Decking Staining Cost Guide

Staining, painting or oiling your decking gives it a fresh new look and protects it from the elements. It's important to regularly maintain your decking to keep it looking its best.

So how much does decking staining cost in 2023?

How much does it cost to stain a deck in the UK?

How much it costs to stain a deck in the UK depends on how big your decking is, what type of stain, paint or oil you want to use and where you are in the country, but these are the average costs:

Job/item	Average cost
Painter hourly rate	£16-£30 per hour
Painter day rate	£100-£180 per day
Decking paint (supply only)	£10-£20 per litre
Decking stain (supply only)	£8-£12 per litre
Decking oil (supply only)	£6-£12 per litre

These labour costs are based on averages taken from across the UK. For a more accurate idea of labour in your area, take a look at our table further down the page that takes hourly and daily rates from our database of painters and decorators in various locations around the country.

Is it cheaper to paint or stain a deck?

It's marginally cheaper to stain a deck rather than paint it. For 20 square metres of decking, you'll need between 2-6 litres of paint or decking stain. Decking paint would work out at £20-£120 whereas decking stain would work out at £16-£72, according to our research. Labour should cost around the same for both treatments.

It's always worth asking experienced decking painters how much decking paint or stain they would expect to need and what brands they would recommend. Popular brands include Ronseal, Cuprinol and Barrettine.

How much does it cost to powerwash and stain a deck?

If you haven't cleaned your decking in a while, it's probably going to need a good wash before you stain it. A painter may not powerwash your decking for you, but it's worth asking them to see if it's something they include in their prices.

Expect to spend between £70-£140 to have 20 square metres of decking pressure washed. A pressure washer will cost you around £80-£200 to buy, so you might decide that it's more cost-effective to do this yourself.

Once you've powerwashed your decking, it’s important to leave it to try for at least 48 hours before painting or staining to ensure all the water has evaporated.

How much does it cost to sand and paint a deck?

Sanding decking is a time-consuming job; it will take the most of a day to sand it down ready to paint. Expect it to cost between £105-£200 to sand down the decking, with an additional £125-£320 in paint and labour to paint the decking.

Therefore, it costs an average of £350-£520 to sand and paint a deck.

How many coats of stain does a deck need?

Decking usually needs at least two coats of stain. Wood stain protects the decking from the weather, so it's important to get a good even coverage.

It's also worth mentioning that you'll get the best protection from the elements if you apply oil to your decking as well. Oil costs between £6-£12 per litre, but you'll need between 20-30 litres for a 20 square metre deck. That means you could end up spending £120-£360 on decking oil before labour costs.

However, there are lots of decking oils that also include staining properties so you don’t have to pay for two products.

Is it OK to paint over old deck paint?

It's OK to paint over old deck paint if the paint is in good condition and is a similar or lighter colour compared to the new paint. But to get the best finish, you should give your decking a light sanding before you paint it.

If the old paint is peeling or there are cracks in it, it's worth giving your decking a good sanding before repainting it to ensure you don't get patches showing through your fresh paint.

Is it worth painting decking?

It's certainly worth painting, staining or oiling your decking for a number of reasons:

Protect your decking from the weather

Painting, staining or oiling your decking ensures that it's waterproofed and protected from the elements such as frost. Oiling is said to give you the best protection, but any covering from a good brand will offer a good amount of weatherproofing.

Give your garden a new look

A new, bold decking colour will make it stand out and can give your garden a completely new look. Lots of homeowners make a statement with their decking, with dark blues and greys becoming fashionable.

Even a neutral colour to give your decking a refresh will improve your garden's look over a tired, worn out deck.

Increase your property’s value

Painting your decking could increase your property's value. If your decking is in perfect condition when your home is photographed to put on the market, you could get more viewings. And when prospective buyers see your brand new decking paint job, they're likely to offer more for your home than they would if the decking looked tired and in need of maintenance.

Keeping your home and garden in good condition when you're looking to sell is a great idea as it shows prospective buyers that you've looked after the property and take pride in it, giving them more confidence that they won't find any problems later down the line.

Decking staining can be a big job, but it'll make a huge difference to the look of your garden. Make sure you get comparison quotes from a range of exterior painters and decorators so you can be confident you’re getting a fair price.

Post your job on HaMuch now and we'll put you in touch with reliable painters in your area.

Estimates for common painter & decorator jobs;

Rates for other trades