Cedar vs Redwood: 7 Key Differences for Decks and Fences

Two premium softwoods with a shared botanical family, a reputation for rot resistance, and a price gap shape every deck and fence budget in this classic outdoor-wood matchup. Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) and redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) both outperform pine and fir in weather exposure, but they split apart on Janka hardness (about 350 vs 420), lifespan (15–20 vs 20–30 years untreated), color depth, and cost per board foot.

This comparison walks through durability, appearance, grading, and sustainability so you can match the right species to your deck, fence, or siding project with confidence.

What Sets These Two Premium Softwoods Apart

Western Red Cedar and redwood both belong to the cypress family, a botanical link that explains their naturally rot-resistant heartwood and their shared ability to outperform pine, fir, and most Southern Pine species outdoors. That family connection is also why seasoned builders casually call them cousins, even though they grow on opposite ends of the Pacific Coast.

Source Regions and Harvest Geography

Cedar is widely harvested across the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, with major mills operating in Washington, Oregon, and the Canadian interior. Redwood, by contrast, grows almost exclusively along a 450-mile coastal strip in Northern California, much of it managed under CalFire regulations on private and public timberland.

Because redwood’s range is so narrow, supply reacts sharply to weather events, regulatory shifts, and old-growth harvesting caps. Cedar supply, spread across a wider geography, tends to stay steadier through market swings. For your project, that regional gap often translates into very different lead times at the lumberyard.

Heartwood vs Sapwood Performance

Most natural durability lives in the heartwood grades of either species, leaving sapwood layers to demand treatment or sealing for long-term performance. The pale outer rings of a cedar or redwood log absorb moisture quickly and invite insects, so a board graded mostly as heartwood (Clear All Heart on the redwood side, or Architect Clear on the cedar side) will outlast a sapwood-heavy grade in the same climate by years.

Inspect the ends of any board before loading it. A deep, even color from face to face signals dense heartwood; streaks of creamy white near the edges signal sapwood that needs sealing within the first week of installation.

Feature	Western Red Cedar	Redwood
Botanical name	Thuja plicata	Sequoia sempervirens
Primary growing region	Pacific Northwest & British Columbia	Coastal Northern California
Typical heartwood color	Pale honey amber to pinkish tan	Reddish-brown to deep burgundy
Best grade for durability	Architect Clear / Select Tight Knot	Clear All Heart / B-grade heart
Typical lifespan (untreated)	15–20 years	20–30 years

Hardness, Density, and Structural Behavior

Redwood’s extra density shows up the moment a board lands on your sawhorse. Western Red Cedar rates around 350 on the Janka hardness scale, while redwood sits closer to 420, a roughly 20% gap that translates into measurably better impact resistance on a busy deck.

Weight, Handling, and Shipping

Roughly 23 pounds per cubic foot for cedar and about 28 for redwood translates into measurable differences in shipping cost, on-site handling, and even the size of the helper you call for unloading a delivery. Across a typical 500-square-foot deck, that weight gap adds up to several hundred pounds of extra lumber to move.

Lighter boards are easier to carry up stairs or maneuver around a tight backyard, which matters if you’re working without a crew. Redwood’s heavier profile rewards a planned drop zone and ideally a dolly or roller ramp.

Fastener Holding and Splitting Risk

Density differences also influence how each wood holds fasteners, with redwood sometimes requiring pre-drilling to prevent splitting near board ends. Cedar’s softer fibers let screws and nails seat more easily, which speeds up a weekend build but can leave screws slightly looser over time as the wood expands and contracts seasonally.

Neither wood is hard enough for high-traffic commercial decking without protective finishes, but both comfortably support typical residential loads on a standard 16-inch-on-center frame. Your practical choice comes down to faster fastening (cedar) versus denser, more impact-resistant boards (redwood).

With structural behavior settled, the deciding factor for outdoor projects becomes how each board handles years of moisture and pests.

“Tip: Pre-drill the last 1.5 inches of any redwood board’s end before driving a screw or nail. Skipping this step is the single most common cause of split redwood deck boards during installation.

