Fence Painting & Staining Cost Calculator

Don’t forget the second side. Enter your fence’s length and height, choose one side or both, and get the gallons of stain and the cost — fence area is length × height × sides.

Planning estimate: this is a planning estimate from the numbers you enter — not a bid or a contract. Paint quantity and price depend on wall texture, porosity, color change, number of coats, prep and patching, trim and ceilings, height and access, and local labor. Get itemized written quotes from licensed, insured painters before you commit.
Measure your actual surfaces and confirm coverage against the paint you buy. Rough or porous surfaces, a big color change and extra coats all use more paint — allow extra for texture, porosity and waste, and round up to whole gallons/quarts. Coverage varies by product and surface; read the can’s stated spread rate.
Your result
Estimated total$1,320.00
Stain / paint to buy6 gallons
Fence area (L × H × sides)1,200 sq ft
Area × your $/sq ft + add-ons$1,200.00

A 100 ft fence, 6 ft tall, 2 sides, is 1,200 sq ft — about 6 gallons and $1,320.00. Count both sides and use a low coverage for rough or bare wood; this stains/paints an existing fence, it doesn’t build one.

Calculator inputs

ft
The total run of fence you are coating.
ft
The board height. Use the actual coated height, not the post height.
Both sides doubles the area — count them.
coats
Stain is often one coat; bare or very dry wood may take a second.
sq ft/gal
Rough or bare fence wood is thirsty — often ~150–250 sq ft/gal. Read the can.
$/sq ft
Your all-in price per square foot of fence, from a quote or material + labor.
$
Pressure-washing, repairs, gate detail, heavy prep.
decimal
A planning buffer as a decimal: 0.10 = 10%.

The fence mistake that costs a second trip to the store is forgetting a side. A fence you paint on both faces has twice the surface of one you only face outward — so the very first decision is how many sides you are coating. From there the area is simple: length × height × sides.

Fence wood is usually rough and often bare, which makes it thirsty — coverage runs low, commonly ~150–250 sq ft/gal, so plan for it. A sprayer with backrolling is the common approach on a long run. This tool sizes the stain and the budget together; if you also have a deck, the deck tool works the same way, and you can cross-check material with the coverage calculator. It stains an existing fence — it does not build one.

Formula

Area from three numbers, then gallons and cost:

fence_area = length_ft × height_ft × sides

gallons = ceil(fence_area × coats ÷ coverage_per_gallon)

cost = (fence_area × $/sq ft + add‑ons) × (1 + contingency%)

  • sides — 1 for a one-face job, 2 when you coat both faces (double the area).
  • coverage — low for rough/bare wood, often ~150–250 sq ft/gal; confirm on the can.
  • gallons — rounded up; buy one batch for a consistent color.

Worked example

A 100 ft fence, 6 ft tall, coated on both sides, 1 coat, coverage 200 sq ft/gal for rough wood, at $1.00 a square foot with 10% contingency:

area = 100 × 6 × 2 = 1,200 sq ft

gallons = ceil(1,200 ÷ 200) = 6 gallons

cost = (1,200 × $1.00) × 1.10 = $1,200 × 1.10 = $1,320

So about 6 gallons and roughly $1,320. Coat only one side and both numbers halve — which is exactly why the side count is the first thing to settle.

Measure first, avoid re-orders

Settle the sides first. Whether you coat one face or both is the single biggest driver of area, gallons and cost — decide it before you measure anything else.

  • Use a low coverage for rough or bare wood. A weathered stockade fence drinks stain; the smooth-wood spread rate on the can is optimistic for it. Round gallons up.
  • Wash and let it dry. Pressure-washing is common prep, but stain wants dry wood — budget the wash as an add-on and the drying time in your schedule.
  • Backroll a sprayed coat. Spraying is fast on a long run, but working the stain into rough grain is what makes it last.
  • This coats a fence, it does not build one. Posts, panels and gates are a construction job, not a paint estimate.

Reference table

Labeled coverage (spread rate) — thirsty, weathered or bare wood covers less. Confirm the stated spread rate on the can and round gallons up.

SurfaceCoverage (sq ft/gal)
Deck / fence (semi-transparent stain)200–300
Bare / rough wood200–300
Smooth wood / trim (enamel)350–400

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to stain a fence?
Work out the area (length × height × sides) and apply your price per square foot. A 100 ft, 6 ft fence coated both sides is 1,200 sq ft; at $1.00/sq ft with 10% contingency that is about $1,320. Enter your own price for a real number.
How much stain do I need for a fence?
Gallons = area × coats ÷ coverage, rounded up. A 1,200 sq ft fence at one coat and 200 sq ft/gal needs 6 gallons. Use a low coverage for rough or bare wood, and buy one batch so the color matches.
Do I count both sides of the fence?
If you are coating both faces, yes — that doubles the area. The sides selector handles it: pick one side or both. Forgetting the second side is the classic reason people run out of stain halfway.
Why does fence wood use more stain?
Rough-sawn and bare or weathered fence wood is porous and thirsty, so coverage drops — often to ~150–250 sq ft/gal. The smooth-surface number on the can overstates what a stockade fence will give you; round up.
Is this a bid to build a fence?
No — it stains or paints an existing fence and is a planning estimate. Measure your fence, confirm coverage on the can, and get itemized written quotes from licensed, insured painters before you commit.

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