Illustration for Fence Staining Cost

A South Florida homeowner asked about exactly that fence on a home-improvement forum in June: 280 feet of 6-ft cedar, one side, last stained three years earlier. They were supplying the stain and getting quotes from $1,000 to $2,500, and wanted to know the formula. Here it is.

The formula: square feet of face

Square footage is length times height. A 6-ft fence has 6 square feet of face per linear foot, per side. So 280 feet is 1,680 square feet on one face and 3,360 on both. At $0.65 to $0.90 a square foot, one side works out to $3.90 to $5.40 per linear foot. One Oklahoma City stainer’s guide puts it the same way, and notes the footage doubles if both faces get stained. Ask every bidder to quote one side or both in writing, or you can’t compare them.

What stainers publish

Stainer (area) Published price 150 ft, one side 280 ft, one side
Patriot Stain and Seal (Oklahoma City) $0.70 to $0.90 per sq ft, cleaning included $630 to $810 $1,176 to $1,512
Fence Defense (Plano, TX; 2021 post) $0.65 to $0.75 per sq ft, soft wash and stain $585 to $675 $1,092 to $1,260
Ninja Fence Staining (Houston) $4 per ft new fence, $5.20 old gray fence, 6-ft fence; sides not stated $600 to $780 $1,120 to $1,456
Texas Best Stain (North Texas) $1,400 up to 1,500 sq ft, then $1 per sq ft, labor and materials $1,400 $1,580

Totals are our arithmetic from each page, checked October 2026. How we research: methodology.

One fence contractor that publishes its own completed-job data puts the middle half of 111 staining projects at $655 to $2,118, with a median of $1,298. The $1,000 end of the South Florida quotes fits that picture. $2,500 for one side of 280 feet is above that range, and well above the $1,100 to $1,600 the stainers’ pages above imply.

Why quotes swing so much

  • One side or both. The single biggest swing. Both faces doubles the footage.
  • Condition. The Houston stainer charges $1.20 more per foot for an old gray fence than a new one. One stain maker says older wood is more porous and takes more stain.
  • Cleaning. Some prices include a wash; some don’t. The same Houston stainer lists basic cleaning at $1.20 a foot and premium cleaning at $2.50. Our wood fence cleaning cost guide has washers’ wash-only prices.
  • Minimums. A flat package like the North Texas one makes a short fence cost about the same as a long one.
  • Masking and access. Shrubs, gates and the neighbor’s side add hand work.

Supplying your own stain

The packages above include stain. If you buy it, ask for a labor-only price, and buy enough. One stain maker’s data sheet rates its stain at 125 square feet a gallon on a cedar fence and says older wood is more porous and takes more. A federal preservation guide gives 100 to 200 square feet a gallon on rough or weathered wood, and calls for two coats on those surfaces.

For one face of 280 feet, 1,680 square feet at 125 a gallon is about 13.4 gallons, so plan on three 5-gallon pails. That same maker says not to apply its stain to gray or unclean wood, so the wash comes first.

How long it lasts, and why it matters in the South

A federal preservation guide says one coat of penetrating stain on smooth wood should last 2 to 4 years, and a two-coat system up to 8, depending on exposure. It adds that coastal sites and most southern exposures wear faster. The Oklahoma City stainer says an oil-based penetrating stain protects for 3 to 5 years in its weather, while film-forming products often start peeling within 2 to 3.

That fits the South Florida fence: stained three years ago, and ready again. Penetrating stains are also easier to renew, since the maker above says its product needs only a light cleaning and a recoat, with no sanding or stripping.

Wash, wait, then stain

Wash first, then let the wood dry. The Houston stainer says a new fence can be stained once the wood dries below 12% moisture. Our deck prep guide covers the order and dry time, and it applies to fences too. For a deck priced the same way, see deck cleaning and staining cost.

Sources

Based on 8 sources · How we price