Both wood and vinyl have real pros and cons in northwest Louisiana’s hot, humid climate. Here’s the honest tradeoff so you can pick the right one for your yard.

The upfront cost

Wood wins on day one. A 6-ft cedar privacy fence runs $26–$32/ft installed; comparable vinyl privacy runs $32–$48/ft. On a 150-ft project that’s roughly a $1,200–$2,400 difference.

The long-term cost

Vinyl wins here. Vinyl needs a rinse with a garden hose once a year and that’s it. Wood needs cleaning + sealing every 2–3 years ($200–$500 each time) and eventually plank replacement.

The look

Wood has natural warmth and grain that most homeowners prefer aesthetically. Vinyl is clean, uniform, and stays looking brand-new for decades but can look plastic-y up close. Faux-wood-grain vinyl is a nice middle ground.

The Louisiana climate factor

Our humidity, UV, and pop-up storms are brutal on both. Wood swells, cracks, and molds if not sealed. Vinyl handles humidity great but low-quality vinyl gets brittle from UV over 15+ years. Only buy commercial-grade vinyl from established manufacturers — the cheap online stuff is not worth it.

Our recommendation

For most Shreveport homeowners: cedar wood if you love wood’s look and don’t mind sealing every couple of years, vinyl if you want to install once and forget about it. Both are great; the wrong choice is cheap pine with unsealed posts.