★ CONSTRUCTION · FENCE · STAIN
A 150 ft fence at 6 ft costs $594.00 in stain. At 2 sides and 1 coat the fence is 1,800.00 sq ft, which needs 12.00 gallons, or 13.20 billable gallons with 10% waste, at $45.00 a gallon. That is $3.96 a linear foot. Enter your own fence size and prices to price your stain.
Fence stain is sold by the gallon, and the gallons follow from the area and the coverage: the area is the length times the height times the sides times the coats, and the gallons are the area divided by the coverage. This calculator works out the billable gallons with the waste added, the material cost and the cost per linear foot — so the number you get is the number on the order.
Fence stain is sold by the gallon, and the gallons follow from the area and the coverage. The area is the length times the height times the sides times the coats, in square feet. The gallons are the area divided by the coverage, in square feet a gallon. The billable gallons are the gallons times one plus the waste, the material cost is the billable gallons times the price a gallon, and the cost per linear foot is the material cost divided by the fence length.
At the defaults — 150 ft long, 6 ft high, 2 sides, 1 coat, coverage 150 sq ft a gallon, price $45.00 a gallon, waste 10% — the area is 150 × 6 × 2 × 1 = 1,800.00 sq ft, the gallons are 1,800.00 ÷ 150 = 12.00 gal, the billable gallons are 12.00 × 1.10 = 13.20 gal, the material cost is 13.20 × $45.00 = $594.00, and the cost per linear foot is $594.00 ÷ 150 = $3.96 a linear foot.
| Case | Area | Billable gal | Material | Per ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 ft, 6 ft, 2 sides, 1 coat (default) | 1,800.00 sq ft | 13.20 gal | $594.00 | $3.96 |
| 100 ft fence | 1,200.00 sq ft | 8.80 gal | $396.00 | $3.96 |
| 1 side | 900.00 sq ft | 6.60 gal | $297.00 | $1.98 |
| 2 coats | 3,600.00 sq ft | 26.40 gal | $1,188.00 | $7.92 |
| Coverage 200 sq ft/gal | 1,800.00 sq ft | 9.90 gal | $445.50 | $2.97 |
| Price $60.00/gal | 1,800.00 sq ft | 13.20 gal | $792.00 | $5.28 |
| Waste 0% | 1,800.00 sq ft | 12.00 gal | $540.00 | $3.60 |
| Height 4 ft | 1,200.00 sq ft | 8.80 gal | $396.00 | $2.64 |
| 200 ft fence | 2,400.00 sq ft | 17.60 gal | $792.00 | $3.96 |
Setup: 150 ft long, 6 ft high, 2 sides, 1 coat, coverage 150 sq ft a gallon, price $45.00 a gallon, waste 10%.
Line 1 — the area. 150 × 6 × 2 × 1 = 1,800.00 sq ft.
Line 2 — the gallons. 1,800.00 ÷ 150 = 12.00 gal.
Line 3 — the billable gallons. 12.00 × 1.10 = 13.20 gal.
Line 4 — the material cost. 13.20 × $45.00 = $594.00.
Line 5 — the cost per linear foot. $594.00 ÷ 150 = $3.96 a linear foot.
100 ft fence: the area is 100 × 6 × 2 = 1,200.00 sq ft, the gallons are 1,200.00 ÷ 150 = 8.00 gal, the billable gallons are 8.00 × 1.10 = 8.80 gal, the material cost is 8.80 × $45.00 = $396.00, which is $396.00 ÷ 100 = $3.96 a linear foot. A shorter fence costs the same per foot, because the stain is priced by the area and the length cancels out.
1 side: the area is 150 × 6 × 1 = 900.00 sq ft, the gallons are 900.00 ÷ 150 = 6.00 gal, the billable gallons are 6.00 × 1.10 = 6.60 gal, the material cost is 6.60 × $45.00 = $297.00, which is $297.00 ÷ 150 = $1.98 a linear foot. Staining one side halves the stain, because the area halves.
2 coats: the area is 150 × 6 × 2 × 2 = 3,600.00 sq ft, the gallons are 3,600.00 ÷ 150 = 24.00 gal, the billable gallons are 24.00 × 1.10 = 26.40 gal, the material cost is 26.40 × $45.00 = $1,188.00, which is $1,188.00 ÷ 150 = $7.92 a linear foot. A second coat doubles the stain, because the area doubles.
Coverage 200 sq ft a gallon: the area stays 1,800.00 sq ft, the gallons fall to 1,800.00 ÷ 200 = 9.00 gal, the billable gallons fall to 9.00 × 1.10 = 9.90 gal, the material cost falls to 9.90 × $45.00 = $445.50, which is $445.50 ÷ 150 = $2.97 a linear foot. A stain that covers more goes further: at 200 sq ft a gallon the same fence needs 9.00 gal instead of 12.00, saving $148.50.
Price $60.00 a gallon: the billable gallons stay 13.20 gal, the material cost rises to 13.20 × $60.00 = $792.00, which is $792.00 ÷ 150 = $5.28 a linear foot. Dear stain is the biggest lever here: every extra dollar a gallon adds $13.20 to the total.
Waste 0%: the billable gallons fall to 12.00 gal, the material cost falls to 12.00 × $45.00 = $540.00, which is $540.00 ÷ 150 = $3.60 a linear foot. The waste allowance is worth $54.00 here, and a smooth fence with no drips can run under 10%.
Height 4 ft: the area is 150 × 4 × 2 = 1,200.00 sq ft, the gallons are 1,200.00 ÷ 150 = 8.00 gal, the billable gallons are 8.00 × 1.10 = 8.80 gal, the material cost is 8.80 × $45.00 = $396.00, which is $396.00 ÷ 150 = $2.64 a linear foot. A shorter fence costs less per foot, because the area per foot of fence is smaller.
