A fence is more surface than it looks
A fence seems simple: boards in a line. But every picket has a face, a back and two edges, plus the rails and posts behind. A fence stained on both sides has a lot of surface for its length, and much of it is edges and gaps. This guide explains what drives the price of staining one, without quoting any prices.
Length, height and sides
Fences are usually priced by length, adjusted for height and for whether one side or both are stained. Shared fences raise a practical question: the neighbor's side may not be part of your job unless you've both agreed. Ask the painter to state which sides are included.
Picket style
- Solid privacy boards are the fastest, especially if sprayed.
- Shadowbox or board-on-board fences have overlapping boards that need stain worked into the gaps.
- Spaced pickets have many edges.
- Lattice tops and decorative caps add time.
- Gates are counted separately because of hinges and hardware.
Heat and the stain window
NOAA's U.S. climate normals for Manhattan Municipal Airport give 5104.3 heating degree days and 1489.9 cooling degree days in a normal year. The same NOAA normals count about 58.0 days a year with a high of 90°F or more at Manhattan Municipal Airport.
A fence stands out in the open through the heating and cooling seasons those degree days describe. On the hot days, stain applied to sun-baked boards can dry before it soaks in, leaving lap marks and a blotchy color. Crews often work early, stain the shaded side first, and avoid the hottest part of the day. That can stretch the job over more mornings, which shows up in the price.
New wood or weathered wood
New pressure-treated lumber may need time to dry out before it will take stain well; ask the painter how they'll check it. Weathered wood has turned gray on the surface and needs cleaning and brightening to restore color and help the stain penetrate. A fence that was stained before and is failing unevenly may need a stripper first.
Cleaning and repair
Before staining, the fence is cleaned, rinsed and allowed to dry. Loose boards are refastened, broken pickets replaced, and leaning posts noted. Post repair is carpentry, not painting; ask whether it's included.
Spraying, rolling or brushing
Spraying is fast on long runs but creates overspray, which can drift onto cars, houses, plants and neighbors' property. Masking and shields take time. Many crews spray and then back-brush to work stain into the wood. Brushing alone is slow but precise. Wind affects spraying, so the method also affects which days work.
Product choice
- Clear or toner finishes show the wood and need recoating more often.
- Semi-transparent stains give color with grain showing.
- Solid stains hide more and look more like paint.
Some products need two coats; some are applied wet-on-wet. Our deck and fence staining page compares them.
Landscaping and access
Shrubs, flower beds and vines along the fence line need protection or trimming back. A fence that runs along a steep slope or behind dense plantings is slower to reach.
Questions to settle before the crew arrives
- Which sides, which sections and which gates are in the scope?
- How will you judge whether new boards are dry enough to stain?
- Will you spray, and if so, how will cars, siding and plants be shielded?
- What time of day will you work if a run of hot days is forecast?
- How many coats, and does the product go on wet-on-wet or after drying?
- Who handles loose pickets and leaning posts, and are they priced separately?
Getting those answers in writing makes two fence quotes comparable. Without them, one quote may cover both faces and a cleaning step while another covers a single side sprayed straight over weathered gray wood, and the difference only shows a season later.
Price drivers
- Total length and height.
- One side or both.
- Picket style and gates.
- Cleaning, brightening or stripping.
- Repairs.
- Spraying with masking, or brushing.
- Hot-day scheduling.
The pricing guide explains how painting prices are built.