Wood still earns its spot on a ranch: around the house, along the drive, at the pens, and anywhere steel looks too hard. We build cedar ranch rail, board fence, and wood privacy on acreage. It gets laid out with the rest of the place and built by the same crew that runs the pipe. Priced on site. Call or text 254-716-5760.
Wood fence on acreage
This isn't a subdivision backyard fence. It's wood on a place with room around it: cedar rail along the front of the house, board fence around a horse paddock, or a privacy screen around the house yard or the back of a shop.
You've got three common styles. Cedar ranch rail runs rough or split cedar rails between posts for an open, rustic look. Board fence runs flat horizontal boards, usually three or four, for a clean, traditional line. Privacy fence sets vertical boards tight together to block the view.
Wood can go on wood posts or steel pipe posts. Board-on-pipe gives you the wood look on posts that won't rot at the ground.
Where wood fits on a place
Put wood where people spend time and want the fence to look warm: the house yard, the front of the place, a garden, a sitting area by the barn. It also screens equipment, trash, or a propane tank.
On long perimeter runs and anywhere stock lean hard, steel holds up better. Texas Monthly's primer on pipe fence says it plainly: rot moves faster than rust. A common setup is pipe fence on the pastures and road, with wood around the house.
- House yard on acreage: cedar rail, board, or privacy.
- Front of the place and the drive: board or cedar rail wings off the entry.
- Horse paddocks: board fence with something visible along the top, per Bekaert's horse guidance.
- Screens: privacy around a shop yard, equipment, or tanks.
Style, posts, and height
Start with the look and the job: rail for open and rustic, board for clean lines, privacy for screening. Then pick posts. Wood posts match the look and cost less up front. Pipe posts last longer in the ground and keep the line straighter over time.
Purpose sets the height. Rail or board fence around the house often runs waist to chest high. Privacy runs taller. For a horse paddock, follow horse guidance: University of Georgia Extension suggests 54 to 60 inches.
- Cedar rail, board, or privacy.
- Wood posts or pipe posts.
- How many rails or boards, and the spacing.
- Height, and whether wire goes on the inside for dogs or small stock.
- Gates: walk gates at the yard, drive gates at the entry.
Materials
Cedar is a common pick for ranch fence because it stands up to weather. Rails, boards, and pickets come in a range of grades and sizes. We'll go over them with you before we price.
Posts are where a wood fence fails first. A wood post rots at the ground line. A pipe post doesn't, and a welded cap keeps water out of it. On board-on-pipe, the boards fasten to the pipe with brackets or through-bolts.
How it's built
We walk the line with you, lay it out, and price it on site. On acreage that means fitting the fence to the house, the drive, the trees you want to keep, and the slope of the ground.
Posts go in first on a string line, plumb and deep. Rails or boards go on next, following the ground or stepping down a slope. Then gates and cleanup. Footage, ground, and weather set the timeline, and we'll give you a schedule with the quote.
What moves the price
Priced on site. Here's what drives it:
- Footage and style.
- Wood or pipe posts.
- Height, rail or board count, and wood grade.
- Gates, slope, and rock.
Gates and tie-ins
Walk gates and drive gates can be wood to match, or pipe or iron. We build ranch gates and entries and install openers, so wood fence along the drive can meet an automatic entry gate.
Wood around the house usually meets pipe or wire fence somewhere. We join them at a solid post so both stay straight, and lay the whole thing out as one plan.
Repair and upkeep
Wood weathers. Plan on replacing a board or rail now and then, and keep an eye on the posts at the ground. On cedar, stain or sealer is your call, not a must.
We replace boards and rails, reset or replace rotted posts, re-hang gates, and rebuild runs that are too far gone. Rotted posts are a good reason to look at pipe. See fence repair and rebuilds.
Questions about cedar ranch & board fence
Should I build wood or pipe?
Pipe for pastures, frontage, and anywhere stock push. Wood for the house yard, the drive, and spots where looks come first. Plenty of places use both. See pipe fence.
Wood posts or steel posts?
Wood posts match the look and cost less up front. Pipe posts don't rot at the ground and hold the line straight longer. Board-on-pipe splits the difference.
Do you build privacy fence?
Yes, on acreage. Around the house yard, a shop yard, equipment, or tanks.
How much does it cost?
Priced on site. Footage, style, post type, height, wood grade, gates, and ground all move the number.
Do I need a permit?
Depends where the place sits. Inside Weatherford or Aledo city limits, the city requires a fence permit. Unincorporated Parker County doesn't issue building permits, though the county does regulate septic and floodplain work.
Anywhere else, check with the city or county before we start. We'll ask where the place sits when we walk the line, so it's settled before the first post goes in.
How long does it take?
That comes down to footage, style, ground, and weather. You'll get a schedule with the quote.
Can you fix my old wood fence?
Usually. Boards, rails, and posts can be replaced and gates re-hung. If the posts are rotted along the whole run, a rebuild may make more sense. See fence repair.
Where we build it
We take this work on case by case across our area, from Fort Worth west to Abilene and south to Waco. See where we work and ask us about your place.
