How many gallons of stain do I need for a fence?

Multiply the fence length by its height, then by 2 if you are coating both sides, to get the area. Add about 10% for waste and divide by the sq ft one gallon covers, then round up. A 100 ft fence, 6 ft tall, both sides, is 1,200 sq ft; at 150 sq ft per gallon with 10% extra that is 9 gallons.

What is the fence style factor?

It is the board area you actually coat per sq ft of fence face. A solid privacy fence is 1.00. A picket fence with gaps leaves part of the face bare, but the picket edges add area, so spaced pickets work out to about 0.70 (a 3 1/2 in picket every 6 in). Board-on-board and shadowbox have two layers of boards with extra faces and edges, about 1.25. These are estimates from board sizes; the style table on this page shows the working.

Do I count both sides of the fence?

Yes if you will coat both. The calculator doubles the area for both sides. If the other side faces a neighbor and you only coat your own, choose one side. A fence stained on one face only weathers unevenly, so many owners coat both.

Should I include the posts and rails?

Only if you will stain them. On many fences the posts and rails sit behind or between the boards and take a small share of the stain; where they show, add 5% for posts or 15% for posts and rails. That is an estimate from a 6 ft fence in 8 ft sections, so measure a section if the framing is a big part of your fence. Post tops and board ends are end grain and soak up extra, so brush them in.

How many coats of fence stain do I need?

Most penetrating oil stains are one coat applied wet-on-wet; read the label. Solid-color stains and paints usually need two. The calculator counts every coat at the full spread rate, which is cautious: Behr lists 500 to 600 sq ft for the second coat of its stain and sealer, about twice the first.

Why does rough wood take so much more stain?

Rough-sawn boards have more surface and open grain, and dry, weathered or untreated wood is porous, so it absorbs stain instead of leaving a film. Ready Seal’s data sheet says coverage varies with moisture content, age and porosity, and that older wood is more porous and needs more stain. Pressure-treated lumber that is still wet may need weeks to dry before it takes stain.

Should I add extra for spraying?

Yes. A sprayer is fast on a long fence, but overspray and wind carry stain past the boards, and gaps between pickets lose even more. The calculator offers 20% extra for spraying; back-brushing after spraying works the stain into the wood. Use 10% when you brush or roll.

How many 5-gallon pails do I need?

The calculator also shows pails: the gallons (before rounding) divided by 5 and rounded up. A pail is usually cheaper per gallon than four or five single cans, so buy a pail when the job is within a gallon or two of 5. Leftover stain keeps for touch-ups if sealed.

Fence Stain Calculator: How Many Gallons Do I Need?

Staining both sides of a 100 ft long, 6 ft tall solid privacy fence is 1,200 sq ft of fence. With 10% extra and a spread rate of 150 sq ft per gallon (rough pine or pressure-treated boards, one coat) you need 9 gallons, or 2 five-gallon pails. Gallons = length × height × sides × style factor ÷ the sq ft one gallon covers; smooth boards cover about 250 sq ft a gallon and rough cedar about 125.

Figures based on the sources listed belowUpdated 2026-10-11How we calculate

Fence length

Fence height

Waste allowance

Exact (0%)+10% for spills, drips and touch-ups+20% if spraying (overspray)Custom

Sides to coatMost owners coat both faces. Coat one side only if the other belongs to a neighbor.

Fence styleThe share of the fence face that is wood, plus board edges. Spaced pickets leave gaps that need no stain; two-layer styles have extra faces and edges. An estimate: see the style table below.

Posts and railsExtra area for posts and rails you will stain, as a share of the board area (an estimate for a 6 ft fence; one-sided fences need a bit more). Leave at none if they are hidden or not stained.

Wood and product coverageSquare feet one gallon covers in one coat. Rough and dry wood soaks up more; check your can, since solid stains and paints often cover differently.

Coats

Penetrating stains are often one coat; the label says. Each coat is counted at the full rate above, a cautious estimate for later coats.

