How Much Does it Cost to Paint a Fence?

Please note that the price information in this article was based on data from 2018 and may now be outdated. 

How does your backyard fence or front picket fence look right now? Does it increase the value of your house or is it unsightly? No matter how beautiful your garden looks, an unpainted or faded fence makes it look ugly.

The best practice is to occasionally paint your metal or wood fence to preserve its condition and to ensure it looks its best. And because painting a fence may take a lot of time and requires some specialised skills to bring the best effect, hiring a fence painting company may be the best route to take.

Use an online directory tool like Service Seeking to get some ballpark numbers for your painting job quickly – then make a short list to get more accurate estimates through onsite visits from the selected painters.

Factors to Consider When Determining the Cost of Painting a Fence

Type of Coating Needed

The first variable in knowing how much fence painting will cost is what type of coating you want to apply to your fence. Depending on your fence’s structure, you may need stain, various types of paint, water sealants, or rust proofing. Each of the coatings is meant to achieve a different purpose hence the difference in how they are made.

If you have a wooden fence, the best approach would be to apply the base water coat before applying a new layer of paint or stain. This base coat reduces the possibility of rotting as a result of water absorption into the wood.

Metal fences may also need a base coat to prevent rust before you apply the final layer of metallic paint.

Fence Construction Material

You also need to consider the cost of the painting services, putting in mind total area of the fence to ensure it is all covered. Picket or board fences are easier to paint as they don’t have intricate designs such as lattice and other decorative work.

Remember that making the repairs, getting rid of the peeled old paint and preparing the surface to be painted will need extra time and money. Also, spraying the fence or hand brushing it will be factored in the total cost of the painting services.

Height and Length of the Fence

Naturally, the taller and longer your structure, the more it will cost to paint. More surface area requires additional materials and labour by a fence painting company to get the job done correctly.

How to Estimate the Cost of Painting a Fence

The fence painting fees vary because of the very many variables involved in the work. A rough estimate would be;

• Between $5 and $10 per foot for a 6-foot privacy fence
• Between $3 and $5 per foot for the 4-foot picket fence

Disclaimer: These figures should not be misconstrued to be the actual estimate. The cost of painting a fence vary depending on the labour, preparation needed and the type of materials used to construct it.

Why Should You Repaint Your Fence?

Complementing your Yard Colours – Sometimes you need to bring life to your backyard by painting your fence in a dark shade that complements your flower garden.

Boosting the Curb Appeal – Paint is a great way to instantly raise your curb appeal and to protect and maintain timber/metal fences. Potential home buyers will first be impressed by how well you have maintained your fence before they even consider buying your home.

If you are not selling, you can still enjoy the beautiful surroundings of your well-kempt home.

Protecting the Fence – As timber ages, it tends to warp and discolour. Painting your fence prevents this, as it seals the timber away from the sun, wind, and rain – the three most prominent contributors to the aged look of a timber fence.

Vegetation can also discolour a fence, so if your fence runs under a tree, you may notice it turning green over the years. Similarly, painting helps your metal fence keep rust at bay. Your metal fence will last longer.

What Are Your Options?

You can either replace the ugly fence, repaint it with a brush OR have it resprayed the colour you like. We recommend the latter.

Photo courtesy of Flickr Images by Jim Bauer

Fence painting and fence makeovers is a specialised trade. While both are serious financial undertakings, fence respraying might be cheaper compared to getting your entire fence replaced.

Having your fence resprayed is often 60% (or more) cheaper than having your current fence taken down and replaced.

How Much Does Spray Painting Cost?

Spray painting can’t be compared to painting with a roller or paintbrush. It is mostly more expensive than hand painting, but its output is much better. However, there are some situations where fence spraying may be cheaper, e.g.;

• Since spray painting penetrates the pores of the wooden material faster, it may be cheaper to use when painting rough surfaces
• Spray painting is better when the painting job is complicated and has a lot of decorative lattices.

Spray painting becomes more expensive than a paintbrush or roller painting because;

• When spraying smooth surfaces, you need additional preparation work which eventually pushes the project costs up
• Rough surfaces such as brick and concrete often need to be pressure washed before being spray painted
• Smooth surfaces often require more preparation work because spray paint is relatively thin and the surface has to be very smooth
• A gloss surface must be completely smooth before it is painted since imperfections will show if it is not. This is unlike satin, matte and semi-gloss surfaces which do not need additional preparations.
• The time-consuming masking work that has to be done on adjoining surfaces with different colours when spray painting makes it expensive to use.

Spray painting is a specialist job, and not all painters are equally skilled at it. When you get quotes for spray painting your fence, try to find at least three spray painters in your area. To ensure you get the result you want, choose a spray painter experienced in the type of work you need done. Good spray painters will gladly provide references and guarantee their work.

Always look for a local fence painting company to come and estimate how much it will cost to repaint your fence. They will do a thorough site survey and tell you what preparations you need, the cost of labour, and the quality of paints to buy. This is probably the best way to get an estimate of how much it will cost to paint your fence.