200 ft fence: the area is 200 × 6 × 2 = 2,400.00 sq ft, the gallons are 2,400.00 ÷ 150 = 16.00 gal, the billable gallons are 16.00 × 1.10 = 17.60 gal, the material cost is 17.60 × $45.00 = $792.00, which is $792.00 ÷ 200 = $3.96 a linear foot. A longer fence costs the same per foot, because the stain is priced by the area.
Reverse — budget to length: a $500 budget stains 126.26 ft, a $300 budget stains 75.76 ft, a $1,000 budget stains 252.53 ft, and a $2,000 budget stains 505.05 ft, all at the default height, sides, coats, coverage, price and waste. The budget buys the length after the cost per foot of $3.96 is divided into it.
The model assumes the fence is a plain run of pickets, the stain covers evenly, the waste is 10%, and the coverage is 150 sq ft a gallon, which is the usual figure for a brush-applied fence stain. It assumes the price is per billable gallon and it leaves out the cleaner, the brightener, the brushes and the sprayer, which are priced separately on a real job. A rough-sawn fence drinks more stain than a smooth one, and a sprayer wastes more than a brush. Rounding convention: money is rounded to cents, areas and gallons to 2 decimals, and all figures are computed from unrounded values, rounded only for display.
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Area | length × height × sides × coats | 1,800.00 sq ft. |
| Raw gallons | area ÷ coverage | 12.00 gal. |
| Billable gallons | gallons × (1 + waste) | 13.20 gal. |
| Material cost | billable × price/gal | $594.00. |
| Cost per linear ft | material ÷ fence length | $3.96/ft. |
| 100 ft fence | same model, 100 ft | 1,200.00 sq ft, 8.00 gal, 8.80 gal, $396.00, $3.96/ft. |
| 1 side | same model, 1 side | 900.00 sq ft, 6.00 gal, 6.60 gal, $297.00, $1.98/ft. |
| 2 coats | same model, 2 coats | 3,600.00 sq ft, 24.00 gal, 26.40 gal, $1,188.00, $7.92/ft. |
| Coverage 200 sq ft/gal | same model, 200 coverage | 9.00 gal, 9.90 gal, $445.50, $2.97/ft. |
| Price $60.00/gal | same model, $60.00 | $792.00, $5.28/ft. |
| Waste 0% | same model, waste 0% | 12.00 gal, $540.00, $3.60/ft. |
| Height 4 ft | same model, 4 ft high | 1,200.00 sq ft, 8.00 gal, 8.80 gal, $396.00, $2.64/ft. |
| 200 ft fence | same model, 200 ft | 2,400.00 sq ft, 16.00 gal, 17.60 gal, $792.00, $3.96/ft. |
| Reverse: $500 budget | budget ÷ $/ft | 126.26 ft. |
| Reverse: $300 budget | budget ÷ $/ft | 75.76 ft. |
| Reverse: $1,000 budget | budget ÷ $/ft | 252.53 ft. |
| Reverse: $2,000 budget | budget ÷ $/ft | 505.05 ft. |
The math is exact for the numbers you enter: the area is the length times the height times the sides times the coats, the gallons are the area divided by the coverage, the billable gallons add the waste, and the material cost is the billable gallons times the price a gallon. What the model cannot do is measure your fence for you: measure the length and the height, and check the coverage on the can, because a rough fence drinks more stain than the flat figure. It assumes a plain fence with an even coat, and a sprayer wastes more than a brush. It leaves out the cleaner, the brightener, the brushes and the sprayer. For the fence itself, see fence cost calculator; for the deck, see deck cost calculator.
Bright Side Kit. "Fence Stain Calculator: Gallons & Cost Per Foot 2026." https://brightoolbox.com/fence-stain-calculator/ Accessed October 25, 2026.12.00 gallons, or 13.20 billable gallons. The fence is 1,800.00 sq ft, the gallons are 1,800.00 divided by 150, which is 12.00, and with 10% waste the billable gallons are 13.20, which is $594.00 at $45.00 a gallon.
Area times coverage, then gallons times price. The area is 150 times 6 times 2 times 1, which is 1,800.00 sq ft, the gallons are 1,800.00 divided by 150, which is 12.00, the billable gallons are 12.00 times 1.10, which is 13.20, and the material is 13.20 times $45.00, which is $594.00.
$3.96 a linear foot at the defaults. The material is $594.00 and the fence is 150 ft, so $594.00 divided by 150 is $3.96 a linear foot. At 1 side it is $1.98 a linear foot, and at 2 coats it is $7.92 a linear foot.
126.26 ft. The budget buys the length after it is divided by the cost per foot: 500 divided by 3.96 is 126.26 ft. A $300 budget stains 75.76 ft, and a $1,000 budget stains 252.53 ft.
Yes. At 1 side the fence is 900.00 sq ft, which needs 6.00 gallons, or 6.60 billable, which is $297.00. At 2 sides the fence is 1,800.00 sq ft, which needs 12.00 gallons, or 13.20 billable, which is $594.00.
1 coat is typical for a fence in fair shape. At 1 coat the 150 ft fence costs $594.00, and at 2 coats it costs $1,188.00, because the second coat doubles the stain. A weathered fence drinks more on the first coat than the coverage on the can says.
About 150 sq ft a gallon is typical. At 150 sq ft a gallon the 150 ft fence needs 12.00 gallons, which is $594.00. At 200 sq ft a gallon it needs 9.00 gallons, which is $445.50, so a stain that covers more saves $148.50 here.
About 10% is typical. The waste covers drips, overlaps and rough wood. At 10% the billable gallons are 13.20 against 12.00 without waste, and the total is $594.00 against $540.00, so the waste is worth $54.00 here.