A fence is more surface than it looks
A wood privacy fence seems like a quick job until you count both faces of every board, the posts, the rails, the post caps and the gaps between pickets. Painters price fences by the run and by the style, because a tall solid fence and a short open picket fence can take very different amounts of material and time per foot.
This guide covers what changes that price. It quotes no figures for cost; it explains the parts a Mansfield proposal should name.
What the Mansfield/Lahm data says about fence wood
NOAA's engineering weather data for Mansfield/Lahm lists about 54 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year and a 100-year rainfall rate of 2.8 inches per hour, plus a 50-year basic wind speed of 90 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet) used for structural design. In an average year at Mansfield/Lahm, NOAA counts about 224 hours with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 1,086 hours above 67°F.
Fence wood sits outdoors with no roof over it, so these numbers touch it more directly than they touch a house wall. Freeze-thaw cycles act on wet end grain at post tops and board bottoms. Humid hours slow how fast stain and paint dry, which affects scheduling: a crew may need to leave a longer gap before a second coat, or avoid starting late on a heavy, muggy day.
The main cost drivers
Length, height and style. Total feet of fence and its height set the surface area. Board-on-board and shadowbox styles have more edges to reach than a flat stockade fence. Lattice tops and decorative caps add slow detail work.
One side or both. Many owners finish only the side facing their own yard. If the other face borders a neighbor, access to it has to be arranged, and coating both faces roughly doubles the surface.
Cleaning. Gray, weathered wood and mildew need a wood cleaner or brightener and a rinse, followed by drying time. That's usually a separate visit before any coating.
Stripping old finish. If the fence has peeling paint or a failing solid stain, it may need stripping or heavy sanding before a new coat. That's the slowest and most variable line on most fence proposals.
Repairs. Loose boards, split pickets, leaning posts and rotted bottom rails should be fixed before finishing. Ask whether repairs are a fixed allowance or quoted per item.
Landscaping and protection. Shrubs, gardens, siding and cars near the fence need covering, especially if the crew sprays. Dense plantings slow the work.
Stain or paint
The product choice changes both the first cost and how the fence ages:
- Penetrating stain soaks into the wood and wears gradually, so recoating later is mostly cleaning and a fresh coat.
- Solid stain looks more like paint and hides grain; it can peel if applied too heavily.
- Paint gives the most color control but forms a film that peels when water gets behind it, and repainting later means scraping.
On a fence that sees freeze-thaw cycles every year, the way a finish fails over time matters as much as how it looks the first year. Our deck and fence staining page explains the options.
Spray, roll or brush
Spraying is fast on long runs but needs masking and calm air; many crews back-brush sprayed stain into the wood. Brushing is slower but reaches gaps and end grain. A proposal should say which method is used, and how overspray will be prevented.
Scheduling around the weather
Stain needs dry wood, and fresh coats need dry hours afterward. Wet days push the start date back, and very humid days lengthen dry times. Ask how the painter checks that the wood is dry before coating, and what happens to the schedule if rain arrives.
Comparing bids
Compare the feet of fence, the sides included, the cleaning and stripping plan, the repair allowance, the product and the method. For the general picture of how painters build a price, see our pricing guide.