Length of fence, and then some
A fence is priced first by length and height, but style matters as much. A solid board fence is a flat face on each side. A picket fence has gaps, so every picket has edges and the brush or spray has to go all the way round. A shadowbox or board-on-board fence has overlaps hiding surfaces that still need coverage. Lattice tops, post caps and gates all add time.
One side or both
Many homeowners think only about their own side. The other side faces a neighbor, an alley or open ground, and it weathers too. Coating both sides means getting to the far side, which may mean a neighbor's agreement and working along the boundary. Ask whether the quote covers one side or both.
What's on it now
As with decks, the existing finish decides much of the labor:
- bare, weathered wood needs cleaning and perhaps brightening, then stain;
- old penetrating stain in fair shape needs cleaning and a fresh coat;
- peeling solid stain or paint needs scraping, sometimes stripping, before a new coat will hold;
- mildew and algae, often on shaded runs, need treating before any finish.
Repairs
Loose pickets, popped nails, split boards and leaning posts should be fixed first. Painters often re-nail loose boards and swap out a few pickets; posts and rails that have pulled loose are usually a job for a fence builder. Ask what's included.
Beckley Memorial figures
NOAA's engineering weather data for Beckley Memorial lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 90 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 2.5 inches per hour and about 49 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year. In an average year at Beckley Memorial, NOAA counts about 23 hours with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 775 hours above 67°F.
Those are the station's figures as NOAA publishes them. In general terms, a fence stands out in all weather; each freeze-thaw cycle works on water in end grain and at the base of posts, and humid hours slow drying. For price, the point is scheduling: stain or paint needs dry wood and dry hours after it goes on, so the crew may need separate days for cleaning and coating.
Spray, roll or brush
Many crews spray a fence for speed, then back-brush or back-roll to work the stain into the wood and catch runs. Spraying means masking anything nearby: house siding, cars, plants and the neighbor's side. Brushing alone is slower but carries less risk of overspray. Ask which method is planned and how they'll protect what's around the fence.
Stain or paint
- Transparent and semi-transparent stains soak in and wear away gradually; recoating usually needs only cleaning.
- Solid stains hide the grain and can peel like paint.
- Paint gives a crisp color but needs primer on bare wood and scraping when it fails.
Ask which product, how many coats and what its label says about recoating. Our deck and fence staining page compares the options.
The ground line
The bottom of a fence is usually where it fails first, where soil, mulch and grass hold moisture against the boards. Painters may need to trim grass, pull mulch back or cover plants. Ask how they'll handle the base of the fence and what gets covered.
Comparing fence bids
- Length, height and style counted the same?
- One side or both?
- Cleaning, stripping or scraping included?
- Repairs listed?
- Spray, brush or both, and what's masked?
- Product, coats and drying time?
The pricing guide has more on what moves painting prices.