Rough-sawn cedar or smooth boards for a Gloucester fence?

Both rough-sawn and smooth cedar are permitted under the City of Ottawa Fence By-law, as published on ottawa.ca, provided the fence meets the by-law's height limits, has its finished side facing the street and neighbouring properties, and is kept in good repair. Cedar is one of the materials the by-law specifically excepts from the requirement to apply paint, preservatives or another weather-resistant coating, so either surface texture qualifies on that point.

The choice between the two comes down to what you want the fence to look like and what you ask the installer to specify in writing.

Rough-sawn cedar has a textured face left from the mill cut; smooth boards are planed to a consistent face. Ask the installer to tell you the actual board dimensions being quoted (nominal sizing and actual thickness both), the grade of cedar, and whether the boards are kiln-dried or green. Those are things to confirm in the quote, not assumptions to make.

A few things that affect what shows up in a cedar fence quote: the height and total length of the run, the number and size of gates (priced separately, with pedestrian gates running about $500 to $1,500 and driveway gates about $800 to $2,200 based on published 2025-26 Ontario installer pricing), whether an old fence needs to come out (roughly $5 to $15 per linear foot, more where posts are set in concrete), and the post method. The installed price for cedar fence runs about $45 to $85 per linear foot based on published 2025-26 Ontario installer pricing; rough-sawn and smooth boards can fall anywhere in that spread depending on grade and style, so ask for both options to be quoted as separate line items so you can compare directly.

The single most useful question to put to an installer before you sign: ask them to write the cedar grade, board thickness, and whether the lumber is kiln-dried or green directly into the quote, so you know exactly what you are getting for the price.