A deck is priced from its condition, not its size
Two decks with the same footprint can be priced very differently. One may need a wash and a single maintenance coat; the other may need old stain stripped, gray fibers sanded off, loose boards refastened and every spindle brushed by hand. The square footage is the starting point, and the condition of the wood decides most of the rest. This guide walks through what a painter looks at, so you can read a deck proposal line by line.
Two NOAA figures for decks in Grand Forks
NOAA's engineering weather data for Grand Forks Air Force Base lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 90 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 3.0 inches per hour and about 58 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year. NOAA's normals for Grand Forks International Airport count about 51.1 nights a year with a low below 0°F.
For a deck, the freeze-thaw count is the one to notice. A horizontal surface holds water in its checks, end grain and gaps between boards, and every freeze expands it. Wood that has lost its finish soaks up more water, so a neglected deck tends to get worse faster than a wall would. The below-zero nights are a reminder that a deck's finish spends part of every year in deep cold, so it pays to go into winter with the wood sealed rather than bare.
What drives the price
The state of the old finish. A deck with a sound penetrating stain that has simply faded is the cheapest kind to redo: clean, let dry, recoat. A deck with a peeling film-forming stain or paint is the most expensive, because the loose coating has to come off before anything new will hold. Patchy decks, part peeled and part sound, sit in between and need the most judgment.
Cleaning versus stripping. Cleaning removes dirt, mildew and the gray surface layer. Stripping removes old coatings with chemical strippers, sanding or both. Stripping takes longer, uses more material and needs more rinsing and drying time. Ask which the painter plans, and why.
Sanding. After washing or stripping, raised grain and fuzzy fibers often need sanding so the new stain soaks in evenly.
Board and fastener repairs. Cracked or soft boards, popped nails and loose screws should be dealt with before stain. Some painters replace a few boards themselves; others bring in a carpenter. Ask how repairs are priced and whether they're in the proposal or extra.
Railings, spindles and stairs. The deck floor is quick to roll or pad. Railings, balusters, stair stringers and lattice are slow handwork, and on many decks they take longer than the floor.
Stain type and coats. Penetrating oil and water-based stains, semi-transparent and solid-color stains, and deck paints all behave differently. Solid stains and paints hide more but can peel on a floor that takes foot traffic. Transparent and semi-transparent stains wear away rather than peel, which makes the next recoat simpler. The number of coats the label calls for is part of the price.
Drying time. Wood must be dry before stain goes on. After washing or stripping, a crew may need to wait for the boards to dry out, then wait again for good weather to apply. That waiting is part of why deck jobs need flexible scheduling.
Scheduling the job
Decks are an outdoor, warm-weather job. The stain label sets the lowest air and surface temperatures, and many stains also need a dry spell before and after application. Book early, and agree on what happens if rain arrives between cleaning and staining. Our page on deck and fence staining explains each step, and the pricing guide covers how painters build a price.
What to ask for in writing
- The square footage of the floor, and a separate line for railings and stairs.
- Cleaning or stripping, with the method named.
- Sanding, and which surfaces get it.
- Repairs included, and how extra repairs will be priced.
- The stain product, its opacity, and the number of coats.
- What happens to plants, siding and the ground under the deck during stripping and rinsing.