A cedar picket fence is the look most people picture when they think "fence." Upright cedar boards, spaced evenly, capped with a top rail. It's the friendly, front-of-house style that says welcome without walling anyone off.
This is a wood picket fence built for looks and boundaries first. You can see through the gaps, and that's the point. It marks your yard, lifts your curb appeal, and keeps the space open and bright.
A typical build includes:
If you want full privacy, this isn't that fence. What it does better than any other wood style is charm, and Rare Bears Fencing builds it to hold that look for years.
A picket fence is mostly edges. Lots of separate boards. Lots of cut tops facing the sky. Cheap wood soaks up water at every one of those spots and starts to rot. Cedar doesn't. That's why it's worth it.
Cedar is a smart pick for wood fence installation here, and it's built to handle our weather. It's light and stable, so the pickets won't warp or twist the way cheaper boards do after a few Seattle winters. And since you'll see this fence every day from the street, looks count too. Cedar finishes clean and ages well instead of turning gray and splintery.
Why cedar and pickets work so well together:
Each picket fights moisture on its own. Cedar's natural oils protect every board, which matters when the style has this many.
The boards stay flat. Thin pickets bend easily in the wrong wood. Cedar holds its shape, so the fence stays neat and even.
It paints and stains well. Want crisp white or a natural look? Cedar takes color evenly and keeps it.
It ages without rotting. Leave it bare and cedar fades to a soft gray you can live with. No rot, no rush to replace it.
Picket isn't your only option in wood. Before you commit, it helps to see it next to the styles people usually weigh it against. The table below lays them out so you can spot the tradeoffs fast.
So where does picket land? It's the pick when curb appeal comes first and you want an open, welcoming look from the sidewalk. Need full privacy? A full panel fence is the better call. Large or rural lot? Split rail does the job. Want a modern line? Horizontal wood fits. Picket is for charm out front.
Photos say more than a spec sheet. Below are picket projects from neighborhoods across the area, from bright front-yard borders to garden lines and cottage entries. Notice the even spacing, the clean tops, and the way each one makes the whole property look sharper.
Pressure Treated Pencil Stick 3 ½" x 3 ½"
Pressure Treated 2x4 Rails
Grade 1 Cedar Fence Boards 5½" x ⅝”
Post Caps Included
Stainless Steel Nails
Jumbo Pressure Treated Posts 4⅛" x 4⅛"
Appearance Grade Cedar 2x4 Rails
Grade 1 Cedar Fence Boards 5½" x ⅝”
Post Caps Included
Stainless Steel Nails
Appearance Grade Cedar Post on Pipe 3 ½" x 3 ½"
Appearance Grade Cedar 2x4 Rails
Grade 1 Cedar Fence Boards 5½" x ⅝”
Post Caps Included
Stainless Steel Nails
Clear Cedar Post on Pipe 3½" x 3½"
Appearance Grade Cedar 2x4 Rails
Clear Cedar Fence Boards 5½" x ⅝"
Post Caps Included
Stainless Steel Nails
A picket fence has more design choices than people expect. A few small calls set the whole personality of the fence, so it's worth thinking them through before we build.
The shape of the picket tops changes the feel more than anything else:
Tighter picket fence spacing gives more coverage and a fuller look. Wider spacing feels open and airy. Most homeowners land in the middle, and we'll show you what each one looks like on your yard.
You've got three ways to go:
Older Seattle homes often suit gothic or round tops. Newer builds tend to look sharp with flat-top pickets. A gate that echoes your picket top ties the whole thing together.
Most picket fences run three to four feet tall, which keeps that low, friendly height. Want more? We'll walk through the options on-site.
A picket fence is short, but it doesn't skimp on parts. Each one uses a long row of individual boards, and that count is what really shapes your price. Here's what moves the number.
Curious how cedar prices out? Our cedar fence cost guide breaks it down. Want a real number for your yard?
Picket can go almost anywhere, but a few spots are where it really pays off. At Rare Bears Fencing, we build picket in all of them across Seattle. Here's where it works best.
This is picket's home turf. It frames your yard, lifts curb appeal, and greets the street without closing anything off. If you're fencing the front, picket is usually the answer.
A low picket fence outlines a garden beautifully and keeps casual foot traffic out. The open gaps let light reach your plants too.
Want to define your property line but keep a neighborly, open feel? Picket does that. It looks good from both sides, which matters when you share the line.
For a small dog or a play space in a quiet yard, a picket fence gives a light boundary with an open, airy look. For a determined climber or a busy street, a full panel fence is the safer pick.
A picket fence is the most visible fence you'll own, so upkeep is really about keeping it looking great. Good news: cedar doesn't ask for much.
Keep up with these small jobs and your fence keeps that fresh, just-built look season after season.
A picket fence is the first thing people see when they pull up to your house. That's a lot riding on getting the details right, and it's exactly the kind of work we like.
Here's what you're signing up for with us:
Rare Bears Fencing has earned a 4.9 out of 5 across 631 reviews doing it this way, one honest job at a time, all over King and Snohomish Counties.
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Cedar stays straight and looks better doing it. A picket fence has dozens of exposed boards, and pressure-treated lumber tends to twist and split as it dries, which shows badly on thin pickets. Cedar holds its shape and takes paint or stain cleanly, so the whole run stays even.
Both work, it comes down to the look. Paint gives you that bright, traditional white picket finish and hides the grain. Stain keeps cedar's natural wood tone visible while still guarding against the weather. Paint usually needs touch-ups a little sooner since chips show more than faded stain.
For many dogs, yes. Set the picket gaps narrow enough that your dog can't squeeze through, and pick a height they can't clear. Small or determined escape artists may need tighter spacing or a taller build, which we can plan around when we see the yard.
Sometimes. Seattle and many neighborhoods have rules on front-yard fence height, and HOAs often have their own look requirements. It's worth checking before you build. Our team knows the local limits and can point you the right way during the estimate.
A gap about one picket wide is the traditional look, but it's your call. Tighter for more coverage, wider for a lighter feel. We'll mock it up so you can see it before we build.
It depends on your home's style. We install dog-ear, flat-top, gothic, and round-top, and the top you choose sets the whole mood of the fence. The design section above breaks down each one, and we'll help you match a top to your house on-site.
It can help. A tidy, well-kept front fence boosts curb appeal, and that's what buyers notice first. Cedar in particular reads as a quality material, which works in your favor if you ever sell.
Not a lot. A rinse now and then, a fresh coat of paint or stain every couple of years, and a quick check for any loose board. Because pickets are so visible, most of the upkeep is about looks rather than structure.
Often, yes. Individual pickets or a leaning post can usually be swapped without redoing the whole line. If a fence is far gone across the board, a full rebuild may cost less over time. We'll give you an honest read once we look.
Call (206) 202-9157 or drop your details in our online form. We'll come out to your place, take measurements, go over tops and spacing, and get you a written quote. We build across King and Snohomish Counties, so most nearby towns are covered.
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