Cedar Fence in Denver, CO
Locally built cedar fences set on steel posts with full concrete footings, rated for Colorado's weather.
Get Free QuoteCedar fence installation in the Denver metro by J.A's Privacy and Perimeter: locally built, structurally sound Western Red Cedar fencing set on steel posts at 6-foot centers with full concrete footings, rated to handle 70 mph Front Range winds. Owner Julian Lopez runs every job. Licensed and insured in Colorado, 15+ years of experience, and 500+ projects completed across the metro. No subcontractors, no surprises.
Cedar is the right call for homeowners who want a natural wood look without constant maintenance headaches. The tight grain naturally resists moisture, insects, and rot better than pine or spruce. You still get full design control (board-on-board, shadowbox, dog-ear, or a custom cap-and-trim profile) and the wood takes stain beautifully if you want to protect the color long-term.
What We Offer
- Steel posts set at 6-foot centers
- Full concrete footings below frost line
- 70 mph wind-rated construction
- Board-on-board, shadowbox, and custom profiles
- Owner-operated, no subcontractors
- Permit guidance for Denver and surrounding cities
Why Cedar Outperforms Other Wood Fences
Honestly, most wood fence failures we see aren't from weather. They're from cheap lumber. Pine posts rot at the ground line within five years. Cedar contains natural oils that fight moisture and insect damage from the inside out. That's not marketing copy; it's why cedar has been the go-to fence lumber in Colorado for decades. Western red cedar holds up to freeze-thaw cycles better than pressure-treated pine and doesn't warp as badly through summer heat swings. You'll still want to stain it every two to three years if you care about color, but the structural integrity holds even if you don't.
Post Depth and Footing Standards
This is where fence companies cut corners most often. We set 6-foot-center steel posts in full concrete footings: not dry-packed, not gravel-only. In Colorado's clay-heavy soils, a dry-pack footing will heave and lean within a couple of seasons. Our footings go below the frost line, which matters when March brings a hard freeze after a warm February. Every post is plumb-checked before the concrete sets. You don't get a leaning fence six months after install.
Denver Fence Height Rules and Permits
Colorado municipalities have specific fence height limits, and it's your permit, your fine if the fence is wrong. Most jurisdictions follow a 6-foot maximum for rear and side yards, 4-foot maximum for front yards. Anything above those heights requires a permit through Denver Community Planning and Development or your local building department. If your neighborhood has an HOA with an Architectural Review Committee (Highlands, Lowry, Stapleton, and others do), you'll need that approval before we break ground. We can walk you through what documentation is typically required, but we don't pull permits for you.
Cedar Fence Styles We Install
Board-on-board is the most popular choice for full privacy: alternating boards overlap so there's no gap even as wood naturally expands and contracts. Shadowbox gives you airflow with a partial privacy effect. Dog-ear is the budget-friendly standard option. If you want something with more visual weight, a cap-and-trim or lattice-top profile adds detail without a huge labor premium. We don't do decorative ironwork or ornamental picket on cedar builds; that's a different trade. What we do, we do clean.
Pairing Cedar with Staining for Longevity
A raw cedar fence left unfinished will gray out within one season. That's not structural damage (it's UV oxidation), but it changes the look significantly. If you want to keep the warm honey tone or a richer brown, a quality penetrating oil stain applied within 30 days of installation locks in color and adds a UV barrier. We offer fence staining as a separate service, and we're direct about it: it's worth doing, but it's not an emergency if you don't get to it the first year. The wood won't fail. It'll just look different than you expected.
What to Expect During Installation
A standard residential cedar fence job runs two to four days depending on linear footage, terrain, and gate count. Day one is layout, post digging, and setting. Concrete needs cure time, so we don't frame and panel the same day posts are set. That's not inefficiency; rushing it produces fences that rack in the first year. The crew that shows up is Julian's crew. We don't sub out to whoever's available that week. If access is tight on one side of the lot, tell us before scheduling, because it affects how we plan the dig.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a cedar fence last in Colorado?
A properly built cedar fence in Colorado lasts 15 to 20 years before major structural work is needed. The main variables are post quality, footing depth, and whether you stain it. Steel posts in concrete footings outlast wood posts by a decade. Boards and rails can be replaced individually as needed, which makes cedar more cost-effective to maintain long-term than most fence types.
Does a cedar fence need to be stained or sealed?
It doesn't need it to stay structurally sound. Cedar's natural oils do real work on their own. But unfinished cedar grays out from UV exposure within the first season. If you want to preserve the warm wood tone, apply a penetrating oil stain within the first year and re-apply every two to three years after that. A solid stain lasts longer between coats but hides the wood grain entirely. Semi-transparent is the middle ground most homeowners choose.
What fence height is allowed without a permit in Colorado?
Most Colorado municipalities allow up to 6 feet in rear and side yards and 4 feet in front yards without a permit. Going above those heights requires a permit through your local building department (Denver Community Planning and Development for Denver addresses). HOA neighborhoods like Lowry, Stapleton, and Highlands also require Architectural Review Committee approval before installation regardless of height.
How do I find fence builders near me who actually do quality work?
Ask for photos of completed jobs on similar terrain, ask specifically whether they set steel posts or wood posts, and ask what their footing method is. Any fence company near you that won't answer those questions specifically is telling you something. Check that they're licensed in Colorado. J.A's Privacy and Perimeter is owner-operated by Julian Lopez, so you're getting the same crew on every job, not whoever's available.
Can I install a cedar fence myself or should I hire a fence contractor?
You can, but the post-setting phase is where most DIY fences fail. Getting posts plumb, at consistent depth, with proper concrete footings on Colorado's clay soil is harder than it looks. A fence that leans or heaves after the first freeze-thaw cycle is a fence you're paying to redo. If you're handy and patient with layout, the board-and-rail work is manageable. The post work is where a fence contractor earns their cost.
How much does cedar fence installation cost?
Cost depends on linear footage, terrain, gate count, board profile, and site access. We don't publish price ranges online because a quote built on those numbers would be wrong for your specific job. What we can tell you is that material quality, footing depth, and post type are the three biggest cost drivers, and they're also the three biggest failure points when you cut corners. Contact us for a free on-site estimate.
Cedar Fence Service Areas
We provide cedar fence services across the Denver metro: