Operators ask about this in trade forums. One washer said a staining job ran about three gallons over after the customer switched colors, and asked whether to bill for it or absorb it. Others asked about putting a new color over sound semi-solid stain, and about heavy mist when spraying oil stain.
Step 1: gallons from the maker’s coverage
Every can lists a coverage range, and the spread is the whole problem. One retailer’s listing for a 5-gallon pail of a common oil-based semi-transparent stain gives 250 to 350 sq ft per gallon on smooth wood and 100 to 200 on rough wood, at $289.99, or $58 a gallon. Another retailer’s listing for the same line gives 400 to 600 on smooth new wood and 150 to 250 on rough new wood. A third maker gives 250 to 350 for its quick-dry stain, depending on application, wood texture and porosity. When the numbers disagree, bid from the low end of the coverage range.
| Job | Area stained | Gallons (100 to 350 sq ft/gal) | Stain at $58/gal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300-sq-ft deck, smooth boards, one coat | 300 sq ft | 0.9 to 1.2 | $50 to $70 |
| 300-sq-ft deck, rough or weathered, one coat | 300 sq ft | 1.5 to 3 | $87 to $174 |
| 300-sq-ft deck, smooth boards, two coats | 600 sq ft | 1.7 to 2.4 | $99 to $139 |
| 150 ft of 6-ft fence, one side, rough-sawn | 900 sq ft | 4.5 to 9 | $261 to $522 |
| Same fence, both sides | 1,800 sq ft | 9 to 18 | $522 to $1,044 |
Our arithmetic from the listings in the Sources: area divided by coverage, times $58. Smooth rows use 250 to 350; rough rows use 100 to 200. How we research: methodology.
A rough fence can double its stain bill on thirst alone. Add a buffer, about one spare gallon on small jobs, and say in the bid who keeps the leftover.
Step 2: labor is where railings hide
One Wisconsin deck company, in a 2024 pricing post, bids about 100 sq ft of floorboards an hour against about 10 linear feet of railing. It says railings use little stain but take a lot of labor hours. Count railing feet separately, then add hours for stairs, pergolas and furniture moves. The same company adds 5% to 15% for unusual decks, and 10% to 40% when old peeling stain needs scraping and sanding.
If you spray, budget masking time. One stain maker’s how-to steps say to tape off surfaces you don’t want stained, and a retailer’s listing for another brand says to backbrush immediately after spraying for an even finish. That’s a second person or a second pass, so price it in.
Step 3: turn it into a bid
That company’s base prices are $1,200 for one coat and $1,800 for two on a 500-sq-ft deck, and $2,000 and $3,000 at 1,000 sq ft. It says a two-coat job generally costs 150% of a one-coat job. That works out to about $2.00 to $2.40 a square foot for one coat and $3.00 to $3.60 for two.
At $58 a gallon, a rough 500-sq-ft deck takes 2.5 to 5 gallons, or $145 to $290. That’s 12% to 24% of the $1,200 one-coat price. A three-gallon overrun at $58 is $174, which could be most of the margin on a small job. That’s why the color clause matters.
Per square foot works for open decks. Price railings, stairs and fences per job, or per linear foot from your own hours. For what homeowners expect to pay, see deck cleaning and staining cost and fence staining per foot. For where staining sits next to your other services, see which services pay best per hour. If the old finish failed, a deck stain that failed in a year covers the redo.
Sources
Based on 4 sources · How we price
- PaulB Hardware, Cabot Semi-Transparent Deck & Siding Stain (Neutral) 5 gal: paulbhardware.com/semi-transparent-deck-siding-stain-neutral-5-gal-c163065
- Do it Best, Cabot Semi-Transparent Deck & Siding Exterior Stain & Sealer, 5 gal: doitbest.com/product/770934/cabot-semi-transparent-deck-siding-exterior-stain-sealer-0306-neutral-base-5-gal-770934
- Olympic, Quick Cover Semi-Transparent: olympic.com/products/olympic-quick-cover-semi-transparent
- EcoWash (Wisconsin), How much does deck staining cost? (Feb 2024): ecowash.com/post/how-much-does-deck-staining-cost
