Wood Fence Installation in Lakewood, WA

Wood is still the default privacy fence around Lakewood, and for good reason — it looks warm, screens a yard well and bends to custom layouts. The catch in our climate is moisture. The post method and soil-line protection matter as much as the boards you see, because a wood privacy fence with poor drainage can rot at the ground line even while the pickets still look sound.

We build cedar and pressure-treated wood fences across Lakewood and Pierce County and match the design to the lot. A solid 6-foot privacy run on an exposed corner is framed differently than a low picket in a Fircrest front yard, and a fence stepping down a University Place slope needs its own post plan.

Cedar or Pressure-Treated: Which Lasts Longer Here?

Western red cedar resists rot and insects naturally and holds stain beautifully, which is why it is the popular choice for privacy and picket fences. Pressure-treated pine costs less and makes a strong, rot-resistant post. Many Lakewood-area fences now pair cedar boards with galvanized steel posts to get the cedar look with a post that will not rot at the soil line.

Wood Fence Styles We Build

• Board-on-board and shadow box for full privacy that still breathes in the wind.
• Good-neighbor fences that look finished from both sides — handy on shared Fircrest and Tacoma lines.
• Cedar picket for front yards, built to front-setback height limits.
• Horizontal slat fences for a modern look, framed and spaced to resist warping in wet weather.
• Cap-and-trim privacy fences with a finished top rail and reinforced gates.

Keeping a Wood Fence Standing in Wet Soil

Wood fence lifespan depends on wood type, moisture, post treatment, drainage, sun, maintenance and wind. We plan drainage at the post base, protect the soil line, set posts deep for our gravelly ground and reinforce gates so they do not sag through the first wet winter. Stain and cleaning extend the finish, but they do not replace good drainage.

What Drives the Price of a Wood Fence

Two wood fences of the same length can land at very different prices, and it rarely comes down to the boards alone. Height is the biggest lever: a 6-foot privacy run uses far more material and bracing than a 4-foot fence. After that, the post type (cedar, treated or steel), the number and width of gates, how much old fence has to come out, and the ground conditions all move the number. A flat, open Spanaway lot is quick; a sloped University Place yard with roots and a retaining wall takes longer and costs more to do right.

• Height and length — taller, longer runs mean more boards, posts, concrete and labor.
• Post choice — steel posts cost more up front but outlast wood in wet ground.
• Gates — each one is a separate build with its own hardware and bracing.
• Tear-out — removing and hauling an old fence and its footings is its own line item.
• Site work — slope, roots, rock, drainage and difficult access add time.

We price those pieces separately on the written estimate so you can see exactly where the money goes and compare bids line by line. For current ranges, the cedar privacy fence cost guide walks through real Pierce County numbers.

Caring for a Wood Fence Through Our Seasons

A wood fence in Western Washington lives a wet life. The two things that shorten it are standing moisture at the post base and moss or mildew working into the grain on the shaded, north-facing side. A sensible routine keeps a cedar fence looking good for years: let a new fence dry out, seal or stain it, then re-coat on a schedule and wash off moss before it digs in. We tell you the right first-coat window for your boards and our weather, and we can come back for staining and cleanup when the time comes.

Gates That Match Your Wood Fence

A wood fence is only as good as its gate, and a gate is where a cheap build shows first. We build matching cedar and wood gates with an anti-sag brace, a gate post set deeper and larger than a line post, and hinges and a latch sized to the gate’s weight so it still swings true after a few wet winters. Wide openings for a trailer or RV go in as a double gate rather than one heavy single that slowly pulls its post out of plumb.

How We Build a Wood Fence

Wood is forgiving to look at and unforgiving to build badly — the parts you cannot see decide how long it lasts. Our sequence is built around keeping the posts out of the rot zone and the boards off the wet ground.

1. Confirm the line and the grade, then call Washington 811 for utility locates before any post hole.
2. Set the posts first — steel or treated — with drainage at the base so water does not sit against the wood.
3. Run the rails level or stepped to the slope, keeping the bottom rail up off the dirt.
4. Fasten the cedar boards in the chosen pattern (board-on-board or shadow box) so gaps stay closed as the wood dries.
5. Cap, trim and hang the reinforced gates, then check alignment the full length of the run.
6. Let the fence dry before any stain, and tell you the right window to seal it for our weather.

Why Lakewood Homeowners Trust Us With Wood Fences

Cedar is the most-requested fence we build, and it is also the one most often built wrong for this climate — boards on bare wood posts that rot out in a few years. We have been getting it right across Lakewood since 2017, pairing cedar with steel or treated posts and real drainage so the fence you pay for is still standing a decade on. We are a registered Washington contractor (L&I #CREATEL809CL), insured and bonded, and rated 4.6★ on Google. Several of our reviews are repeat wood-fence customers — that is the proof we care about.