Price per gallon (optional)

Buy 9 gallons

1,200 sq ft + 10% waste = 1,320 sq ft

Surface to coat: 1,200 sq ft
5-gallon pails (if you buy by the pail): 2 pails (from 8.8 gal)

Low

$270.00

Expected

$405.00

High

$675.00

Includes 120 sq ft waste

How this number is calculated

1,200 sq ft + 10% waste = 1,320 sq ft ÷ 150 sq ft per gallon = 9 gallons

Shopping list

Exterior fence stain (5 gal)
Fence paint sprayer
Stain brush for rough wood
Wood cleaner and brightener
Plastic drop cloth for plants

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Spread rate by wood and product

Square feet one gallon covers in one coat. The first four rows are the rates this calculator offers; the rest are the published figures behind them.
Wood or product	Sq ft per gallon, one coat	Source
Rough-sawn cedar or old, dry, weathered wood	125	Ready Seal data sheet: cedar fence 125; brochure: rough cedar about 125
Rough pine, spruce or pressure-treated wood	150	Ready Seal data sheet: pine, spruce and treated pine fence 150
Smooth planed boards, new or lightly weathered	250	Low end of Behr stain and sealer, first coat 250-300
Smooth, previously stained and sound	350	Low end of Behr penetrating oil, 350-400
Semi-solid siding stain, rough wood (Cabot 1100)	100-200	Retailer listing of the Cabot product description
Semi-solid siding stain, smooth wood (Cabot 1100)	200-300	Retailer listing of the Cabot product description

Fence style factor: how the area is worked out

Area coated per sq ft of fence face, per side. These are this site’s estimates from board sizes (boards 3/4 in thick), not manufacturer figures; measure your own fence if it differs.
Style	Factor	How it is worked
Solid privacy (butted boards)	1.00	One face of wood per sq ft of fence; edges between butted boards are not coated.
Spaced pickets	0.70	A 3 1/2 in picket on a 6 in pitch: 2 faces × 3.5 in + 2 edges × 0.75 in = 8.5 in of wood per 6 in, ÷ 2 sides = 0.71.
Board-on-board or shadowbox	1.25	Two layers of 5 1/2 in boards on a 10 in pitch: 4 faces × 5.5 in + 4 edges × 0.75 in = 25 in per 10 in, ÷ 2 sides = 1.25. Counts the overlapped faces and edges, which take stain at the gaps.
Posts and rails (allowance)	+5% or +15%	An 8 ft section of a 6 ft fence has 96 sq ft of board face on both sides. Its 4 × 4 post has 7 sq ft of surface (7%, about 5% when boards hide some faces); three 2 × 4 rails add about 7 sq ft of broad face and 6 sq ft of edges, so post and rails are about 20 sq ft (21%, about 15% when part is hidden). One side only needs a little more.

Gallons for a 6 ft fence by length and spread rate

Both sides, solid boards (factor 1.00), no framing allowance, one coat, 10% extra, rounded up to whole gallons, worked by this calculator.
Fence length	Sq ft to coat	125 sq ft/gal	150 sq ft/gal	250 sq ft/gal	350 sq ft/gal
50 ft	600	6	5	3	2
100 ft	1,200	11	9	6	4
150 ft	1,800	16	14	8	6
200 ft	2,400	22	18	11	8

Methodology & assumptions

The area to coat is fence length × fence height × the number of sides × a style factor × (1 + an allowance for posts and rails). The style factor is the board area actually coated per sq ft of fence face: 1.00 for a solid privacy fence, about 0.70 for spaced pickets, about 1.25 for board-on-board and shadowbox. The framing allowance is 0%, 5% (posts showing) or 15% (posts and rails showing). The style factors and the framing allowance are this page's own geometry estimates, worked in the style table below, not manufacturer figures. Gates and other openings come off the fence face before the factors are applied. The coated area plus your waste percentage is divided by the spread rate for your wood and product, in sq ft per gallon per coat, divided by the number of coats, and rounded up to a whole gallon. Spread rates come from manufacturer data sheets and product pages (see the sources): Ready Seal lists 125 sq ft per gallon for cedar fence and 150 for pine, spruce and pressure-treated pine fence, Behr lists 250 to 300 sq ft for the first coat of its semi-transparent stain and sealer, and 350 to 400 for its penetrating oil finish. Because later coats usually go on further than the first, counting every coat at the full rate is a cautious estimate. Pails are the unrounded gallons ÷ 5, rounded up. The metric toggle shows lengths in m and areas in m².

Ready Seal technical data sheet (distributor copy): coverage in sq ft per gallon by wood, 125 for cedar fence, 150 for pine, spruce and treated pine fence
Ready Seal product brochure (distributor copy): about 125 sq ft per gallon on rough cedar and about 150 on smooth
Behr Premium Semi-Transparent Waterproofing Stain & Sealer product page: coverage 250-300 sq ft for the first coat, 500-600 for the second
Behr Premium Semi-Transparent Waterproofing Wood Finish Penetrating Oil product page: spread rate 350-400 sq ft per gallon depending on wood porosity
Cabot Semi-Solid Acrylic Siding Stain (1100 series) retailer listing: 100-200 sq ft per gallon on rough surfaces, 200-300 on smooth
Style factors (0.70 spaced pickets, 1.25 two-layer fences) and the posts-and-rails allowance: this site’s geometry estimates, worked in the style table, not manufacturer data
Typical US fence stain retail prices, 2026 (estimate)

