Imagine two quotes for the same 60 feet of fence. Both say “shadowbox, 6 feet, cedar.” One shows a neat photo of boards; the other has a sketch with the posts showing on the house side. They may describe the same fence or two very different ones, and nobody finds out until it is built.

That gap is easy to close before anyone digs a hole. Pick a look you like from your own chair, about 4 feet back from the boards, then make sure the other face, the gate and the ends are spelled out too. Your view counts, even if the brochure only photographs the other side.

First come 18 fence looks. Then the less glamorous part: naming board patterns, what to ask about each face, how wood movement affects joints, a finish you can keep up and what belongs in the quote.

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18 wood privacy fence looks with both faces considered

Some change the board pattern. Others change the top, the color or where the fence meets the garden. Picture each one from your yard and from next door.

1. Use alternating boards for shared rhythm

Boards fixed on alternate sides of the rails, often called shadowbox, give both neighbors a similar board pattern. On a typical 6 foot fence with 1×6 boards, each board usually overlaps its neighbors on the other side by about 1 to 2 inches, so straight-on views are blocked while air still moves through.

From a sharp angle you can see between the layers. Rails and posts may still show on one or both sides, so ask to see both faces drawn.

2. Repeat narrow vertical slats

Slats 2 to 4 inches wide, repeated in a long vertical rhythm, look tailored and make a short fence feel taller. They suit modern and mid-century houses.

Narrow slats mean many more joints. Each joint is a place a small gap can open as the wood dries, so decide early if you want the slats tight or spaced about 1/4 to 1/2 inch apart on purpose.

3. Set horizontal boards in framed bays

Horizontal boards held inside a picture frame of posts and trim give clean lines and a finished edge on each bay. The frame also hides the board ends.

Long horizontal boards can sag. Many installers keep bays to about 6 feet or add a center stud, so ask how the boards will be supported across each opening.

4. Add a lattice crown for a lighter top

A band of lattice, usually 12 to 24 inches tall, on top of a solid fence lets light through and softens the top edge. It reads more like a garden wall than a barrier.

Many towns limit backyard fences to about 6 feet, and the lattice often counts toward that height. Check before you design the crown, not after.

5. Vary board widths within one palette

Mixing 4, 6 and 8 inch boards (actual widths run about 1/2 inch narrower) in a repeating pattern adds interest without new materials or colors. It works in vertical or horizontal fences.

Write the sequence down for the installer, such as 6-4-8-4, or the pattern will drift along the run.

6. Use board-on-board for a deeper shadow

Board-on-board puts a first layer of boards with gaps, then a second layer over the gaps on the same side. The overlap, often 1 to 1.5 inches per edge, gives strong straight-on screening and a pleasing ridged shadow.

Because both layers sit on one side, the other face usually shows posts and rails. It also uses about 30 to 50 percent more boards than a single row.

7. Step the fence with the grade

On a sloping yard, each 6 to 8 foot section can step down like stairs, keeping the top of every bay level. Stepped fences look neat and keep board patterns square.

Each step leaves a triangle-shaped gap at the bottom. Ask how it will be filled, and how post caps will line up at each change in height.

8. Frame a garden window in one bay

A single framed opening, perhaps 2 by 3 feet, in one bay borrows a view of a tree or a far field. It breaks up a long solid run and gives the eye somewhere to rest.

Place it where nobody looks straight back in, usually above a bed rather than across from a neighbor’s patio.

9. Turn posts into planting markers

If posts show on your side, make them part of the design. Cap them (post caps usually run $3 to $15 each), stain them a shade darker and plant a clump of grasses or a shrub at every second post.

Keep plants 18 to 24 inches off the fence so air reaches the boards and you can still get in to inspect the post bases.

10. Use a dark stain behind pale foliage

A charcoal, black or deep brown stain makes silver, lime and white-flowered plants glow in front of it. Dark fences also tend to recede, which can make a small yard feel less boxed in.

Dark colors absorb heat and can show fading in full sun. Test a sample board in the spot that gets 6 or more hours of sun for 3 to 4 weeks before committing.

11. Keep natural weathering as the finish

Unfinished cedar usually weathers to a soft silver gray within 6 to 12 months. I like that look, and there’s no coating to peel.

Gray is not the same as maintenance-free. Boards still need cleaning, and unprotected wood checks and cups more over time. Decide now, because stripping a gray surface later is more work than staining new boards.

12. Add a bench without hiding inspection points

A slim bench along the fence turns a boundary into a sitting spot. A depth of about 16 to 18 inches is enough for a seat.

