At a Glance
Deck and fence painting or staining across Australia typically costs $500–$3,000 per job, using Sydney metro as the baseline. Perth and Adelaide tend to run 10–15% higher. The price depends on surface area, timber condition, product choice (oil, stain, or paint), and how much prep the timber needs before any coating goes on.
What's Included
A standard deck or fence painting/staining quote covers:
- Cleaning: pressure wash or chemical wash to remove dirt, mould, and old coating residue
- Sanding: light sand for maintenance re-coats, heavy sand for weathered or peeling timber
- Repairs: replacing damaged deck boards or fence palings if included in scope
- Application of decking oil, stain, or paint per AS/NZS 2311 recommendations
- Two coats for new timber or colour changes; one coat for maintenance re-oiling
- Clean-up on completion
Labour is the dominant cost, particularly for fences. Paling fences with narrow gaps and rough surfaces are surprisingly slow to paint compared to flat deck surfaces.
What Affects the Cost
- Surface area. Decks are measured in square metres. Fences are measured by linear metre and height. A 20-metre fence is a significant surface area 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 stripping. This prep work can double the cost compared to a maintenance re-coat on timber in good condition.
- Product choice. Decking oil is the cheapest to apply but needs re-coating every 1–2 years. Stain lasts 2–4 years and adds colour. Paint lasts longest but peels eventually and is the most expensive to strip and redo.
- Timber type. Hardwoods (merbau, spotted gum, ironbark) are dense and need specific oil or stain products. Treated pine is more porous and absorbs coatings differently.
- 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, and the gaps between palings slow the work down significantly. Smooth panel fences are faster.
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 $3,000.
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. Brisbane sits slightly below on labour rates but timber maintenance cycles are shorter due to UV intensity, meaning homeowners need to re-coat more frequently. Perth and Adelaide tend to run 10–15% above eastern capitals.
Within any city, timber type and condition create the most variance. Hardwood decks in affluent suburbs (merbau in Sydney's eastern suburbs, jarrah in Perth's western suburbs) use premium oil products and need experienced application. Treated pine decks in newer outer suburbs are more straightforward. Coastal properties in any city face salt exposure that accelerates timber degradation and shortens coating life.
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 timber repairs, new construction, and commercial fencing are not included.