How to calculate how much fence stain you need

Measure the fence. Measure the length of fence and its height in feet. Add any gates as openings if you will not stain them.
Choose the sides and the style. Pick one or both sides, then the style: solid privacy 1.00, spaced pickets 0.70, board-on-board or shadowbox 1.25. Multiply length × height × sides × the style factor.
Add posts and rails if you will stain them. Add 5% for posts, or 15% if the rails show too.
Pick the spread rate for your wood. Use the rate on your can. Without it, 125 to 150 sq ft per gallon suits rough or pressure-treated wood and 250 or more suits smooth boards.
Add waste, divide and round up. Add 10% (20% if spraying), divide by the sq ft per gallon per coat divided by the coats, and round up to whole gallons. Divide by 5 for pails.

Worked examples

Project	Result
100 × 6 ft solid privacy fence, both sides, rough pine at 150 sq ft/gal, one coat	1,200 sq ft + 10% extra → 9 gallons (2 five-gallon pails)
60 × 4 ft picket fence with gaps, both sides, smooth boards at 250 sq ft/gal, two coats	336 sq ft + 10% extra → 3 gallons
80 × 6 ft board-on-board fence, one side, posts and rails showing, one 4 × 6 ft gate left out, rough cedar at 125 sq ft/gal	655.5 sq ft + 10% extra → 6 gallons (2 five-gallon pails)

Frequently asked questions

How many gallons of stain do I need for a fence?: Multiply the fence length by its height, then by 2 if you are coating both sides, to get the area. Add about 10% for waste and divide by the sq ft one gallon covers, then round up. A 100 ft fence, 6 ft tall, both sides, is 1,200 sq ft; at 150 sq ft per gallon with 10% extra that is 9 gallons.
How much does a gallon of fence stain cover?: It depends on the wood and the product. Ready Seal’s data sheet gives 125 sq ft per gallon for cedar fence and 150 for pine, spruce and pressure-treated pine fence; Behr lists 250 to 300 sq ft for the first coat of its semi-transparent stain and sealer and 350 to 400 for its penetrating oil finish. Rough, dry, older wood soaks up the most and smooth, sealed wood the least. The label on your can is the number to trust.
What is the fence style factor?: It is the board area you actually coat per sq ft of fence face. A solid privacy fence is 1.00. A picket fence with gaps leaves part of the face bare, but the picket edges add area, so spaced pickets work out to about 0.70 (a 3 1/2 in picket every 6 in). Board-on-board and shadowbox have two layers of boards with extra faces and edges, about 1.25. These are estimates from board sizes; the style table on this page shows the working.
Do I count both sides of the fence?: Yes if you will coat both. The calculator doubles the area for both sides. If the other side faces a neighbor and you only coat your own, choose one side. A fence stained on one face only weathers unevenly, so many owners coat both.
Should I include the posts and rails?: Only if you will stain them. On many fences the posts and rails sit behind or between the boards and take a small share of the stain; where they show, add 5% for posts or 15% for posts and rails. That is an estimate from a 6 ft fence in 8 ft sections, so measure a section if the framing is a big part of your fence. Post tops and board ends are end grain and soak up extra, so brush them in.
How many coats of fence stain do I need?: Most penetrating oil stains are one coat applied wet-on-wet; read the label. Solid-color stains and paints usually need two. The calculator counts every coat at the full spread rate, which is cautious: Behr lists 500 to 600 sq ft for the second coat of its stain and sealer, about twice the first.
Why does rough wood take so much more stain?: Rough-sawn boards have more surface and open grain, and dry, weathered or untreated wood is porous, so it absorbs stain instead of leaving a film. Ready Seal’s data sheet says coverage varies with moisture content, age and porosity, and that older wood is more porous and needs more stain. Pressure-treated lumber that is still wet may need weeks to dry before it takes stain.
Should I add extra for spraying?: Yes. A sprayer is fast on a long fence, but overspray and wind carry stain past the boards, and gaps between pickets lose even more. The calculator offers 20% extra for spraying; back-brushing after spraying works the stain into the wood. Use 10% when you brush or roll.
How many 5-gallon pails do I need?: The calculator also shows pails: the gallons (before rounding) divided by 5 and rounded up. A pail is usually cheaper per gallon than four or five single cans, so buy a pail when the job is within a gallon or two of 5. Leftover stain keeps for touch-ups if sealed.