Fence Stain Calculator

Multiply the fence length by its height to get the area of one side, multiply by the number of sides you're staining and the number of coats, then divide by the coverage on the can. A 100 ft × 6 ft fence stained on both sides is 1,200 sq ft per coat — about 7 gallons at 175 sq ft per gallon. The calculator does this for you.

Most fence stains cover 150 to 250 square feet per gallon. Transparent and semi-transparent stains go further, around 200 to 250, while solid-color stains and sealers cover closer to 150. Rough-sawn or weathered wood soaks up more, so use the lower end for the first coat.

For appearance you only need the side that faces your yard, but staining both sides protects the wood more evenly and slows warping and cupping. Set the sides option to 2 if you're coating front and back — it doubles the area and the stain needed.

One coat is common for transparent stains and re-coats on wood that's already sealed. New, bare, or very dry wood usually looks and lasts better with two coats. Set coats to 2 and the calculator doubles the stain; the second coat often goes further than the first.

Yes. Rough-sawn, dry, and weathered wood is porous and drinks stain, so coverage drops — sometimes to 100 sq ft per gallon on the first coat. Smooth or previously sealed wood covers further. Lower the coverage value for thirsty wood so you don't under-buy.

The length-times-height area already includes the face of the boards, posts, and rails on a typical board fence. For pickets with gaps you'll use a little less than the solid area, and for both sides of every picket a little more — rounding up to whole gallons absorbs the difference.

Yes. Any flat wood surface works — just enter the area as length and height (or width). For a deck, use the deck's length and width as the two dimensions and set sides to 1 for the walking surface, adding more area for railings separately.

Yes, it's completely free with no signup required. Your inputs are saved locally in your browser so they persist between visits — nothing is uploaded to a server. Clearing your browser data will erase your saved values.