Keep it freestanding or easy to remove, and leave a gap of a few inches from the boards. You want to see the post bases and rails, where rot usually starts.

13. Create a gate that reads as one panel

A gate clad in the same boards and lined up with the fence pattern almost disappears. A 36 to 48 inch opening suits most garden paths and wheelbarrows.

The back of a gate always shows its frame and bracing. Ask which side that faces before it is built.

14. Use trim to finish both sides

A cap rail along the top and trim boards over the rails can make the back face look nearly as tidy as the front. A 2×6 cap, about 5.5 inches wide, also sheds rain from the board ends.

Extra trim adds cost and joints. Put it where it shows most, often the face toward your patio.

15. Break a long run with a planted recess

Set one 8 foot section back 2 to 3 feet to make a pocket for a small tree or a shrub that tops out around 6 to 8 feet. It gives a long fence some depth and a place for the eye to land.

The recess has to stay on your land and within any setback rules, so mark it on the plan from the start.

16. Keep soil and irrigation off the boards

Boards that end about 2 inches above the soil, with a gravel strip below, stay drier and last longer. Many builders add a kickboard at the bottom that can be replaced on its own.

Point sprinklers and drip lines away from the fence. Wood that is wet every day weathers far faster than wood that dries between rains.

17. Let the house material guide the color

Pull the fence color from the house: the brick’s darkest tone, the trim or the shingles. Matched well, the fence looks like it came with the house.

Look at a stained sample next to the house in morning and evening light, since colors shift a lot outdoors. If you are fencing the front, front yard privacy landscaping that respects street rules covers the lower heights often allowed there.

18. Plan the maintenance side before planting

Before planting along the fence, decide how you will reach the far face. If the neighbor’s side needs staining every few years, you need their agreement or a design that doesn’t depend on it.

On your side, leave a strip of 18 to 24 inches between beds and boards, or plant in a way you can step through. A fence buried in shrubs cannot be stained or repaired.

Separate board direction from the way the boards meet

Direction and arrangement are two different choices. Horizontal boards give a calm, long line; vertical boards give rhythm and height. Neither one tells you whether there will be gaps, and a flat or curved top only changes the outline.

In a small yard, long horizontal lines can make a boundary feel wider, while narrow vertical boards make it feel taller. That is a matter of taste, not a rule. Choose the direction you like, then choose how the boards meet.

Side-by-side boards make the joints part of the design

A single layer of boards placed edge to edge is the simplest privacy fence. It looks solid when new, but the joints are part of the look, and they can open as the wood dries.

Ask the installer how they will space the boards for the condition of the wood they are using, and don’t expect a new fence to stay gap-free forever. If you want to check how much a proposed pattern shows from your chair, hold up a sample board and look before ordering.

Overlapping boards and alternating faces are different details

Overlapping boards sit on the same side of the rail, each one covering the edge of the next. Alternating boards (shadowbox) sit on opposite sides of the rail, so one face sees board, gap, board and the other face sees the same in reverse.

Sellers use these names loosely, so ask for a simple top-down sketch: a line for the rail and rectangles for the boards. That one drawing settles which side gets which look. Alternating boards can show through at an angle, depending on overlap and depth. The sketch is for agreeing on looks; the structure itself is the builder’s job.

Ask to see the house-facing and neighbor-facing elevations

An elevation is a straight-on drawing of one face of the fence. Ask for two, labeled “house side” and “neighbor side,” instead of “front” and “back” or “good side.” On each one, mark posts, rails, board edges, the cap, the gate and anything that changes at the ends.

A fence can show boards on both faces and still show the framing differently. Shadowbox fences often leave posts visible on one side and partly visible on the other. The label alone does not settle it.

Go back to those two quotes. Quote A has a photo of one face and the phrase “double-sided privacy.” Quote B has both faces drawn, with the posts marked on the house side. B is clearer. That doesn’t make it better built or worth more money. For A, just ask for the missing face before signing.

Carry the chosen detail through the gate and the end

Most drawings show a repeating middle section. Ask to see the gate, the last panel against the house and any corner, because that is where patterns end awkwardly and framing shows.

I’d ask three things. How does the board pattern stop at an end post, which way does the gate frame face, and what happens where the ground rises or falls? Those are questions about looks and scope; the builder decides bracing and slope details.

