No one could charge close to .80 sq foot around here and stay in business. I was told one of the most used fence stainers in my area charges .32.
According to the folks I’ve talked to around here, .45 would be on the lower end and would reflect an easy job with no obstacles.
Decks are a different animal, in my opinion. I have no interest in doing them, but if I did, my price would be around $2/sq foot for the PITA factor.
Oh come on old timer, spill something useful. You can even stay behind your podium 
Charge 4 times more. Or not. I don’t pay your bills
You’re priced about .05 low on the staining side. I wish we could get the money they get in other locations. It’s not happening around my area. I’m sure you know but realize that fence is going to be a mess with those gaps between the boards. Make sure you protect whatever is behind them. I don’t usually cover the neighbor’s grass but I probably would with those gaps.
Also PT wood that has been exposed to the elements for 8 mo or more will stain just fine.PT looks different than other woods when stained but the results are good. Newer PT wood will have a green tint coming through and stain will not absorb well into the wood. 8 months can still be too soon, depends on the wood.
Thanks, Mark. On my last fence, I sprayed at a pretty serious angle when the gaps were that big and it helped a lot. But you’re right, there were a few areas I got lazy and the alley area behind the fence had a lot of overspray. Next two jobs have storage buildings, plants, and all sorts of fun stuff within inches of the fences.
Glad things are going so well Josh. Spraying on an angle certainly helps. I’m sure you have realize you are going to use more stain than spraying straight on. I love play sets and always bid them. They are more labor but little cost in material. You do have to use the Universal verses the fence stain if you use WD. It’s more expensive so figure that into your estimate unless you are going to use another product. A good sized play set will take a lot more material than you might imagine. lots of angles, nooks, crannies etc.
Hi racer,how much would you charge for for staining a fence per side?
Depends on the fence, shadow box going to be a lot more than a standard. Because of that, I usually charge by the gal. applied approx $40/gal - that’s just labor. But may be higher, depending on stain, etc.
I usually do them an estimate of how much stain I think it’s going to take and let them buy the stain, especially if a large job. That way, they keep any extra and I’m not out of pocket big and waiting on weather for 3 weeks for fence to dry. I usually put 2 coats on most fences, one kind of heavy then another light coat so I typically, with Ready Seal get about 150-175 sq ft/gal. So say the stain is $35/gal, then I will probably be at $35/gal labor. So that’s $70 divided by 150 sq ft equals about $.47 per sq ft. total.
Good stuff,that helps alot,thank you so much for that,im out here in California,stay safe👍
