Cedar that weathers to silver against the foothills or stains to match your front door. Real wood, built to handle the altitude, the clay, and the winters between American Fork and Alpine.
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We get it. You moved to Lehi partly for the mountain views and the open feel of the valley, and a row of white plastic panels around your backyard does not exactly capture that vibe. A cedar fence does. It picks up the colors of the foothills -- the sage, the tan, the warm brown of exposed sandstone along the bench above American Fork. Left natural, cedar weathers to a silver-grey that looks like it has been there forever. Stained, it can match anything from a modern farmhouse in Vineyard to a craftsman in Pleasant Grove. Wood has a texture and warmth that vinyl simply cannot fake.
The honest trade-off is maintenance. At 4,500 feet, with UV radiation roughly 25 percent stronger than at sea level and winters that dump over 50 inches of snow, wood takes a beating that lower-elevation cities never experience. That is why species selection matters here more than almost anywhere. Western red cedar is our default recommendation because its natural oils resist rot, insects, and moisture cycling without chemical treatment. For homeowners watching the budget, pressure-treated pine performs well -- the preservatives are forced deep into the fibers -- but it needs re-staining every two to three years to keep the UV at bay. Cedar can go longer between coats. Either way, you are trading some sweat equity for a fence that actually has character.
Style-wise, we build whatever fits your yard and your neighborhood. Board-on-board is our most popular design because it looks finished from both sides -- your neighbor sees the same fence you do, which matters when lots are tight. Dog-ear privacy fences are the workhorse for full seclusion on a budget. Shadowbox designs let the canyon breezes through while still blocking most of the view. And for the bigger parcels up in Highland, Alpine, and the equestrian properties along the east bench, split-rail and post-and-rail give you a boundary without walling off the Timpanogos view.
The ground under your fence matters as much as the wood above it, and North Utah County does not make it easy. East of I-15, from the Lehi bench up through Cedar Hills and Highland, you are digging into rocky clay hardpan that can crack a standard auger bit. West toward Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain, the soil shifts to loose, alkaline sand left behind by ancient Lake Bonneville. Both types require adjustments. On the rocky bench, we bring hydraulic equipment that punches through the clay. Near the lake, we widen the footings so the concrete has more surface area to grip the softer ground. Same result either way: posts that stay plumb through ten years of wind and frost.
Every post sits in concrete at least 30 inches deep -- past the frost line -- so the March freeze-thaw cycle does not shove them out of alignment. On properties that face the Point of the Mountain wind corridor head-on, we go deeper and bump up the post diameter on long runs. A wood fence catches more wind than people realize, and the difference between a fence that lasts 8 years and one that lasts 20 is almost entirely about what is happening underground.
We show up with a measuring wheel and stain samples. We walk the perimeter, check the grade, poke at the soil to see what we are dealing with, and talk through cedar versus pine, board-on-board versus dog-ear, and whatever your HOA requires. You get a written number before we leave.
We file with Lehi City and call Blue Stakes to flag every buried line. This is not optional -- in the fast-built neighborhoods west of I-15, gas and fiber lines are not always where the plat says they are. We wait for the paint before we dig.
Thirty inches minimum, concrete in every hole, past the frost line. On the rocky bench east of Lehi we bring the hydraulic auger. Near Utah Lake where the soil is alkaline sand, we use wider footings. The rails go on after the concrete cures -- stainless-steel or hot-dipped galvanized fasteners only, because regular screws rust out in three winters here.
Every board is individually set -- checked for plumb, spaced consistently, and trimmed to follow the grade. On a flat Saratoga Springs lot that is straightforward. On a Traverse Mountain hillside with a six-foot elevation drop, it means a careful combination of stepped and racked sections. We can stain on-site the same day if you want immediate protection.
We walk the line with you and point out every detail. If a board is not right, we swap it before we leave. All cutoffs, sawdust, and concrete bags get hauled out. You end the day with a wood fence and a clean yard.
Cedar contains natural oils called thujaplicins that repel moisture, insects, and fungal decay without any chemical treatment. At Lehi's elevation, the UV radiation is significantly stronger than at sea level, and the humidity swings between bone-dry summers and wet, freezing winters are extreme. Cedar's natural resistance handles both ends of that spectrum. Pressure-treated pine can work too, but it relies on chemical preservatives that break down faster under intense UV, which means more frequent re-staining to maintain the same protection.
That depends on your home's exterior and the surrounding terrain. Against the brown and sage foothills east of I-15, warm semi-transparent stains in honey, golden oak, or cedar-tone blend naturally. In the newer neighborhoods closer to Utah Lake, darker walnut and weathered-grey tones tend to complement the modern farmhouse styles popular in Vineyard and Saratoga Springs. We bring stain samples to the estimate so you can hold them up next to your siding in actual sunlight.
We have two approaches depending on the slope and your preference. Stepped installation keeps each panel level and steps down at each post, leaving small triangular gaps at the base that we can fill with kickboard or gravel board. Racked installation angles each panel to follow the slope continuously, which gives a smoother look on gradual slopes. Steep lots on the Traverse Mountain hillside above SR-92 usually get a combination of both techniques depending on which section of the fence faces which direction.
High pH soil can accelerate decay in untreated wood, which is why we never set bare wood posts directly into the ground anywhere in our service area. Every post goes into a concrete footing, which creates a barrier between the wood and the surrounding soil. For properties in the western parts of Lehi, Saratoga Springs, and Eagle Mountain where alkaline hardpan is common, we also recommend pressure-treated posts rated for ground contact even when surrounded by concrete. Belt and suspenders.
If your HOA nixed the wood idea -- or you simply do not want to re-stain every few years -- we install vinyl that looks sharp and lasts decades with zero upkeep.
Learn MoreCedar, vinyl, or composite -- we build privacy fences in whatever handles your lot and your HOA. Tongue-and-groove, board-on-board, and lattice-top designs for every Lehi neighborhood.
Learn MoreLeaning posts from last winter? Boards that split in the July heat? We repair and restore existing wood fences across North Utah County -- sometimes a fix is all you need.
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