Is it worth investing in a vinyl fence over a cheaper wood fence? What’s the price difference between wood and vinyl fencing?
Many of our customers choose the fence material option that is the most budget friendly. It is often assumed that wood will be much cheaper than vinyl, even before the pandemic caused wood prices to increase dramatically. We would like to share with you a real comparison of the cost and value of wood vs. vinyl fencing.
Comparing one style of fence in three material options
In 2019, 218 linear feet of standard pressure treated pine privacy fencing with 2 gates for a common back yard would have cost a little over $6,000. The same fence in our cedar wood material would have cost about 32% more. The price for this fence in Vinyl material sits within the exact middle of the two wood prices at approximately $8,000. Surprised?
In 2024, this same pressure treated pine fence will cost you 25% percent more than it did 5 years ago. The price gap between pressure treated pine and cedar has closed slightly, to about 24%. Vinyl still sits in the middle of the two wood material prices.
outlook on the Future Market
If we continue with a similar percentage of price increase (20% every 5 years), by the time your pressure-treated wood fence needs to be replaced in approximately 20 years, it will cost over $16,000. Cedar material is known to
last almost 10 years longer than pine in most cases, but the percentage of increase remains the same. Sometimes, however, good cedar material can be hard to obtain, so it is not guaranteed that it will be available in the coming years.
Our price increase outlook may seem drastic, but we must consider how the market changed due to the pandemic in 2020. The numbers shown are simply a guesstimate on a projection to explain and illustrate our topic.
The value of an investment in vinyl fencing
We have already seen how vinyl is surprisingly less expensive than cedar
wood, so there are already savings involved when choosing vinyl over cedar. Vinyl is still 12% more expensive than pressure treated pine, our most common fencing material.
If treated well with no risk of constant stress or damage, your vinyl fence will practically never need to be fully replaced. Your savings over 20-30 years could be up to 75% when you choose vinyl over pressure treated pine and 118% over cedar.
When to choose a wood vs. vinyl fence
Although we recommend it when our customers desire long term value, vinyl isn’t always the best option in some cases. There are times when wood is the better fencing solution for your circumstance, such as these. . .
- Wood fencing is easier to repair yourself. Some vinyl fences are difficult to
repair. Plus, small repairs can be expensive when contracted by a professional fencing company. - Some HOA’s do not allow vinyl fencing.
- If you will not be living in your current home long term. By all means, go with the cheapest material option if you know you will not be in the house long enough to benefit from the long-term value of a vinyl fence.
- Wood fences are typically better (stronger and sturdier) for the purpose of keeping animals.
Ready for a wood vs. vinyl fence cost comparison at your residence?
When you call our office we will schedule a time to come out, take measurements, and discuss the best fencing option for you. Our estimates are free. We look forward to hearing from you!
301-663-4000
