What it costs to stain a fence
The price is mostly square feet. Here's a 6-foot privacy fence stained on both sides with one coat of semi-transparent stain, at our October 2026 prices:
| Fence length | Sq ft to stain | Gallons | Stain only | Stained by a pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 ft | 1,200 | 5 | $175 | $1,070–$1,440 |
| 150 ft | 1,800 | 8 | $280 | $1,620–$2,190 |
| 200 ft | 2,400 | 10 | $350 | $2,130–$2,890 |
| 300 ft | 3,600 | 15 | $525 | $3,200–$4,330 |
"Stain only" is what you'd spend at the store doing it yourself. The last column adds a painter's labor at $0.90 a square foot.
Working out the gallons
Multiply the fence's length by its height, then double it if you're doing both sides. That's your square footage. A 100-foot fence that's 6 feet tall has 600 square feet a side, so 1,200 in all.
Then divide by what a gallon covers. We use 250 square feet a gallon for semi-transparent stain and 200 for solid, on smooth wood. Old, rough or dried-out boards drink stain, so the calculator cuts coverage by 25% when you pick weathered wood.
Check the can, too. The coverage printed on the label is the number for that exact product, and it beats our average.
New fence? Wait before you stain
Pressure-treated lumber comes from the yard wet with preservative, and stain won't soak into wet wood. Sprinkle some water on a board. If it beads up, the wood isn't ready. If it soaks in within a few minutes, go ahead.
How long that takes depends on your weather. It can be a few weeks in a dry summer and a couple of months in a damp one.
Semi-transparent or solid
Semi-transparent stain colors the wood and lets the grain show. It wears off gradually, so when it's time to redo it you wash the fence and put on another coat.
Solid stain looks more like thin paint. It hides the grain, along with any mismatch between old and new boards, which makes it the choice for a fence that's been patched. The trade-off is that when it fails it peels, and peeling stain has to be scraped before you can recoat.
The part that takes longer than the staining
Prep. Stain sticks to clean, dry wood and nothing else. Gray, dirty or mildewed boards need washing first, with a pressure washer on a low setting or a fence cleaner and a stiff brush. Then the fence needs a day or two of dry weather before you open a can.
While you wait, cut the grass along the fence line and cover the plants. You'll be glad you did.
Sprayer, roller or brush
A sprayer is by far the fastest on a privacy fence. It's also the one that gets people in trouble, because the mist drifts. On a breezy day it lands on cars, windows and the neighbor's siding. Spray when the air is still, and follow with a brush to work the stain into the wood.
A brush alone is slow and gives the best result. A roller sits in between and struggles with the gaps between boards.
Fair questions
Do I have to stain both sides?
No. Plenty of people stain only the side they look at, and the neighbor's side is the neighbor's call. Both sides will last longer than one, because the bare side keeps weathering.
How often does a fence need it?
It depends on the sun and the product more than the calendar. Do the water test once a year. When water stops beading on the boards and soaks straight in, the stain has worn off.
One coat or two?
Follow the can. Many semi-transparent stains are one-coat products, and a second coat can sit on the surface and turn sticky. Solid stains more often call for two.
Sources
- How we calculate: every suggested price behind this calculator, with the date it was last reviewed.
