Wood Privacy Fence Built on Site — Cedar on Posts, Rails and Boards
A fence built board by board on site follows your yard instead of forcing it, and the gates are built to match. It is a carpenter's fence.
A wood privacy fence built on site is treated posts set in concrete below frost, rails run post to post, and cedar boards nailed one at a time to follow the grade, with a cap and trim if you want them. JMB Builders builds them across the Twin Cities metro in dog-ear, board on board, horizontal and cap-and-trim styles, which is carpentry, not panel hanging. Priced per linear foot, gates extra.
- Priced per linear foot, gates extra
- Treated posts in concrete below frost, cedar boards
- Boards cut one at a time to follow the grade
- Quote from photos, reply within one business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Send photos and hear back within one business day — or book a free in-home estimate.
There are two ways to build a wood fence: hang prebuilt panels between posts, or build it on site from posts, rails and boards. Panels are faster and cheaper, and they are fine on flat ground. A fence built on site is the one for a yard that rolls, a design that is not in the store, or a fence you want to look like it belongs to the house: boards run to the grade so there is no gap under it, rails are let into the posts, and the gate is framed to match the fence instead of sagging from a kit.
Posts are treated pine, set in concrete below frost and plumbed to a string line, spaced for the rail length so there is no waste. Two or three rails run between them, screwed or let in. Then the boards: cedar, each one cut and set to a line that follows the ground, or stepped at each post if you want a level top. Dog-ear boards with a gap, board on board that overlaps so there is no gap, shadowbox that looks the same from both sides, or horizontal boards for a modern look. A cap board and a top trim strip finish the top and shed water off the end grain.
The property line, Gopher State One Call and the city's fence permit and setback rules come first. Cedar can be left to gray, or stained; staining is quoted as a separate line, or leave it bare and do it yourself.
What you supply
- The fence line and gate locations on a plat or an aerial photo
- Style and height: dog-ear, board on board, shadowbox, horizontal, and cap and trim or plain
- Your property pins located, or a survey if the line is in doubt
- Stain color if you want it stained; staining is quoted as its own line, or leave it bare and do it yourself
What JMB supplies
- The city's fence permit pulled and the setback rules checked
- Gopher State One Call locate before digging
- Treated posts, cedar rails and boards, cap and trim, fasteners and gate hardware, delivered
- Post holes dug below frost, posts set in concrete, plumbed and strung
- Rails run and boards cut and set one at a time to the grade, or stepped to a level top
- Gates framed on site with a diagonal brace, hung on heavy hinges with a latch that lines up
- Old fence removed and hauled if there is one, site cleaned, and photos in your job folder
How it is priced: per linear foot
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Total feet and the number and width of gates
- Height and style: dog-ear with a gap costs less than board on board or horizontal
- Cap and trim, lattice tops or a decorative top rail
- Slope and how much the boards have to be cut to follow it
- Soil and roots along the line
- Old fence to remove first
- Staining, quoted as a separate line
Send an aerial photo with the line and gates drawn on it, a photo along each run for the grade, and a photo of a fence style you like. The feet and the style set the quote.
How long it takes
A typical backyard: posts set the first day, rails, boards and gates over the next one to two days. Board on board or horizontal styles take the longer end.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Dog-ear cedar privacy fence
Cedar dog-ear boards with a small gap on treated posts, the standard privacy fence, built board by board to the grade. Cap and trim optional.
Board on board
Boards overlapped so there is no gap to see through even as the cedar shrinks. More boards per foot, full privacy, and it looks the same from both sides.
Horizontal cedar fence
Boards run horizontally between posts for a modern look. Posts are set closer to keep the boards straight, and the grade is handled by stepping each bay.
Shadowbox fence
Boards alternate on each side of the rails so both neighbors see the finished side. Lets air through, which helps in a windy spot.
Cap and trim top
A flat cap board over the top of the boards with a trim strip under it. Sheds water off the end grain, straightens the top line, and dresses up any of the styles above.
Wood Privacy Fence Built on Site — Cedar on Posts, Rails and Boards: questions, answered
Is a fence built on site better than fence panels?
On flat ground with a standard design, panels are fine and cheaper. A fence built on site follows a sloped or rolling yard without the gaps and steps panels leave, can be any height and style, uses full-length rails let into the posts, and its gates are framed to match. It costs more per foot because it is carpentry, and it is the better fence when the yard or the design is not standard.
What wood do you use for a privacy fence?
Treated pine for the posts, since they are in the ground, and cedar for the rails, boards and cap, since cedar resists rot and looks right. All-treated fences cost less and look like it. Fasteners are coated or stainless so they do not streak the cedar. Boards are nailed or screwed depending on the style.
Should a wood fence be stained?
Cedar lasts either way; stain keeps the color and slows weathering, and bare cedar goes silver gray. If you want it stained, we quote staining as a separate line on the quote, usually after the fence has dried a few weeks, or leave it bare and stain it yourself. Treated posts take stain the same way.
How do you build a wood fence on a slope?
Two ways. Boards cut one at a time to follow the ground, so the bottom runs an even height off the grade and the top follows the slope, which is the usual choice. Or each bay built level and stepped at the posts, which gives a level top line but leaves triangles under the fence that get a kick board. We look at the grade in your photos and suggest one, or mix them where the yard changes.
How long does a wood privacy fence last in Minnesota?
The posts decide it. Treated posts set in concrete below frost with the concrete crowned to shed water last a long time; posts set shallow or with concrete that holds water rot at the ground line. Cedar boards outlast the posts in most fences. Keeping the boards off the ground and the cap on the top keeps water out of the end grain.
Do you build the gates to match the fence?
Yes. Gates are framed on site from the same cedar with a diagonal brace so they do not sag, hung on heavy strap or screw hinges on a post that is set deeper, and fitted with a latch that lines up. A double drive gate gets a drop rod in the middle. A gate from a kit on a fence built on site always looks like a kit.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners, builders and dealers. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed October 1, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All landscaping pages
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