Coating Types: Oil, Stain, and Paint Compared
The coating you choose determines both the upfront cost and how often you will need to re-coat. Each type works differently on timber.
Brand and Product Guide
Australian deck and fence products sit across three tiers, from DIY-friendly oils to professional-grade coatings.
A typical 30 m2 hardwood deck needs 4–5 litres of oil per coat at 12–15 m2/L coverage. Two coats on bare timber means 8–10 litres, so materials alone run $170–$350 depending on the product tier. A 20-metre paling fence (1.8m high, both sides) has roughly 72 m2 of surface area and needs 5–6 litres per coat.
Signs Your Deck or Fence Needs Recoating
Timber does not fail suddenly. It shows clear warning signs before serious damage sets in:
Water absorption test fails. Splash water on the deck surface. If it beads and sits on top, the coating is still working. If it soaks in within 30 seconds, the oil or stain has broken down and the timber is unprotected.
Grey or silver discolouration. UV breaks down the lignin in timber, turning the surface grey. This is not just cosmetic: grey timber has lost its surface protection and will begin to split and crack if left untreated.
Blotchy or patchy appearance. Uneven fading means the coating has worn through in high-traffic or high-sun areas. These exposed patches weather faster than protected areas, creating an uneven surface.
Splintering or surface fibres lifting. When timber fibres start lifting, the surface is drying out and becoming brittle. This is past the "maintenance re-oil" stage and into restoration territory.
Peeling or flaking coating. Only affects paint and film-forming stains (not oils). Peeling paint must be stripped back to bare timber before re-coating, which is the most expensive prep scenario.
Mould or algae growth. Green or black patches, particularly on south-facing surfaces and shaded areas. Mould must be killed with a dedicated wash before any coating is applied, not just pressure-washed off.
A maintenance re-oil every 12–18 months costs a fraction of a full restoration. A 30 m2 deck re-oil runs $15–$25/m2 ($450–$750 total). A full strip, sand, and re-stain on the same deck runs $30–$45/m2 ($900–$1,350 total). The most expensive option is neglecting it until boards need replacing.
What Affects the Cost
Surface area. Decks are measured in square metres. Fences are measured by linear metre and height. A 20-metre paling fence at 1.8m high is roughly 72 m2 of paintable surface when you account for both sides.
Timber condition. Weathered, grey timber needs sanding back to fresh wood before coating. Peeling or flaking old coatings need chemical stripping ($8–$27/m2). This prep work can double the cost compared to a maintenance re-coat on timber in good condition.
Product choice. Penetrating oil at $21–$35/L is the most affordable coating per application but needs the most frequent re-coating. Premium stains at $31–$44/L last longer between coats. Solid paint at $19–$25/L lasts the longest but is the most expensive to strip and redo when it eventually fails.
Timber type. Hardwoods (merbau, spotted gum, ironbark, jarrah) are dense and need specific oil or stain products designed for dense timber penetration. Treated pine is more porous and absorbs standard products more readily.
Number of coats. New timber or bare timber needs 2–3 coats. A maintenance re-coat on well-maintained timber is usually 1 coat.
Fence painting complexity. Paling fences are labour-intensive: every paling needs individual attention front and back, and the gaps between palings slow the work down. Smooth panel or lapped fences are faster. Both sides of a fence roughly doubles the labour.
A small deck re-oil on timber in good condition sits toward $500. A large deck strip-and-restain plus a long paling fence paint on both sides pushes toward $3,200.
Lead Paint on Older Fences
Timber fences on properties built before 1970 may have lead paint under current layers. The NHMRC limited lead in paint to 1% by 1970, but fences painted before that date could contain up to 50% lead by weight. Under AS/NZS 4361.2:2017, lead paint must never be dry-sanded, dry-scraped, or burned off. Safe methods include wet sanding, chemical strippers, or encapsulation (painting over intact lead paint with a suitable primer).
If the fence paint is in sound condition (not peeling or flaking), painting over it with a bonding primer and two topcoats is the safest approach. If the paint is deteriorating and needs scraping, a lead test should be done first. DIY lead test kits cost $10–$15, though professional XRF testing is more reliable for confirming lead levels.
City and Regional Price Comparison
Prices vary across Australia based on labour rates, climate impacts on timber, and dominant timber types.
At the city level, Sydney and Melbourne pricing is closely matched, with painter day rates of $400–$650 for outdoor timber work. Brisbane sits slightly below on labour rates but timber maintenance cycles are shorter due to UV intensity, meaning homeowners re-coat more frequently. Smaller trade pools and business operating costs influence quotes in Perth and Adelaide; see the Pricing by City table for ranges.
Within any city, timber type and condition create the most variance. Hardwood decks in established suburbs (merbau in Sydney's eastern suburbs, jarrah in Perth's western suburbs) use premium oil products at $31–$44/L and need experienced application. Treated pine decks in newer outer suburbs work with standard products at $21–$26/L and are more straightforward. Coastal properties in any city face salt exposure that accelerates timber degradation and shortens coating life by 30–50%.
Licensing thresholds vary by state: WA requires painter registration for work over $1,000 (the lowest threshold nationally), QLD over $3,300, NSW over $5,000, while VIC has a single-trade exemption for painting-only work.
How We Calculate
Estimates are based on surveyed trade rates for licensed painters, adjusted for each state and typical job complexity. All prices include GST. Figures cover standard residential deck and fence painting or staining. Structural repairs to stumps, bearers or joists cost $3,000–$36,400 per job, and new deck construction costs $3,600–$21,200 per job; both are separate from painting, and commercial fencing is also excluded.