Fence Stain Calculator
Estimate stain for solid or open-board fences and compare small, large and mixed container purchases.
Choose the worksheet for your task
- Quick estimateSolid fence-face model with separately measured extra area.
- Measure an open-board fenceCount exposed board faces and edges, then compare small and large containers.
These are independent worksheets. Inputs do not transfer between them. Use the download button beside the result you want to keep.
- Surface area
- 1,200 sq ft
- Liquid required
- 6.6 US gal
- Purchased volume
- 7 US gal
- Purchased surplus
- 0.4 US gal
- Material subtotal (entered price only)
- Not supplied
Whole packages round up. Prices include only the items you enter. Delivery, tax and installation may be extra.
Measure boards and edges, then compare container sizes
For an open picket fence, a solid length × height rectangle counts the gaps as wood. This separate worksheet measures identical rectangular boards instead. Include only surfaces you can actually coat; do not count hidden contact faces. The measurements below are illustrative.
Your actual exposed surface
- Broad board faces: 110 sq ft
- Long board edges: 15 sq ft
- Other measured surfaces: 24 sq ft
- Total: 149 sq ft
First coat: 0.596 US gal. All later coats combined: 0.298 US gal. After 10% allowance: 0.983 US gal.
| Option | Small / large containers | Purchased / surplus (US gal) | Entered cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small only | 1 / 0 | 1 / 0.017 | Not priced |
| Large only | 0 / 1 | 5 / 4.017 | Not priced |
Enter both prices above zero to compare all package combinations. Unknown prices are not free. Tax, delivery, preparation and labor are excluded. Confirm that both sizes contain the same product and tint and are available without minimum orders or discounts.
Worked example: faces, edges and coats are different
Twenty 6 ft boards, 5.5 in wide, have 55 sq ft on one broad face. Two broad faces total 110 sq ft. Two exposed long edges at 0.75 in thickness add 15 sq ft. Another 24 sq ft of measured rails and posts brings the total to 149 sq ft.
With two coats at illustrative rates of 250 then 500 sq ft per US gallon, the requirement is (149 ÷ 250 + 149 ÷ 500) × 1.10 = 0.9834 US gal. One 1-gallon container covers that modeled requirement. A five-gallon container would leave 4.0166 gallons. Real label coverage and a test patch determine which input rates are appropriate.
To test mixed-package buying independently, enter 1 board, height 10 ft, width 12 in, 1 face, 0 edges, other area 0, 1 coat, coverage 3 sq ft/gal and allowance 0%. Need is 3.3333 gal. With 1-gallon cans at an invented $20 and 3-gallon cans at $50, 1 large plus 1 small costs $70; four small cost $80 and two large cost $100. This is arithmetic, not an application-rate recommendation.
How to calculate
Use fence height as Height, the net fence run as Length, and set Faces to 1 or 2. The area model treats the fence as solid. Add posts, rails and board edges as extra surface area.
Worked example
Length (ft): 100 · Fence height (ft): 6 · Faces / sides: 2 · Extra surface area (sq ft): 0 · Coats: 1 · First-coat coverage (sq ft / US gal): 200 · Container size (US gal): 1 · Extra material (%): 10.
These inputs produce 7 containers to order. Change the measurements above to match your project.
Measure the right surfaces
Enter fence run as Length and fence height as Height. Use one or two faces as actually being finished. The rectangle model represents a solid face; for open pickets, measure board faces and include rails, posts and exposed edges in the extra-area field.
A second example you can check
A 100 ft run at 6 ft high, finished on both solid faces, is 1,200 sq ft. At an illustrative 200 sq ft/gal per coat, one coat with 10% extra requires 6.6 gallons. Seven 1 gallon containers cover that modeled requirement; two 5 gallon containers purchase 10 gallons.
Where estimates go wrong
A two-sided fence is not necessarily just two flat rectangles. Rails and board edges add surface while gaps remove it. Overlapping boards can expose different surfaces on each side. Coverage also changes with wood texture and condition, so a test area improves the estimate.
Build your supplier order
Confirm the finish’s coverage basis, permitted substrates, preparation and number of coats. Do not add an extra coat if the label’s coverage already represents a complete application. Buy matching batches and check unopened-container return rules.
Fence Stain: practical questions
Should I stain both sides?
Enter the surfaces in your agreed scope. The calculator does not determine access rights, ownership or finish suitability.
How do I account for rails?
Measure the rail surfaces that will be coated and add their square footage. Avoid including faces hidden against boards.
Inputs and references
BEHR DECKplus semi-transparent stain — One product example has different first- and second-coat coverage rates. Enter each label rate separately; these rates do not apply to every finish.
YardTakeoff · Revised October 21, 2026 · Formula checks and scope · Report a calculation error