Natural Resistance to Rot, Insects, and Weathering

Both woods owe their outdoor reputation to chemical extractives stored in the heartwood. The specific compounds differ, and so does their long-term staying power against rot, termites, and weathering in your local climate.

Tannins and Thujaplicins at Work

Redwood’s higher tannin content gives it a measurable edge in natural insect and decay resistance, especially in damp or termite-prone regions along the Gulf Coast, the Southeast, and the Pacific Northwest. Cedar relies on naturally occurring thujaplicins for its antimicrobial protection, which perform well but degrade faster when the wood sits in constant ground contact.

If your project includes posts set directly into soil, neither heartwood extractive will outlast a concrete footing. Treat the lumber above ground, and both species will deliver decades of service with minimal intervention.

Lifespan and Weathering Patina

Untreated redwood can last 20 to 30 years outdoors, while untreated cedar typically reaches 15 to 20 years before significant surface degradation appears. These numbers assume the boards stay off the ground and receive at least an annual rinse to clear debris.

Both species weather to a silvery gray patina when left unfinished, so the long-term visual difference between them narrows if neither is stained. Many homeowners specifically choose to let the patina develop, accepting the color shift in exchange for skipping yearly staining. If you prefer the original tones, plan on a UV-inhibiting sealer every two to three years.

Resistance Factor	Cedar	Redwood
Primary protective compound	Thujaplicins	Tannins
Rot resistance (heartwood)	High	Very high
Termite resistance	Moderate	High
Ground-contact performance	Poor without treatment	Poor without treatment
Expected lifespan (untreated)	15–20 years	20–30 years

Color, Grain, and Aesthetic Character

The first thing you’ll notice in a side-by-side stack is color. Fresh cedar ranges from pale honey amber to a slightly pinkish tan, while redwood displays deeper reddish-brown to nearly burgundy tones that darken with light exposure.

Grain Pattern and Knot Character

Redwood generally carries tighter grain lines and fewer knots in higher grades like Clear All Heart, giving it a more architectural look on modern fences and sleek deck borders. Premium redwood reads almost contemporary, with clean vertical lines that suit minimalist builds.

Cedar’s grain tends to be more pronounced and variable, which many homeowners prefer for rustic fence boards, garden structures, and cabin-style siding. Knots in Select Tight Knot cedar become a design feature rather than a flaw, especially in board-and-batten siding where character matters more than uniformity.

Stain Absorption and Color Depth

Cedar often takes pigment more unevenly while redwood produces richer, more uniform color depth, making stain absorption one of the more visible differences between the two. Cedar’s wider grain can absorb stain faster on earlywood bands than on tight latewood, producing subtle tiger-striping if you skip a pre-stain conditioner.

Aesthetic choice often comes down to the style of the home. Craftsman bungalows pair well with cedar’s varied grain, while contemporary builds lean toward redwood’s smoother, deeper finish. Test any stain on a scrap piece from the same shipment before committing to the whole stack.

Once you’ve settled on an aesthetic direction, the next constraint is what the lumberyard actually stocks and charges.

Cost, Availability, and Grade Selection at the Lumberyard

Cost is where the cedar vs redwood comparison gets sharpest. Cedar runs roughly 20 to 40 percent less than comparable redwood grades, partly because redwood supply is constrained by limited harvesting regions and the legacy of old-growth depletion.

Old-Growth vs Second-Growth Pricing

A significant price premium still attaches to old-growth redwood, though younger second-growth stock is what most retailers actually stock today. True old-growth Clear All Heart redwood, with its tight grain and deep color, can run two to three times the price of a similar cedar board.

Second-growth redwood still outperforms cedar on longevity, but the visual character is slightly less dramatic. For most residential projects, second-growth redwood is the sweet spot between budget and performance.

Grading Systems and Real-World Pricing

Cedar decking grades such as Architect Clear or Select Tight Knot offer predictable appearance at moderate price points across most U.S. markets. Redwood grading runs from Construction Common up to Clear All Heart, and choosing a lower redwood grade can close the cost gap with premium cedar.

