When Is the Best Time to Stain a Fence?

Staining a fence is one of those projects that instantly lifts your outdoor space without too much effort. While there isn’t a decidedly wrong time to stain a fence, excessive moisture causes flaking, uneven color, and shrinking as it evaporates inside the wood, and extreme temperatures won’t do you any favors, either. Whether you decide to tackle your fence project DIY or get help from a local expert, here’s how to determine the best time to stain a fence.

Best Time to Stain a Fence

The best time to stain a fence is when the weather is dry and mild. Moisture and extreme temperatures can interfere with how evenly the stain dries, so planning for a week without rain, humidity, or dramatic temps will prevent streaks, flaking, and visible drips. In most climates, the best time of year to stain a fence is spring or fall, when it’s dry and not too warm or cold.

Factors That Affect Staining Your Fence 

Ensuring that your stain has the time and proper conditions to cure will help it last for many seasons to come and prolong the life of your fence.

Moisture

Wet conditions can affect the evenness of the coat of stain, so you’ll need to plan ahead and choose about a week with consistently dry weather. If it rained recently or you’ve just power washed in preparation for stain, wait 48 hours after exposure to moisture to begin your project. You’ll want two more dry days after you finish so the stain can dry evenly.

Outdoor Temperature

The best time of year to stain a fence will depend on your local climate, but spring and fall are usually a good bet. Applying stain when it’s between 50 and 90 degrees outside helps it to cure and dry evenly. If it’s too hot when your stain is applied, it can show an uneven coverage, causing lap and drip marks. Applying stain when it’s too cold can cause it to dry too slowly, allowing it to pool and appear splotchy as it dries.

Condition of the Lumber 

If you have a fence made from new lumber, the wood will likely still have some moisture in it from processing and transport. Allowing it to cure and acclimate to the environment will keep the stain from streaking or showing unevenness over time. Newer lumber should be allowed to dry for at least 48 hours and can take up to three months to cure. Waiting as long as your window of appropriate weather will allow is the best approach.

Time of Day 

While the time of day doesn’t necessarily affect your dry time, direct sunlight that warms up the surface of the wood can cause the stain to dry faster. If you’re staining in the summer, beginning work around 10 a.m. is ideal, as it won’t be unbearably hot yet. Moisture also affects stain, so applying after the dew has begun to settle or later in the morning before the dew has evaporated avoids a blotchy, uneven finish.

Stain Type

Water-based stains are easier to clean up and have lower VOC emissions while drying, while oil-based stains penetrate the surface of wood, giving it a more natural appearance. In addition to your stain's base, it may also have a sealer to protect the wood from moisture. Because some types of stain seal the grain of the lumber, moisture can get trapped underneath, causing bubbling or cracking as it makes its way out of the wood, and the lumber shrinks from drying. Water-based stain can be more tolerant of moisture during application, while oil-based stain resists moisture for longer once applied.

The Worst Time to Stain a Fence

The worst time to stain a fence is during a rainstorm or a heatwave because either of these events will cause your stain to dry unevenly. Since heat can cause lap marks and moisture can cause blotchiness, avoiding rain and heat while applying stain to your fence is the best approach. You should avoid staining in the middle of winter or the height of summer to get the best coat of stain on your fence.

Cost to Stain a Fence

Staining a fence costs from $2 to $10 per linear foot or between $750 and $4,250 on average. The cost of staining a fence can be affected by the height of your fence, the difficulty of the terrain, and the condition of the lumber. Raw wood will take more stain to penetrate the lumber’s surface than wood previously treated. Painted or previously stained wood might need significant prep before it can be stained again, driving up the cost. 

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro

Staining your fence DIY-style can save you 60% on costs if you put in some sweat equity. Stain costs between $20 and $80 a gallon, and renting a sprayer—the most efficient way of applying your stain—costs $40 and $250 per job. Hiring a local fence painter to stain your fence can be expensive, so you can save a lot of money by doing it yourself. However, achieving the desired result will take you much longer than a pro.