A fence is mostly edges
A wood fence seems simple: long, flat, outdoors. But a picket fence is hundreds of narrow boards with gaps, edges and tops, and a privacy fence has two faces, rails and posts. How much of that gets coated, and with what, decides most of the price. This guide goes through it. We don't publish prices.
Length, height and style
The first numbers on any fence bid are the length of the run and its height. After that, style matters:
- Solid privacy panels are fast to spray or roll on the face, slower on the rail side.
- Board-on-board fences have overlapping boards with hidden edges that are hard to reach.
- Pickets have more edges per foot and gaps that need cutting in if brushed.
- Lattice tops and decorative caps add detail work.
Ask the painter how they measured and whether the bid is per side.
One side or both
Many homeowners only want the side facing their yard done. If the other side faces a neighbor, coating it may need access through their property and their agreement. A fence painted on one side only also weathers unevenly. Settle this before you compare bids, because it can double the work.
Cleaning first
Grey wood, mildew, algae and dirt need to come off before a new coat. A fence cleaner and a gentle rinse is typical. Fences that had a stain before may need a stripper if the old coat is peeling. Afterward, the wood has to dry, sometimes for a couple of days, before it can take stain or paint.
Humid hours and drying
In an average year at Myrtle Beach, NOAA counts about 1,793 hours with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 3,240 hours above 67°F, the measure engineers use to flag a humid climate.
For a fence, that affects price in practical ways. Wet wood takes longer to dry after washing, so there may be a gap between cleaning and coating. Stain and paint dry slower in damp air, and a coat that hasn't set by evening can take on dew. Shaded runs of fence near shrubs stay damp longest and grow mildew fastest. A painter may plan a fence over more days than you'd expect for the length, and that time is in the quote.
Stain or paint
- Semi-transparent stain soaks into the wood, shows the grain, and is easiest to renew because it doesn't peel the way a film does.
- Solid stain covers more like paint and hides mismatched or weathered boards, but can peel.
- Paint gives the most uniform color but needs primer on bare wood and will eventually need scraping.
Product choice changes both the current price and the next one. Our deck and fence staining page explains the options.
Spray, roll or brush
Spraying a fence is fast, but overspray drifts. Cars, windows, plants, a neighbor's siding and anything on the other side of the fence need covering, and spraying on a breezy day isn't wise. Many painters spray and then back-brush to work the coating into the wood. Brushing alone is slower but gives more control near a property line.
Repairs
Loose pickets, leaning posts, broken rails and rotted bottoms are common. Stain doesn't fix them. Ask whether repairs are included, priced separately, or left to someone else.
South Carolina's painting classification
South Carolina LLR's Residential Builders Commission has a specialty contractor classification named Painters/Wallpaperers, for applying materials common to the painting and decorating industry. The card below gives the Commission's wording in full.
Before you accept a fence bid
- How many feet, at what height, and one side or both?
- Cleaning only, or stripping?
- Which stain or paint, and how many coats?
- Spray, brush or both, and what will be covered?
- Are loose boards and posts fixed first?