades. Common grades:

Cedar: "Select Tight Knot" or "Clear" for heartwood
Redwood: "Construction Heart" or "Select Heart" for heartwood

If you buy the cheapest grade of either, you'll get mostly sapwood — and the natural rot resistance you're paying a premium for won't be there.

Appearance

Cedar

Color: Ranges from light amber to honey brown, with reddish tones
Grain: Tight, straight grain. Clean, uniform appearance.
Aging: Weathers to a silvery-gray within 1-2 years if left untreated
Stain absorption: Excellent — takes stain evenly and beautifully

Redwood

Color: Deep reddish-brown to burgundy. Richer color than cedar.
Grain: Straight with occasional wavy figuring. More visual character.
Aging: Also weathers to gray, but starts darker so the transition is more dramatic
Stain absorption: Good, but the natural color is so rich that many owners prefer a clear sealant

The Look Verdict

Redwood wins on natural beauty — the deep red color is distinctly premium. Cedar is attractive but more common-looking. However, once stained, both can look nearly identical depending on the stain color.

If you're leaving the wood natural or using a clear sealant: redwood looks noticeably better. If you're staining with a semi-transparent color: they'll look similar, and cedar is the better value.

Maintenance

Both woods require the same maintenance schedule:

Task	Frequency	Cost
Power washing	Every 1-2 years	$0.50-1/LF (DIY)
Staining/sealing	Every 2-3 years	$2-5/LF (pro)
Board replacement	As needed	$5-15 per board

Neither wood requires painting or chemical treatment. Both benefit from a UV-blocking sealant or semi-transparent stain to preserve color and slow weathering.

Availability by Region

This is often the deciding factor:

Region	Cedar Availability	Redwood Availability
Pacific Northwest (WA, OR)	Excellent	Good
California	Good	Excellent
Northeast (NY, NJ, CT)	Good	Limited (expensive shipping)
Southeast (FL, GA, NC)	Good	Poor (very expensive)
Midwest (OH, IN, IL)	Good	Limited
Texas	Good	Limited
Mountain West (CO, UT)	Good	Limited

If you're east of the Rockies, cedar is the practical choice. Redwood shipping costs add $3-8 per linear foot, making an already expensive material even pricier.

If you're in California, redwood is locally sourced and the price gap narrows significantly. Many Northern California contractors default to redwood.

Environmental Considerations

Cedar: Grown in managed forests and tree farms. FSC-certified cedar is readily available. Considered a sustainable choice.
Redwood: More complex. Old-growth redwood harvesting is banned. Second-growth redwood from managed forests is available but supplies are tighter. Some environmental groups have concerns about redwood harvesting practices.

If sustainability matters to your customer, cedar from FSC-certified sources is the safer bet.

The Verdict

Choose Cedar If...	Choose Redwood If...
Budget matters (30-50% cheaper)	You want the richest natural color
You're staining anyway	You're in California (locally sourced)
You're east of the Rockies	Maximum rot resistance matters
You want wide availability	You want the premium option and cost isn't the concern
Sustainability is a priority	You're leaving the wood natural/clear-sealed

For most fence contractors and homeowners, cedar is the best value. It's 95% as durable as redwood at 60-70% of the cost, available everywhere, and looks great stained.

Redwood is the luxury play — beautiful, slightly more durable, and worth it if you're in California where pricing is competitive. Elsewhere, the premium is hard to justify for a fence.

For Contractors: Present Both Options

When a customer asks for a "nice wood fence," quote both:

Option A: Western red cedar, $38/LF installed
Option B: Redwood, $52/LF installed

Most will choose cedar. But the ones who pick redwood give you a higher-margin job with the same labor investment.

FenceCalc lets you build side-by-side material quotes for cedar and redwood in minutes — same measurements, different materials, two professional PDFs.

Generate cedar vs redwood fence estimates →