Cedar fence lumber comes in three main grades: Clear (no visible knots, premium), Select (small tight knots, mid-tier), and Knotty (character grade with visible knots). The grade affects appearance and price but does not significantly change how long the fence lasts. Most residential cedar fences in central Ohio are installed in Select or Knotty grade.
If you have shopped for a cedar fence in the last year, you have probably run into terms like Clear, Select, and Knotty on the estimate. At Fence Company of Columbus, we walk homeowners through the grade options at every cedar estimate. Here is what the grades actually mean, and how to pick the right one for your project.
Clear cedar is the top grade. The boards are milled from the outer sections of the log where the wood is denser, straighter, and free of knots. The result is a smooth face with tight vertical grain and no visible defects. Clear cedar photographs the best and reads as the most refined option in person.
The premium runs 30 to 60 percent above Knotty grade. It is common on high-end residential projects, front-yard picket runs where every detail is visible, and homeowners who prefer the clean grain look over the character of natural knots.
Select cedar is the sweet spot for most homeowners. The boards have small, tight knots scattered throughout, but no large knots or loose defects. The face still reads clean from a normal viewing distance, and the wood behaves nearly identically to Clear grade over time.
Select cedar costs about 15 to 25 percent above Knotty. It is the grade we install most often on shadowbox, board on board, and horizontal cedar fences where the boards are the visual focus of the fence.
Knotty cedar has larger, more visible knots and some minor imperfections. It is the most affordable grade and the one most homeowners associate with a natural, rustic cedar look. The wood still resists rot and insects the same way higher grades do. The difference is purely visual.
Knotty cedar is the standard for dog ear privacy fences, split rail with cedar rails, and situations where the visible knots read as character rather than defect. It is also the right choice when the fence is going to weather to silver gray anyway and the initial appearance matters less.
Not significantly. All three cedar grades resist rot and insects because of the natural oils in the wood, not because of the grade. A properly installed cedar fence in central Ohio lasts 20 to 30 years regardless of which grade you choose. The variables that actually affect lifespan are post depth, concrete footings, hardware quality, and whether the fence gets sealed.
The grade choice is aesthetic and budget-driven. Once the wood weathers to silver gray after a year or two, the grade differences fade further because the eye stops tracking individual knots and starts reading the overall line.
For a highly visible front yard picket or a modern horizontal fence where the grain is the focal point, yes. For a standard 6 foot backyard privacy fence, most homeowners find Select or Knotty grade indistinguishable at a normal viewing distance.
Effectively yes. Cedar's rot and insect resistance comes from the natural oils in the heartwood, which are present in all grades. Installation quality matters far more than grade for fence longevity.
Yes, and some homeowners do. Clear cedar on street-facing sections, Select or Knotty on the rest. The transition needs to be planned so the grade change happens at a natural break in the line, like a corner or gate.
Select and Knotty are the most common grades locally. Clear cedar is reserved for premium projects or highly visible installs.
At Fence Company of Columbus, we walk homeowners through cedar grade options in person and match the grade to the specific project rather than pushing one option across the board.
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Written by the team at Fence Company of Columbus, updated July 2026.
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