Wood Fence Installation and Repair

Wood is still the most requested fence around Lake Livingston, and for good reasons: it looks right on a lake lot or a country road, it can be built tall for privacy or low for curb appeal, and it is straightforward to repair one section at a time. The catch is the climate. Humid air, heavy rain and ground that stays damp will take apart a wood fence that was built fast and cheap. This page covers the styles we build, the wood we use and the construction details that make the difference.

Wood fence styles we build

• Wood Privacy Fence Installation

  Six- and eight-foot wood privacy fences in cedar or treated pine, built with rot boards, three rails and concrete-set posts around Lake Livingston, TX. Free quotes.

• Picket Fence Installation

  Classic wood picket fences for front yards, gardens and lake lots around Onalaska and Livingston, TX. Dog-ear, flat-top and spaced styles in cedar or pine.

• Horizontal Wood Fence Installation

  Modern horizontal wood fences with tight post spacing and straight, level runs, built in cedar around Lake Livingston, TX by Texas Rural Fence. Free estimates.

• Lattice and Screen Fence Installation

  Lattice toppers, privacy screens and patio screens that add height and airflow to a wood fence. Built around Onalaska and Livingston, TX by Texas Rural Fence.

• Cedar Split Rail Fence Installation

  Two- and three-rail cedar split rail fences for acreage, driveways and lake lots around Polk and San Jacinto County, TX, with optional wire backing. Free estimates.

How we build a wood fence to last here

The parts that fail first on a wood fence are the parts touching the ground. Our standard practices are aimed squarely at that.

• Posts set deep and in concrete. Line posts go below the soft top layer of soil; corner, end and gate posts go deeper still, because they carry the load of the whole run and the weight of a swinging gate.
• Three rails on a six-foot privacy fence, not two. The middle rail keeps pickets from cupping and gives the fence the stiffness it needs when a storm pushes on a solid wall of boards.
• A rot board along the bottom. A treated horizontal board that takes the ground moisture and the string trimmer so the pickets do not. When it eventually goes, you replace one board instead of a whole section. Here is how that build goes together.
• Galvanized or coated fasteners. Bright nails and screws streak and rust out in this humidity. Hot-dipped galvanized ring-shank nails hold and stay clean.
• Gates braced and hung on heavier posts. A wood gate is the heaviest moving part of the fence. We build it with its own diagonal brace and hang it on a post sized for the weight so it does not drag by the second summer.

Cedar or treated pine

Both are good fence wood when they are built and finished right, and we build both.

Cedar carries natural oils that resist rot and insects, holds a straight line as it dries, and takes a clear or semi-transparent stain beautifully. It is the usual choice for a fence you want to look like wood for a long time. It costs more per picket.

Pressure-treated pine costs less and is plenty strong. It moves more as it dries, so it benefits from a solid stain or paint after its first season, and that finish needs to be kept up. It is the sensible choice for a painted fence, a long run on a budget, or posts and rails behind cedar pickets.

For a longer look at how each one ages here, see best fence materials for Texas weather.

Picket styles, heights and layouts

Dog-ear pickets, with the two top corners clipped, are the standard around here and the most forgiving of weather. Flat-top pickets give a cleaner modern line. Board-on-board overlaps the pickets so the fence stays fully private as the wood shrinks and looks finished from both sides. Shadowbox alternates pickets on each side of the rails for airflow and a two-sided look. Six feet is the common privacy height; eight feet is built for road frontage, pool enclosures and commercial screening, and needs heavier posts set deeper. What goes into an eight-foot fence explains the differences.

Repairs, additions and matching

A wood fence rarely fails all at once. A post rots at the ground line, a run leans after a storm, a gate sags. We do a lot of section-level repair, including on fences other people built, and we match picket style, height and rail layout so the fix does not stand out. If the posts are gone along a whole run, we will say so and price a rebuild of that run rather than patching something that will not hold. See fence and gate repair and insurance claim repairs.

Keeping a wood fence looking good

Stain or seal every two to four years, sooner on runs that face south or west. Keep leaves, pine straw and mulch from piling against the bottom. Walk the fence once a year after storm season and fix a loose picket or a leaning post while it is a small job. We offer pressure washing and staining as standalone services if you would rather not do the maintenance yourself.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a wood fence last around Lake Livingston?

A cedar privacy fence built with a rot board, concrete-set posts and a stain every two to four years commonly lasts well past a decade here. Treated pine lasts a bit less in the humidity unless it is kept sealed. Posts set shallow or boards sitting on wet ground are what shorten a fence, not the wood species alone.

Cedar or pressure-treated pine?

Cedar resists rot and insects on its own and looks best with a clear or semi-transparent stain. Treated pine costs less up front and suits a fence headed for solid stain or paint. We build both and will price both if you want to compare.

Do I need a permit or HOA approval for a wood fence?

It depends on where the property sits. Inside city limits and in deed-restricted subdivisions there are often height, setback or style rules; on unincorporated county land there usually are not. We confirm what applies during the free estimate.

Can you match my existing fence for a repair or an addition?

Usually, yes. Most repairs are section-level: a post, a few pickets, a rail. For additions we match picket style, height and rail layout so the new run reads as part of the old one.