A fence is mostly edges
A wood fence looks simple: flat pickets, one color. But each picket has two faces and two edges, the rails and posts have their own faces, and the ground line, gates and corners all need careful work. Fences also stand in full weather on both sides. That's why fence finishing gets priced as its own job, usually by the linear foot and height, with the side count and condition doing the rest.
The weather the fence stands in
NOAA's engineering weather data for Waco-Madison Cooper lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 90 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 4.0 inches per hour and about 22 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year. The wind and rain figures are design values for rare events, but they explain why a fence's finish should shed water well, and the freeze-thaw cycles explain why water soaking into end grain and the bottoms of pickets is the enemy. A finish that keeps water out of the wood protects it through all of these.
Ground contact and the posts
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension's guide to subterranean termites says native and Formosan subterranean termites are both serious threats to wooden structures in Texas, and advises eliminating wood-to-soil contact such as attached fence posts and stair casings by setting the wood on masonry blocks or replacing it with pressure-treated wood. A finish doesn't change what the post is set in. If pickets or rails touch the soil, or posts are soft at the ground, that's carpentry to sort out first, and it will appear on a quote as repairs or be excluded.
What changes the price
Length and height. The run of fence and its height set the area. Taller fences may need a ladder for the top rails.
One side or both. Neighbors' sides are often left alone, but finishing only one side leaves the other to weather. Get the side count in writing, and agree with your neighbor before anyone works from their yard.
Condition of the wood.
- New wood may need to weather or dry before it takes stain; the stain's label says how long.
- Gray, weathered wood needs cleaning and often a brightener to take stain evenly.
- Old peeling paint or solid stain has to be scraped where it's failing.
- Mildew and algae must be killed and rinsed off.
Repairs. Loose pickets, popped nails, sagging gates and broken rails need fixing before finishing.
Gates and hardware. Gates take extra time; hardware is usually masked or removed.
Stain or paint?
- Semi-transparent stain soaks in, shows the grain and wears by fading, which makes the next coat simpler.
- Solid stain hides the grain and evens out mismatched pickets, but behaves more like paint as it ages.
- Exterior paint gives the most uniform color but needs primer and will eventually peel, which means scraping later.
Our deck and fence staining page explains the types further.
Spraying, rolling and brushing
Spraying is fast on long runs, but stain mist travels. Cars, the house, plants, the neighbor's side and anything within reach of the wind need covering. Many crews spray and back-brush to push stain into the wood. Brushing alone is slower and costs more in labor, but suits short runs and tight spots. Ask which method is priced and how overspray will be managed, especially on a breezy day.
Plants, grass and the ground line
Shrubs and vines growing through a fence must be pulled back or trimmed, and grass along the bottom often needs cutting so the bottom of the pickets can be coated. Cleaners and strippers can harm plants, so ask how runoff will be handled.
Questions before you sign
- How many sides and how many linear feet are included?
- What cleaning, brightening and repairs are in the price?
- Which stain or paint, by product name, and how many coats?
- How will overspray be controlled?
- What happens if rain arrives the day after?
The pricing guide explains how painters build their numbers, and the exterior painting page covers related prep.