How to Calculate Fence Stain Cost — Step by Step

The seven steps at a glance

Fence stain cost is the area divided by the coverage, priced by the gallon. The seven steps are: measure the length and height, count the sides and coats, work out the area, divide by the coverage, add the waste, price the stain, and work out the cost per linear foot. The worked example comes to $594.00 for a 150 ft fence, or $3.96 a linear foot.

Step 1 — Measure the fence length and height

Measure the length of the fence in feet, with a tape measure, along the ground, and measure the height in feet, from the ground to the top of the pickets. Write both numbers down: a length that is wrong by a foot makes the area wrong by a whole strip of fence.

Step 2 — Count the sides and coats

Count how many sides of the fence you stain, because the sides multiply the area: 2 sides is the whole fence and 1 side is only your side. Then count how many coats you apply, because the coats multiply the area too: 1 coat is typical for a fence in fair shape and 2 coats is typical for a weathered fence. The worked example uses 2 sides and 1 coat.

Step 3 — Work out the area

Multiply the length by the height, then by the sides, then by the coats: that is the area in square feet. For the worked example, 150 times 6 times 2 times 1 is 1,800.00 sq ft. That is the area of the fence itself, before any coverage is counted.

Step 4 — Divide by the coverage

Divide the area by the coverage, in square feet a gallon, to get the gallons, because the stain is sold by the gallon and the coverage is printed on the can. For the worked example, 1,800.00 divided by 150 is 12.00 gal. That is the stain the fence needs before any waste is added. Suppliers sell by the gallon, so this is the number the price is charged against.

Step 5 — Add the waste

Multiply the gallons by one plus the waste, as a decimal: that is the billable gallons, the gallons you pay for. For the worked example, 12.00 times 1.10 is 13.20 gal at 10% waste. The waste covers drips, overlaps and rough wood, which the supplier still charges for. Then multiply the billable gallons by the price a gallon: 13.20 times $45.00 is $594.00 of material.

Step 6 — Price the stain

Multiply the billable gallons by the price a gallon: that is the material cost, the stain itself. For the worked example, 13.20 times $45.00 is $594.00. The price is per billable gallon, so the waste is priced too: at 10% waste the material is $594.00 against $540.00 without waste, so the waste is worth $54.00 here.

Step 7 — Work out the cost per linear foot

Divide the material cost by the fence length: that is the cost per linear foot. For the worked example, $594.00 divided by 150 is $3.96 a linear foot. Turn it round for a budget: a $500 budget stains 126.26 ft at $3.96 a linear foot, because 500 divided by 3.96 is 126.26.

The worked example, line by line

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 length, height, sides and coats: 150 ft, 6 ft, 2 sides, 1 coat. Line 2, the area: 150 times 6 times 2 times 1 is 1,800.00 sq ft. Line 3, the gallons: 1,800.00 divided by 150 is 12.00 gal. Line 4, the billable gallons: 12.00 times 1.10 is 13.20 gal. Line 5, the material: 13.20 times $45.00, which is $594.00. Line 6, the cost per linear foot: $594.00 divided by 150 is $3.96 a linear foot. Every figure here comes from the same seven steps, and the fence stain calculator runs them for any fence you enter.

Other fences, checked

A 100 ft fence: 1,200.00 sq ft, 8.80 billable, $396.00 in all, $3.96 a linear foot. One side only: 900.00 sq ft, 6.60 billable, $297.00 in all, $1.98 a linear foot. Two coats: 3,600.00 sq ft, 26.40 billable, $1,188.00 in all, $7.92 a linear foot. Coverage at 200 sq ft a gallon: 9.90 billable, $445.50 in all, $2.97 a linear foot. Stain at $60.00 a gallon: $792.00 in all, $5.28 a linear foot. Waste at 0%: 12.00 billable, $540.00 in all, $3.60 a linear foot. A height of 4 ft: 1,200.00 sq ft, 8.80 billable, $396.00 in all, $2.64 a linear foot. A 200 ft fence: 2,400.00 sq ft, 17.60 billable, $792.00 in all, $3.96 a linear foot. 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.

What the seven steps leave out

The seven steps count the fence, the stain, the waste and the price, and they leave out the extras: the cleaner, the brightener, the brushes and the sprayer are priced separately on a real job, and a rough-sawn fence drinks more stain than 150 sq ft a gallon. The seven steps assume the fence is a plain run of pickets with an even coat. For the fence itself, see the fence cost calculator, and for the deck, see the deck cost calculator.