Exterior painting costs depend on your project and location. Check with a local pro for your specific job.
Professional cedar siding staining costs $1,400 to $8,000 for your materials and labor combined depending on home size.
Your home size and the amount of prep work needed will determine the total time and effort for your project.
Labor accounts for the largest portion of your bill and you should budget for sealant to protect the wood long term.
Hiring a local exterior painting professional keeps you safe from ladder falls and delivers even results without drips or missed spots.
The cost to stain cedar siding is $3,300 on average, but can run between $400 and $11,000 depending on the size of your project and the type of stain used.
Cedar siding can add natural beauty to your home, offering a timeless blending of the siding with nature. Staining cedar will make it appear more vibrant and alive and can also increase the wood’s natural lifespan.
Assuming you have already installed the cedar siding, the cost to stain cedar siding depends mainly on the square footage of the area and local labor costs.
You should expect to pay between $2 and $ 5 per square foot for the materials and labor. Consider that larger projects have the benefit of scale, which means you can use larger containers of staining material, and the tools you use will become a small aspect of the overall cost.
| Home Size (Square Feet) | Estimated Coverage (Square Feet) | Average Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | 1,300 | $2,600–$6,500 |
| 1,500 | 1,600 | $3,200–$8,000 |
| 2,000 | 1,900 | 3,800–$9,500 |
| 2,500 | 2,100 | $4,200–$10,500 |
| 3,000 | 2,300 | $4,600–$11,500 |
| 3,500 | 2,500 | $5,000–$12,500 |
Labor is by far the most expensive part of staining cedar siding. The good news is that the work isn’t particularly specialized, so expect to pay between $25 and $65 an hour when you hire a painting pro. The project may need significant prep work, so discuss with a painter if that’s something you can do yourself to save on the project’s cost.
Local exterior painting professionals can apply the stain, wipe away excess, and repeat as necessary. While sealant isn’t required, many painters seal everything they stain because it greatly enhances the cedar’s weather resistance, natural color, and lifetime.
Cedar stains are all similarly priced, so the real choice you need to make is whether you want to use natural, semitransparent, or opaque stains. Many choose to side their houses with cedar to reflect the nature surrounding them, which is why natural and semi-transparent stains are more popular as they allow the natural wood grain to shine through.
Staining cedar siding isn’t a particularly complex job, but it can be a time-consuming and potentially dangerous one if you need to work on a ladder or scaffolding. Hire a local exterior painter to stain your siding to save you time and effort and avoid the risk of falls and injuries.
Not sure if you should hire a pro for this job? Here are a few reasons why you should:
Painting pros have the tools and equipment needed to get the job done efficiently and correctly.
A pro can identify any areas that need to be repaired or require additional prep to prevent damage.
Painting professionals are used to working on ladders and scaffolding and have the safety equipment needed to work safely on upper stories.
A painting pro will provide even, professional results without splotches, drips, or missed spots.
If you’re confident in your DIY skills and want to tackle this project on your own, here are some things to keep in mind:
Always enlist help when working on a ladder to ensure you’re steady and safe.
Test your stain on a spare piece of siding so you can confirm it’s the right shade and finish, and you can decide how many coats you need.
Don’t skimp on prep work—not prepping correctly can affect your results.
Inspect your siding before beginning work to see if there are any damaged areas that need repair.
Saving money when staining cedar siding comes down to the size of the work being done and whether or not you can do it yourself. You may be able to shave small expenses, but nothing will make as big of a difference as DIYing the job or working alongside a pro. Some ways to save money are:
Buy the stain in bulk.
Do the work yourself.
Get multiple quotes.
Hire in the off-season.
Prepare the surface yourself.
Wait to buy stain until it’s on sale.
Use leftover stains from previous projects.
Let the pro know your siding’s age and condition so they have an idea of how much prep will be needed.
While a pro will likely charge by the hour rather than the square foot, knowing roughly how much siding you have will help you budget for this project.
Ask the pro what type of stain they recommend for your siding’s condition and your area’s climate.
Find out the project’s timeline and if you’ll need to do anything to prepare for the service.
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to [email protected]. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.
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