Composite or cedar for a modern fence in Orleans?

Both composite and cedar can work well for a modern fence in Orleans. Published 2025-26 Ontario installer pricing puts cedar at about $45 to $85 per linear foot installed, and composite at about $55 to $95 or more per linear foot installed, so the two published ranges overlap, with composite's starting higher.

What moves the price around for either material includes the height of the fence, the total length of the run, the number and size of gates, whether an old fence needs to come out first, and how the posts are set. Gates are priced separately: a walk gate runs roughly $500 to $1,500 and a driveway gate roughly $800 to $2,200. Ask each installer to break those out as their own line in the quote so you can compare clearly.

A few rules from the City of Ottawa Fence By-law (No. 2003-462) apply to either material. A berm does not raise that limit. The finished side of the fence must face the street and your neighbours. Under the by-law, every fence material except cedar, redwood and treated wood must be protected by paint, preservatives or another weather-resistant material. Cedar is excepted from that rule; composite is not, so ask the installer what the manufacturer specifies for the product they plan to use and get that in writing.

No building permit is needed for a residential fence in Orleans that does not enclose a pool.

If you are unsure, talk to a surveyor before the posts go in. The request form on this site reaches fence installers listed in the Ottawa Construction Network directory.

Before committing to either material, ask the installer to show you the specific product they plan to use and explain in writing how it meets the by-law's coating or maintenance requirement for that material.