How much to charge to stain or seal a deck
Price it from your own shop rate, not a national average. The True Rate kit's Price Book puts this task at 2 to 3.5 hours per 100 sf and starts you at 2.5 hours, plus $40 in supplies. At the worked example's $90 shop rate, that's $275 per 100 sf flat. Across the typical range it runs $230 to $365, before the trip charge and the minimum.
- Typical time
- 2 to 3.5 hours per 100 sf
- Starter hours
- 2.5 h per 100 sf
- Supplies
- $40 per 100 sf
- At $90/hr
- $275 per 100 sf
This task, priced
This is an estimate from the numbers above, not a quote. Materials and fixtures the customer picks (the faucet, the fan, the door) bill separately at your materials markup.
What your rate does to this price
Same 2.5 starter hours and $40 in supplies, priced at three rates from the kit's worked example. Break-even covers the $2,870 a month overhead and the $60,000 pay goal and nothing more. The shop rate adds the 20% margin, rounded up to the next $5.
| Shop rate | Flat price |
|---|---|
| $65/hr, below break-even | $215 per 100 sf |
| $70.52/hr, break-even (no profit) | $230 per 100 sf |
| $90/hr, the worked example's shop rate | $275 per 100 sf |
Charging $65 an hour instead of $90 takes $60 off this job (per 100 sf), every time you do it. The price follows the rate because the hours don't change. That's why the kit starts with your rate, not someone else's price list.
Not sure your rate covers your costs? Run the free calculator. Why a 25% markup on supplies is only a 20% margin: markup vs margin, with a calculator.
What gets left off this estimate
These are the lines from the kit's "Did you forget?" list that apply to this job, and where the kit bills each one.
- Extra trips (dry time, inspections, back-ordered parts). A custom line or another trip charge for each visit.
- Floor and furniture protection, dust control. Custom line, or raise the contingency.
- Parking, tolls, equipment rental. Materials line, marked up per tab 2.
- Consumables (caulk, screws, blades, tape, anchors). Make sure Supplies isn't $0 on tasks that use them.
- "While you're here…" extras. Don't do them free. Text a change order first (Get Paid Texts, #1).
Before you send the number
- Walk the deck and push on boards before you quote. Soft spots need fixing before stain.
- Check the weather before you book it. The wood has to be dry for stain to take.
- If you find rotted joists or loose railings, stop and re-quote before you stain over them.
Starting points, not a price list to copy
These numbers are the True Rate kit's starter hours and supplies for a solo tradesperson with a few years in, on an ordinary house. They aren't industry data, a survey of what others charge, or a promise of how long the job takes you. Edit the hours for your market and your own speed. An old house, a seized nut or a fussy customer changes the job.
The $90 shop rate is only the kit's worked example ($2,870 a month overhead, $60,000 pay goal, 62% of hours billable, 20% margin). Your rate comes from your costs.
How long does it take to stain or seal a deck?
The True Rate kit's Price Book puts it at 2 to 3.5 hours per 100 sf, and starts the price at 2.5 hours. That's a solo tradesperson with a few years in, on an ordinary house: tools out, the work and clean-up, with no drive time. If yours runs long, raise the hours, not your rate.
Does that include a trip charge or minimum?
No. The flat price is the task alone. In the kit's Price This Job sheet, a ticket with only this task adds a $35 trip charge, a 15% small-job buffer (because the whole job is under 4 hours) and a 5% contingency. At $90 an hour, that's $369 for this task on its own. Those are the kit's starter settings. Set your own.
Where do these hours come from?
They're the True Rate kit's starter hours for a solo tradesperson with a few years in, working on an ordinary house. That's tools out, the work, and clean-up. Drive time isn't in them. They're not industry data or a survey of your market. Old houses and tight spaces take longer, so log your real times and edit them.
Price the whole ticket
The True Rate kit is a spreadsheet that prices all 80 jobs from your own rate. Its Price This Job sheet adds materials, the trip charge and the minimum, and shows your margin before you send the number. $39 once, for Google Sheets or Excel.