Both build a real wood fence. The choice is not quality against junk, it is lumber cost against looks and stability. Pressure-treated is the budget pick that most fences are still built from. Cedar is the upgrade the customer pays more for and sees every day.
What pressure-treated gives you
Treated pine or fir is the cheapest way to a solid wood fence. The lumber is chemically treated to resist rot and insects, and boards rated for ground contact hold up in the dirt where fences take the most abuse. The trade-off is movement. As treated boards dry out they can warp, cup, and twist, and the greenish tint fades to gray unless it gets stained. For a customer who wants privacy at the lowest price, none of that is a dealbreaker.
What cedar gives you
Cedar carries its own oils that fight rot and bugs without chemicals. It is lighter, more stable, and stays straighter over the years, so fewer boards go crooked on you. It takes stain evenly and, left alone, weathers to an even silver-gray instead of a blotchy one. You pay for all of that in the lumber, which runs higher per board than treated. The labor to build the fence is close to the same either way.
Where the cost shows up
The gap is almost entirely in the boards, not the build. Our example wood privacy fence rates run by height, from $28 per linear foot at 4 feet to $52 at 8 feet. Those are example rates, not market prices, and they do not split the species out, because the contractor sets his own rate for the lumber he buys. When you quote cedar, you carry the higher board cost into your per-foot number and the customer sees one clean price. Run your own on the wood privacy fence calculator, or the horizontal fence calculator for a modern board-on-frame look that often gets built in cedar.
Which to quote
Quote pressure-treated when budget leads and the customer just wants a straight, private fence. Quote cedar when they care how it looks from the patio and want it to stay straight for years. Either way the method is the same: price the run, add gates and tear-out, and hand over one number. How to price a fence job walks the whole quote, and wood vs vinyl fence covers the next fork if they are weighing wood against no-maintenance vinyl.
PriceDesk puts your fence rates on your phone so the quote goes out while you are still at the property. Free for 14 days, no card to start. Text or call (949) 867-1993.