Deck Refinishing Cost Calculator
Refinishing is more than a wash and a coat of stain: a deck with worn or peeling finish has to be stripped or sanded back to bare wood before new stain will hold. The prep is where the money goes, so this prices the job by the condition of the boards, the finish you want, the railing and the stairs — for a contractor, or for doing it yourself with rented equipment.
What you'll need
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POTUINOM 165 PCS 5 Inch Sanding Discs Random Orbital Sander Sandpaper
$19.99
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Greenworks 2000 PSI (1.2 GPM) Electric Pressure Washer
Limited time dealSave 15%
$194.99List Price:: $229.99
Ready Seal Exterior Wood Stain & Sealer, Natural Cedar, 5 Gallon
$199.00
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Simple Green Oxy Solve Deck and Fence Pressure Washer Cleaner, Colorless to Pale Straw, Unscented, 128 Fl Oz (Packaging May Vary)
$23.99
Check price on AmazonPrices and savings as of Sep 30, 2026, 4:35 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
What "refinishing" a deck actually involves
A quick wash and a fresh coat is maintenance. Refinishing is what a deck needs when that is no longer enough: the old finish has worn through in the traffic lanes, the wood has gone grey and fuzzy, or a film-forming stain is lifting in flakes. New stain will only soak into clean, open, bare wood, so the job is mostly preparation — cleaning, stripping where needed, brightening and sanding — followed by one finish system. That is why the condition of the deck, not its size alone, sets the price.
The three levels of prep
| Condition | What happens | Contractor $/sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Faded but intact | Wash, brighten, one coat | $1.75 – $3.00 |
| Worn and grey in places | Wash, brighten, sand 60–80 grit, stain | $2.75 – $4.50 |
| Peeling or flaking film | Chemical strip, rinse, brighten, sand, stain | $3.75 – $6.00 |
These are the planning rates the calculator uses for the deck surface. Railings and stairs are priced separately — per linear foot and per step — because balusters, rails and risers are brush work that takes several times longer per square foot than the open floor.
Contractor vs doing it yourself
The DIY side of the calculator adds up stain at its real coverage (about 200 sq ft per gallon for a semi-transparent stain on rough wood, less for solid colour, which needs two coats), cleaner or stripper, a deck sander for a day or two, sandpaper and a pressure washer rental. For most decks that is a few hundred dollars against a contractor price in the low thousands, and the gap is almost all labour. The trade-off is time: a worn 12×16 deck with a railing is a full weekend of hard work plus a dry day between steps.
Mistakes that make you do it twice
- Staining over a failing film. New stain on top of peeling stain peels with it. Strip first.
- Sanding too fine. 60–80 grit opens the grain; 120 and up can burnish it so the stain sits on the surface.
- Skipping the brightener. Strippers and cleaners leave the wood alkaline and dark; an oxalic-acid brightener restores the pH and colour so the stain takes evenly.
- Going darker to hide problems. Solid stain hides grey wood but is a film — once you choose it, going back to a semi-transparent finish means stripping to bare wood.
- Bad weather windows. The wood needs to be dry, and most products want 24–48 hours without rain after application.
Is it time to refinish or resurface?
If boards are split, soft, badly cupped or pulling their screws, sanding will not save them. Price new decking on the existing frame with the deck resurfacing cost calculator, or individual boards with the deck repair cost calculator. For the finish itself, the deck stain calculator works out gallons and the deck sealing cost calculator compares products by cost per year. Our pick of cleaners is in the best deck cleaners guide, and the deck maintenance schedule shows how often each step comes round.
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Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to refinish a deck?
- A contractor typically charges about $1.75–$3 per square foot to wash and restain a deck whose finish is faded but intact, $2.75–$4.50 when the boards need sanding, and $3.75–$6 when an old film finish is peeling and has to be stripped. Railings and stairs are extra because they are slow hand work.
- Is it cheaper to refinish or replace deck boards?
- Refinishing is almost always cheaper while the boards are sound — a few dollars per square foot against $12–$25 per square foot to replace the surface. Once boards are split, soft or cupped badly enough that sanding will not flatten them, resurfacing is the better spend.
- How long does refinishing a deck take?
- A 12×16 deck with a railing is usually a weekend: a day to wash, brighten and sand, a dry day, then a day to stain. Stripping a peeling finish can add a day, and every product needs 24–48 hours of dry weather before and after it goes on.
- Should I sand my deck before restaining?
- Sand when the surface is rough, grey and fuzzy in the traffic lanes, or when an old finish is uneven. A light pass with 60–80 grit opens the grain so the stain soaks in; going finer than 80 grit can close the wood and make the stain sit on top.