Include wood movement in the joint discussion

Wood swells when wet and shrinks as it dries, mostly across its width. A freshly treated 6 inch board can lose roughly 1/8 to 1/4 inch of width as it dries out, which is enough to open a visible gap in a side-by-side fence.

Compare a sample simply labeled “cedar” with a quote that lists the species, grade, board size and whether the wood is kiln-dried, air-dried or freshly treated. The second gives the installer what they need to plan the joints. “Cedar” alone does not.

A pin-type moisture meter, usually $20 to $50, lets you see whether boards are still wet before staining. Many stain makers want readings below about 15 percent, so follow the instructions on your finish. One reading is a guide for timing, not a sign-off on the fence.

Choose a finish you can care for on the actual fence

Pick color and upkeep together. A clear or lightly tinted finish shows the grain but usually needs renewing sooner; a semi-transparent stain often lasts 2 to 4 years on a sunny fence; a solid stain lasts longer but can peel and is harder to change later.

Ask for the full system in writing: product, surface preparation, the weather it needs to go on (often above 50°F and no rain for 24 hours) and the upkeep the maker recommends. Paint a sample on a scrap of the same wood and let it sit outside for a few weeks. A color on a screen tells you very little.

Then think about reach. Which faces need coating? Can you get to the far side without asking a neighbor? Is a flower bed going to block the bottom 2 feet? A simple, maintainable finish beats an ambitious one you can’t renew. A good stain brush, usually 4 to 6 inches wide, speeds the work on rough boards.

Put the complete fence idea into the quotation

Pull every decision into one short page that each installer prices against. That way you compare the same fence, not just the style names or the totals.

• Location and length, with the confirmed property line.
• Height, and how changing ground will be handled.
• Two labeled elevations: house side and neighbor side.
• Board direction and a top-down sketch of the arrangement.
• Visible framing, cap, end and gate details.
• Wood species, grade, board size and condition.
• Finish system, and who applies it.
• Who installs, and how future work on both faces will be reached.

Mark anything still waiting on the builder or supplier. Before digging, call 811 at least a few working days ahead so buried lines get marked, and confirm the property line, height limits and any HOA rules with the owner or your local office. Comparing costs is its own job; privacy fence ideas on a budget works through the money side. If wood isn’t the right fit at all, a bamboo privacy fence is worth a look.

FAQ

Does a shadowbox fence always hide the posts on both sides?

No. Shadowbox boards alternate on both sides of the rails, but posts are often still visible on one side and partly visible on the other. It depends on where the rails sit and whether trim covers them. Ask for both faces drawn with the posts marked.

Are horizontal boards automatically more private than vertical boards?

No. Privacy depends on gaps and overlap, not direction. A tight vertical board-on-board fence can screen better than horizontal boards spaced 1/2 inch apart. Pick direction for looks, then choose the arrangement for privacy.

What is the difference between overlapping boards and alternating boards?

Overlapping boards sit on the same side of the rail, each covering about 1 inch or more of its neighbor. Alternating boards sit on opposite sides of the rail, so both faces show boards and air can pass between them. A quick top-down sketch makes the difference obvious.

Why might gaps appear in a new wood fence as it dries?

Wood shrinks across its width as moisture leaves it, especially freshly treated lumber. A 6 inch board can narrow by roughly 1/8 to 1/4 inch in its first months. Check whether the gaps are even and the boards are still firmly fixed; if a board is loose or split, that is a repair question for the installer.

How do I decide which fence face should point toward my yard?

Start with local rules, since some towns and HOAs require the finished face to point outward. Within those rules, decide which view matters more to you and which side you can maintain. If the rule says the nicer face goes out, consider a shadowbox or added trim so your side looks finished too.

What should a wood fence quote show besides its style name?

It should show both faces, a top-down board sketch, height, length, gate and end details, wood species and grade, the finish and who applies it. “Shadowbox” or “privacy” alone can describe several different fences. Ask for anything missing in writing.

Should I choose the fence color before deciding how to maintain it?

Choose them together. A dark solid stain and a natural clear finish need very different upkeep, and both need you to reach every face. If you can’t reach the far side every few years, pick a finish you can leave to weather there.

Final thoughts

A wood fence is easiest to agree on when you and the builder can point to the same board sketch and the same finished face. Board direction, arrangement and finish are separate choices. Paper and a pencil settle all of them.

Take the fence photo you saved and ask your installer for the missing face and a top-down board sketch before you sign. For finish choices, the USDA Forest Service chapter on exterior wood finishes explains how different coatings protect and weather on outdoor wood.

Last update on 2026-10-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API