# Cedar or redwood fence: which wood is better? > Cedar vs redwood fence for an Ontario, CA yard: how heartwood and grade decide durability, how each looks and weathers in inland sun, fasteners, posts and price. URL: https://groveontariofencebuilders.com/guide/cedar-vs-redwood-fence/ Decision Guide The species name gets the attention, but the grade stamped on the board tells you more about how a fence will hold up. Here is how to compare the two woods honestly. Last Updated: October 31, 2026 Ask for the grade, not just the species. An all-heart redwood board and a sapwood-heavy one are different products. Neither wood is better across the board. Redwood heartwood is a little denser and its reddish color is what many Southern California buyers picture; western red cedar is lighter, more aromatic and varies more in color. In both, the grade matters more than the species: heartwood resists decay and termites, pale sapwood does not. Both sit in the same typical range, $30 to $70 per linear foot installed for a 6-foot privacy fence. [Grove Ontario Fence Builders](https://groveontariofencebuilders.com/) builds redwood and cedar fences across Ontario and the west Inland Empire, with the work carried out by licensed and insured fence contractors. This comparison covers where each wood comes from, how the grades work, how the two behave in inland heat, and the hardware and post decisions that matter more than either species. Key takeaways - Decay and termite resistance come from heartwood in both species; sapwood has little. - Redwood grades such as Construction Heart are all heartwood; Construction Common allows sapwood. - Cedar fence boards are mostly knotty grades in which the heartwood share varies board to board. - Both woods gray in strong sun without a pigmented, UV-blocking stain. - Stainless or hot-dip galvanized fasteners prevent the black streaks both woods get from plain steel. ## Where each wood comes from Redwood fence lumber comes from coast redwood, a tree native to the fog belt of coastal Northern California and the southern tip of Oregon. Western red cedar grows in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada. Both are softwoods prized for the same reason: their heartwood carries natural extractives that slow decay and discourage insects, so they can stand outdoors without chemical treatment. They differ in feel. Western red cedar is one of the lightest commercial softwoods, easy to cut and carry and pleasantly aromatic. Redwood is somewhat denser and holds fasteners a touch better. Both shrink and swell less than fir or pine as moisture changes, which is why both stay flatter on a fence through hot, dry summers. ## Heartwood, sapwood and why grade matters Cut across a log and you see two zones. Heartwood is the darker core, where the tree has deposited the extractives that resist rot and insects. Sapwood is the pale outer band that carried water while the tree was alive, and it has little natural resistance in any species. A fence board with a cream-colored edge has sapwood along that edge, and that edge will weather and decay faster than the rest. Redwood is sold in stamped grades that spell this out. Construction Heart boards are heartwood with knots allowed, the usual premium fence grade. Construction Common allows sapwood and more knots and costs less. Higher clear grades exist but are rarely used for fencing. Cedar fence boards are mostly sold in knotty grades, where the share of heartwood can change from one board to the next in the same bundle. The [wood fence installation page](https://groveontariofencebuilders.com/wood-fence-installation/) compares redwood, cedar and fir in a side-by-side table. | Factor | Redwood | Western red cedar | | --- | --- | --- | | Heartwood color | Reddish brown, fairly even | Pale straw to reddish brown, more variation | | Weight and feel | Somewhat denser, firm | Very light, aromatic | | Common fence grades | Construction Heart, Construction Common | Knotty grades, heartwood share varies | | Decay and termite resistance | High in heart grades, low in sapwood | High in heartwood, lower in sapwood | | Movement as it dries | Low | Low | | Place in the $30 to $70 range | Toward the top in heart grades | Across the range, set by grade and board size | ## How each handles inland heat and sun NOAA’s 1991-2020 climate normals for Ontario International Airport average 93 days a year at or above 90°F, with under 12 inches of rain. Under that sun, both woods lose their color the same way: ultraviolet light breaks down the surface fibers and the fence goes silver-gray within a few seasons. That gray layer is cosmetic, but it also means the surface is open to water and checking. The [how long do fences last guide](https://groveontariofencebuilders.com/guide/how-long-do-fences-last/) explains what else shortens a fence’s life here. A pigmented, UV-blocking stain is what keeps the color, on either wood. Redwood takes a red or natural-toned stain that enhances its color; cedar’s lighter, mixed tones take a cedar-toned stain more evenly than a clear finish would. Neither needs paint, and paint tends to peel on a fence that cycles through heat. Renewing the stain every few years matters more to the fence’s appearance than the species you started with. ## Termites and moisture UC IPM’s [pest note on subterranean termites](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7415.html) says wood in soil contact should be chemically treated or naturally resistant, and its [drywood termite note](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7440.html) says drywood termites, common in Southern California, nest in wood without needing