Fencing
Horizontal vs vertical fence
Is a horizontal fence better than a vertical one?
Neither is better built — they fail differently. Vertical pickets are supported along their length by rails behind them; horizontal boards span post to post on their own, so the framing has to be heavier and the posts closer.
Why horizontal costs more
Turn the boards sideways and every one of them becomes its own little beam, spanning between posts with nothing behind it.
The fix is shorter spans and a stouter frame. That's more posts, more footings, and more structure — which is where the price difference comes from. You are not paying extra for the direction of the wood.
What goes wrong
Bowing and waving between posts, always for the same reason: the span was too long for the board. It shows up within a year or two and it doesn't come back out.
A horizontal fence is a framing job with cedar on it. Judge one by how straight it reads down the length, not by the finish.
The look, honestly
Horizontal reads modern and low, and it suits newer architecture. Vertical is the default for a reason and disappears into almost any street.
On a sloped lot they behave differently too. Vertical racks with the grade smoothly; horizontal has to step, and where those steps land is a design decision worth making on purpose.
Sideways boards need an upright frame. Everything else is taste.