Deck staining cost
Staining a deck costs $1.50 to $4.00 a square foot, putting a 300 square foot deck at $450 to $1,200. The cost is not the stain; it is the preparation, and skipping it is why finishes fail in a year.
National average
$3
per sq ft
Staining a deck costs $1.50 to $4.00 a square foot, typically around $2.50, which puts a 300 square foot deck at $450 to $1,200. Doing it yourself is $80 to $250 in materials and a weekend.
The cost is not the stain. It is the preparation, and skipping it is why most deck finishes fail in a year instead of three.
What it costs
| Job | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Cleaning only | $0.50 to $1.50 per sq ft |
| Clean, sand and stain | $2.00 to $4.50 per sq ft |
| Stain only, previously prepared | $1.00 to $2.50 per sq ft |
| Stripping an old failing finish | $1.00 to $3.00 per sq ft |
| Brightening after stripping | $0.30 to $0.80 per sq ft |
| Railing and stairs, per linear foot | $3 to $10 |
| 300 sq ft deck, professional | $450 to $1,200 |
| 500 sq ft deck, professional | $750 to $2,000 |
| DIY materials, 300 sq ft | $80 to $250 |
| Replacing failed boards first | $8 to $30 each |
| Popping and resetting nails or screws | $100 to $400 |
How long each finish lasts
| Finish | Life | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Clear sealer | 1 to 2 years | Wood colour, no pigment, no UV protection |
| Toner | 1 to 3 years | A hint of colour, grain fully visible |
| Semi-transparent stain | 2 to 4 years | Colour, grain visible |
| Semi-solid stain | 3 to 5 years | More colour, grain faintly visible |
| Solid stain | 4 to 7 years | Opaque, grain texture only |
| Paint | 5 to 8 years | Opaque, peels rather than fades |
Pigment is what blocks UV, so the more opaque the finish the longer it lasts. The trade is that opaque finishes fail by peeling, which requires stripping, while transparent finishes fail by fading, which requires only cleaning and recoating.
For a deck you want to keep easy, semi-transparent is the sweet spot: three years, and you never have to strip it.
The preparation is the job
Clean. A deck cleaner with sodium percarbonate lifts the grey oxidised surface and the mildew. Pressure washing at low pressure, under 1,500 psi, with a fan tip, held back from the surface, and always with the grain. High pressure fuzzes the wood fibres and the stain then soaks in unevenly and fails early.
Brighten. An oxalic acid brightener after cleaning neutralises the cleaner and restores the colour. Skipping it leaves the wood alkaline and some stains will not bond.
Sand, sometimes. If the wood has fuzzed from previous pressure washing, or the old finish is patchy, an 80 grit sanding evens it. Not always necessary; always helps.
Dry. Twenty-four to forty-eight hours after washing, and no rain forecast for another twenty-four after staining. Staining damp wood is the second most common cause of failure after skipping the clean.
Test the absorption. Sprinkle water on the boards. If it beads, the wood will not take stain and needs more cleaning or stripping. If it soaks in within seconds, it is ready.
New wood has to wait
Fresh pressure-treated lumber is wet with preservative and will not absorb stain. The usual advice is to wait, and how long depends on the wood and the climate: often three to six months, sometimes a full season.
Use the water test rather than the calendar. When water soaks in rather than beading, the deck is ready.
Kiln-dried-after-treatment lumber, sold as KDAT, can often be finished immediately, and it costs more.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do it myself?
Yes, and it is one of the better value DIY jobs: $80 to $250 in materials against $450 to $1,200. Budget a full weekend, one day for cleaning and drying and one for staining, and do not start if rain is forecast within 48 hours.
Stain or paint?
Stain on a deck floor, essentially always. Paint on a horizontal surface that gets sun, rain and foot traffic peels, and stripping peeling paint off decking is miserable work. Paint is fine on railings and risers.
How often does it need doing?
Every two to four years for semi-transparent on a deck in full sun, and longer on a shaded or covered deck. Recoat when water stops beading, not on a schedule.
Do I have to strip the old finish?
Only if it is peeling or if you are moving from a solid stain to something more transparent. A faded semi-transparent stain can be cleaned and recoated directly, which is the reason to choose it in the first place.
Should I use an oil or a water-based stain?
Oil penetrates better and is easier to recoat; water-based holds colour longer and is easier to clean up. Both are good now. What matters far more is the pigment level and the preparation.
Read next
How long does a deck last$30 to $100per sq ftA pressure-treated deck lasts 15 to 25 years and composite decking 25 to 30, on a frame that is usually still pine. What ends a deck is almost never the boards you walk on.
Deck repair cost$500 to $3,000per projectRepairing a deck costs $500 to $3,000, typically $1,400. The question is not the boards. It is the ledger where the deck meets the house, which is where nearly every deck failure begins.
Composite deck cost$40 to $100per sq ftA composite deck costs $40 to $100 per square foot installed, typically $60. Re-decking a sound existing frame is $20 to $45, less than half the cost of building new.
Deck railing cost$30 to $150per linear ftDeck railing costs $30 to $150 a linear foot installed. It is frequently a third of the cost of a small deck, because a small deck has almost as much perimeter as a large one.
Deck cost by state$30 to $65per sq ftA pressure-treated deck costs $38 a square foot in Arkansas and $53 in Illinois. On a 300 square foot deck that is $11,400 against $15,900 for identical work.