At a typical lumberyard, expect to pay roughly $4 to $6 per linear foot for premium cedar 5/4×6 decking, while comparable redwood starts around $6 to $9 per linear foot and climbs steeply from there. Check regional pricing, since shipping costs can flip the gap entirely.

Grade	Cedar Typical Use	Redwood Typical Use
Construction Common	Rarely stocked for cedar	Rough fences, structural framing
Select Tight Knot / B-grade	Rustic decking, fence boards	Mid-grade decking
Architect Clear / Clear All Heart	Premium decking, modern fences	Top-tier decking, visible siding

Sustainability, Certification, and Environmental Trade-Offs

Both species can be FSC-certified when sourced from responsibly managed forests, giving eco-conscious buyers a verifiable chain of custody. The Forest Stewardship Council label means the lumber was tracked from a certified stand through milling and distribution, not just loosely labeled as sustainable.

Regeneration and Footprint

Cedar regenerates faster and is harvested across a broader geographic range, which generally translates into a lower ecological footprint per board foot. Western Red Cedar matures in 60 to 80 years on managed timberlands, while coastal redwood can take 100+ years to reach comparable size.

That rotation difference matters because shorter cycles mean fewer years of monoculture risk, less soil compaction, and faster carbon recapture in the next stand. For most U.S. markets, FSC cedar is the easier eco-certified board to source.

Sourcing Transparency and Shipping Distance

Redwood’s restricted range and the legacy of old-growth depletion make sourcing transparency especially important when buying redwood lumber. Ask the dealer for the mill of origin and the FSC certificate number; legitimate redwood dealers will have paperwork ready.

Local sourcing matters too: shipping cedar from the Pacific Northwest to the East Coast can erase some of its sustainability advantage over regional alternatives like FSC-certified domestic pine or reclaimed lumber. Calculate the carbon cost of trucking before committing to a coastal softwood if you live in the Midwest or South.

“Tip: A pressure-treated Southern Pine post may carry a smaller carbon footprint than a cedar post shipped 3,000 miles, even though cedar is the more durable species. Match the wood to the climate AND the distance it travels.

Matching the Right Wood to Your Specific Project

Now that the durability, cost, and sustainability gaps are clear, the final decision comes down to where and how you’re building. Each species shines in different applications, and the wrong match can leave you re-doing a fence in eight years.

Best Use Cases by Project Type

For high-visibility decks where rich color and maximum lifespan matter most, redwood’s durability and appearance justify its premium price for many homeowners. The deeper tone ages beautifully under a quality penetrating oil and resists the dings of patio furniture better than cedar.

For fences, garden beds, and larger structures where budget drives the decision, cedar delivers excellent rot resistance at a more accessible cost per linear foot. A cedar privacy fence around a half-acre lot will cost thousands less than the same fence in redwood, and the visual difference at typical fence height is subtle.

For siding in moderate climates, both species perform comparably when properly flashed and ventilated, so aesthetic preference and local availability should guide the choice. Pair cedar siding with rainscreen detailing in wet zones; pair redwood siding with simple lap joints in drier regions.

When Neither Wood Is the Right Answer

For ground-contact or structural posts, neither wood is ideal without treatment; consider concrete footings or pressure-treated lumber regardless of which species you select. Heartwood extractives break down quickly in constant soil contact, and even the best redwood post will rot at the ground line within a decade if buried.

If your project demands a tropical hardwood alternative, look at FSC-certified ipe or cumaru for high-end decks. For a budget-friendly deck that still performs, modern pressure-treated lumber with a water-repellent treatment often outlasts either softwood at a fraction of the cost.

Weighing all those factors, the real question is which softwood,if either,deserves your investment.

Bottom Line

Pick redwood when long lifespan, deep color, and maximum natural resistance justify the 20–40% price premium on a visible deck or accent project. Pick cedar when budget, wider availability, and easier fastening make it the practical choice for fences, large structures, and most backyard builds. Either way, source FSC-certified lumber, keep the boards off the ground, and plan on a UV-protecting sealer if you want to preserve the original tones.

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