soil. Heartwood of either species resists both better than sapwood or fir, which is one more reason to ask for the grade. Sapwood edges on rails and bottom boards are where trouble starts. Most rot on a wood fence in this climate comes from sprinkler spray and soil contact rather than rain. Keeping the bottom of the boards clear of soil and mulch and aiming sprinklers away from the fence help either wood more than switching species would. The [termites and fence posts guide](https://groveontariofencebuilders.com/guide/termites-fence-posts/) covers the warning signs. ## Fasteners and hardware Both woods contain tannins and other extractives that react with plain steel. The result is black streaking that runs down from every nail when the fence gets wet, and corroded fasteners that lose their grip over time. Stainless steel or hot-dip galvanized nails, screws and brackets avoid most of it. Electroplated fasteners, the shiny ones sold in bulk, are the usual culprit. On a fence that will be stained, the right fasteners also keep the stain from blotching around each one. ## Posts: neither, usually The boards and rails can be redwood or cedar, but the posts usually should not be. Even heartwood loses its resistance over time in damp soil, and the post is the one part of the fence that never dries out at grade. Ground-contact treated posts or galvanized steel posts carry the wind load, and the boards hide them from the street side. In Ontario’s sandy soils, footings get their grip from depth and width, and that depth follows from fence height and wind exposure. The [steel vs wood posts guide](https://groveontariofencebuilders.com/guide/steel-vs-wood-fence-posts/) explains the choice, and the [Santa Ana winds guide](https://groveontariofencebuilders.com/guide/santa-ana-winds-fence/) explains why species makes no difference to how a solid fence handles wind. ## Price and how to choose Both woods fall inside the typical Southern California range for a 6-foot privacy fence, $30 to $70 per linear foot installed. Redwood heart grades sit toward the top. Cedar spans the range depending on grade, board width and thickness. Style moves the number as much as species: board-on-board and cap-and-trim designs use more wood per foot than a dog-ear fence. The [fence cost guide](https://groveontariofencebuilders.com/guide/fence-cost-ontario-ca/) lists the other drivers, and fir is the lower-cost option when budget comes first. Choose redwood when you want the classic red tone, a firmer board and an all-heart grade with predictable resistance, especially on street-facing runs. Choose cedar when you want a lighter color, a lighter board for a [horizontal slat design](https://groveontariofencebuilders.com/horizontal-fence-installation/) or a good knotty grade at a lower price. Either way, ask for the grade on the quote, insist on stainless or hot-dip galvanized fasteners and put the boards on posts built for the ground. If you are still deciding between wood and something else, the [vinyl vs wood guide](https://groveontariofencebuilders.com/guide/vinyl-vs-wood-fence/) covers that choice. To price both woods on your line, call Grove Ontario Fence Builders at [(909) 324-5352](tel:+19093245352) or [request an estimate](https://groveontariofencebuilders.com/contact/). ## Questions about this guide ### What does Construction Heart mean on redwood fence boards? It is a redwood grade in which the boards are heartwood, the darker, decay-resistant wood from the center of the log, with knots allowed. Construction Common allows sapwood as well, costs less and weathers less evenly. For boards that sit near soil or sprinklers, a heart grade is the safer choice. ### Why do cedar and redwood fences get black streaks around the nails? Both woods contain natural extractives that react with plain or electroplated steel, leaving dark stains that run down from each fastener when the wood gets wet. Stainless steel or hot-dip galvanized nails and screws avoid most of it. Once streaks appear, a wood cleaner made for extractive stains usually lightens them. ### Should the fence posts be redwood or cedar too? Usually not. Even heartwood loses decay resistance over time when it sits in damp soil, and the post is where most wood fences fail. Ground-contact treated wood or galvanized steel posts carry the load, and the redwood or cedar boards and rails hang from them. ## Related service ### Wood fences → Redwood, cedar and fir privacy fences, dog-ear and board-on-board, on wood or steel posts. ## More guides Decision Guide Vinyl or wood fence: which is the better choice in Ontario, CA? Both make a solid 6-foot privacy screen. They differ in price, in how they age under inland sun, in what fails in a windstorm and in how much work they ask of you afterward. Learn Which fence lasts the longest in Ontario, CA? No material comes with a guaranteed number of years. What decides how long a fence stands here is how it meets the ground, the sun and the wind. Learn Are termites eating your fence posts? How to tell and what to do Two kinds of termite damage wood fences in Southern California, and they leave different evidence. Here is how to read it, and what it means for the posts. Decision Guide Is a wood fence with metal posts better than one with wood posts? Galvanized steel and ground-contact treated wood both hold up a good fence. The difference shows at the grade line, in the wind and in sandy ground. Cost Guide How much does fence installation cost per linear foot in Ontario, CA? Typical installed ranges by material, the site conditions that push a job up or down, and the public figures that sit inside an Ontario fence price.