What's the difference between a good neighbour fence and a standard fence and which should I install in Vancouver?

A good neighbour fence (also called a shadowbox or board-on-board fence) has boards alternating on both sides of the rails, so it looks identical from either side — your neighbour sees the same finished face you do. A standard privacy fence has all boards on one side, meaning one side shows the finished face and the other exposes the posts and rails.

The Key Structural Difference

On a standard privacy fence, boards are attached flush to one side of the horizontal rails. The result is a clean, flat face on one side and an exposed frame — posts, top rail, middle rail, bottom rail — on the other. Whoever gets the "back" side sees the structural skeleton of the fence rather than a finished surface. In Vancouver neighbourhoods where lots are close together and fences sit directly on shared property lines, this creates an obvious question: whose side gets the finished face?

The traditional answer is that the finished side faces outward — toward your neighbour or the street — with the posts and rails on your side. This is considered good practice under BC fencing norms and is referenced in the BC Property Law Act framework around shared boundary structures. In practice, though, this means you're looking at the back of your own fence from your yard, which many homeowners find unsatisfying after spending $5,000-$8,000 on a new cedar fence.

A board-on-board fence solves this entirely. Boards are attached alternately — one board on the front face, the next on the back face, overlapping slightly — so both sides present a finished appearance. There are no exposed rails visible from either property. Both you and your neighbour see the same fence. This is why it's called a "good neighbour" design.

Visual Privacy and Wind Performance

Board-on-board fences actually provide better wind resistance than flat-panel privacy fences, which is a meaningful consideration in Metro Vancouver. Solid panels act as wind sails — in North Shore communities like North Vancouver and West Vancouver where outflow winds can hit 80-100 km/h in winter storms, a solid 6 ft cedar fence puts enormous lateral load on the posts. The slight gaps in a board-on-board design allow wind to pass through while still blocking sightlines from normal viewing angles. You get full visual privacy with meaningfully less structural stress on your posts and footings.

The overlap between boards is typically 1-1.5 inches on each side, which means sightlines are blocked at any straight-on angle. You'd only see through the fence at a sharp oblique angle, which isn't a realistic concern in most residential settings.

Cost Difference

Board-on-board fencing uses roughly 15-25% more lumber than a standard flat-panel fence because boards cover both sides of the rails. In Metro Vancouver's market, a standard 6 ft cedar privacy fence runs $40-$70 per linear foot installed, while a board-on-board design typically runs $50-$80 per linear foot. On a 100 linear foot run, that's roughly a $1,000-$2,000 premium — meaningful, but often worth it for the neighbourly benefit and improved wind performance.

Which Should You Install in Vancouver?

For most Metro Vancouver homeowners, board-on-board is the better choice whenever the fence sits on or near a shared property line. The reasons stack up quickly: it eliminates the awkward conversation about who gets the "good side," it performs better in wind, it looks more polished from both properties, and it signals goodwill to your neighbour — which matters in dense urban neighbourhoods where you'll be living next to each other for years.

A standard flat-panel fence makes more sense when the fence is entirely within your own property (set back from the line), when it faces a lane or non-residential boundary, or when budget is the primary constraint and the neighbour isn't concerned about the back-side appearance.

Before installing anything on or near a shared property line, confirm the boundary with a BC Land Surveyor if there's any uncertainty — building even a few inches onto a neighbour's property creates legal liability that can be expensive to resolve. Also call BC One Call at 1-800-474-6886 before any post hole digging to get a free utility locate.

If you're ready to get quotes, Vancouver Fence Builders can match you with local cedar fence contractors through the Vancouver Construction Network — find professionals in your area at vancouverconstructionnetwork.com/directory?trade=fencing.