Somebody at the block party swore cedar lasts forever, and somebody else said theirs went grey in a year. They were both partly right, and neither of them told you how the sections are nailed, which matters more on a Long Island lot that drops toward the back.
Spruce or cedar, as local yards sell it
| Spruce stockade | Cedar | |
|---|---|---|
| How Above All builds it | 3/4 inch pickets, single nailed so the section can rack | 100 percent cedar boards, rails and pickets, double nailed |
| Heights Above All lists | 4, 5 and 6 foot by 8 foot sections | 6 by 8 foot sections |
| Grades | #1, with limited #2 at 6 feet | None listed |
| Styles Above All lists | Stockade | Dog ear, tongue and groove with a mid rail, tongue and groove with a diagonal or square lattice top |
Source: Above All Fence spruce and cedar pages (October 2026).
Family Fence in Bellmore carries spruce, white cedar and red cedar, in heights from 3 to 8 feet, and says most of its wood products can be customized. Priority Fence in Farmingville sells wood fencing and post and rail fencing as well as installing them.
When the yard is not flat
Single nailing is the reason Above All gives for its spruce sections: it lets the section rack, leaning to follow the ground instead of stepping down in blocks. Its cedar sections are double nailed. Cedar can still go on a slope. Just ask each installer how they would handle yours, and get the answer on the quote.
Letting it go grey or keeping it stained
Western Forest Products mills western red cedar, and its fencing page sets out both choices. Leave it unfinished and it ages to a silvery grey with little effort but less protection. Stain it and you keep the color and extend its life, but you have to keep staining. It also says to use galvanized or stainless steel fasteners, because ordinary nails bleed rust marks into the wood.
Which side faces out
Brookhaven’s fence diagram and Huntington’s filing guidelines do not say which side has to face the neighbor, so it is something to agree on rather than a rule to look up. Family Fence offers a tongue and groove fence that looks the same on both sides, which it calls the “perfectly good neighbor” fence.
Questions for a wood fence installer
- Spruce or cedar, which grade, and which style name? Section 771 of the General Business Law says the contract has to describe the materials.
- Are the nails galvanized or stainless?
- How will you handle the slope: racked sections or stepped?
- Is the gate built to match? Above All builds its cedar and spruce gates to order.
- If part of the old fence is fine, can it be repaired instead? Priority Fence repairs stockade, vinyl and chain link fences.
A thin wood fence quote
- Says “wood” with no species or grade.
- Gives a height that needs a permit in your town without mentioning one. In Brookhaven that is a 6 foot fence on the property line; in Huntington it is anything 6 feet and up.
- Leaves out the gate, so it shows up later as an extra.
If you are still deciding between wood and plastic, the vinyl fence page covers the other side, and the gates page covers gate posts, hinges and latches.