Vinyl vs Wood Fence in Ontario: Cost Comparison Over 20 Years

The Price Tag on Day One

Sticker shock pushes many Ontario homeowners toward wood, because the first quote looks friendlier. In 2026, a pressure-treated wood fence runs about $55 to $90 per linear foot installed in our area, while vinyl runs about $80 to $130 per linear foot installed. On a typical 100 foot backyard, that is roughly $5,500 to $9,000 for wood against $8,000 to $13,000 for vinyl. Case closed? Not quite. A fence is a 20 year purchase, and the day one price is only the opening bid. Two notes before the math. Cedar is the premium wood route at $125 to $300 per linear foot installed, so we will compare vinyl with pressure-treated wood, the pairing most homeowners actually weigh. And both fences need posts set below the frost line, about 4 feet (1.2 m) down, to survive Ontario winters.

What Wood Asks of You After Year One

Wood is organic. In our freeze-thaw climate it needs steady care to reach old age:

• Staining every 2 to 3 years. Hire it out and expect roughly $600 to $1,000 per round on 100 feet. Do it yourself and stain plus supplies run about $150 to $250, plus a weekend of your time.
• Board and post repairs. Repairs start at about $130 a visit. Over two decades, budget $1,000 to $1,500 for split boards, popped fasteners and the odd post reset.

Vinyl asks for almost nothing. It never rots, never needs stain, and washes clean with a garden hose. The Vinyl Institute notes that PVC products last for decades with minimal upkeep. Budget a few hundred dollars across 20 years for a panel cracked by a storm or a stray snowblower.

The 20 Year Math on a 100 Foot Fence

Take mid range installs: $7,000 for wood and $10,500 for vinyl. Staining every 2 to 3 years means about seven rounds over 20 years.

• Wood, maintenance hired out: $7,000 install, about $5,600 in staining, and $1,200 in repairs. Total near $13,800.
• Wood, you stain it yourself: $7,000 install, about $1,400 in stain, and $1,200 in repairs. Total near $9,600, plus seven working weekends.
• Vinyl: $10,500 install and about $500 in odd repairs. Total near $11,000.

The honest pattern: if you pay pros to maintain wood, vinyl usually pulls ahead around year 12 to 15. If you happily stain your own fence, wood keeps its lead for the full 20 years.

Look, Feel and Fixes

Numbers are not the whole story. Wood takes stain in any colour, ages into character, and a single broken board is a cheap ten minute swap. Vinyl looks crisp for decades, but the colour you buy is the colour you keep, and damage usually means replacing a full panel, so ask your installer to leave a spare. For privacy, wind resistance and property lines, the two perform much the same.

Our Honest Verdict

• Choose vinyl if you want the lowest 20 year total without ever lifting a brush. Start with our vinyl and PVC fencing service.
• Choose wood if the upfront budget rules, you love the natural look, or you do not mind the upkeep. Our wood fence installation page covers species and styles.
• Either way, full material pricing lives in our Ontario fence cost guide.

Run Your Own Numbers

Every yard changes the math, so measure yours and try the online cost calculator for both materials. Then book a free estimate and we will price wood and vinyl side by side, with the 20 year picture on the table before you sign anything.