South West Fence Painting Cost: £130–£440, Check Prep First
Most UK homeowners pay between £130 and £440 to have a standard garden fence painted or stained, with the final figure driven mainly by the number of panels, how much preparation the timber needs, and where you live. Smaller fences with sound timber sit at the lower end; larger runs, heavy prep or London and South East rates push costs up. The sections below break the maths down panel by panel and set out exactly what to ask a contractor before you book.
TL;DR:
Checkatrade averages £26 per painted panel and £30 per stained panel; its £175 day rate covers six to eight panels, depending on access.
Treating both sides roughly doubles labor and material costs; multiple coats on bare or weathered timber add at least half a day.
Request an on site inspection and itemized quote that lists preparation, product, finish, coat count, treated sides, timing, waste removal, and guarantee.
London and South East rates exceed national averages, while rural South West jobs may include travel charges; booking four to six weeks ahead improves availability.
Table of Contents
Fence painting cost per panel and per job
Pricing a fence job starts with the panel. Checkatrade puts the average cost at around £26 per painted panel and £30 per stained panel, with tradespeople typically charging a day rate of about £175. That day rate usually covers six to eight panels, depending on condition and access.
Job size then scales from there. A small fence of six to eight panels tends to land near the bottom of the national range, a medium fence of eight to twelve panels sits in the middle, and anything beyond twelve panels pushes towards the top end or requires more than one day’s labour. For a typical South West garden of around ten standard 6ft panels treated on one side, HowMuchShouldItCost’s Cornwall data shows a low of £130, an average of £265 and a high of £440.
Fence size | Panels | Typical total cost | Typical duration |
Small | 6 | £130-£175 | Half a day to 1 day |
Medium | 10 | £265 | 1 day |
Large | 12 | £440 | 1-2 days |
Figures combine Checkatrade’s per-panel rates with the Cornwall regional range and national day-rate averages. Most straightforward jobs finish within one to two days, but a fence needing heavy repair work or two-sided treatment will run longer.
What affects the price: prep, access and product choice
Two quotes for the same fence can differ by hundreds of pounds, and the gap almost always comes down to what’s included rather than who’s cheaper. The lowest bidders frequently leave out preparation work entirely, which shortens the job on paper but shortens the finish’s lifespan in practice.
Preparation: jet washing, sanding, mould or algae treatment, and replacing rotten boards can add a substantial share of the total, since prep is the step most often skipped by budget quotes.
Application method: brushing and rolling cost less in tools but take longer; spraying covers ground faster but needs masking to control overspray, which adds setup time on tight plots.
Coverage: treating both sides roughly doubles material and labour time compared with a single-sided job, and taller or awkward-access fences take longer per panel.
Product choice: paint, stain, oil, gel and dye all behave differently, and UK regulations set maximum VOC content limits for paints and varnishes, so professional coatings should comply with these limits as standard.
On the regional and seasonal side, Checkatrade notes that London and South East rates run higher than the national average, while South West jobs, including Cornwall, often sit nearer or below the national baseline but can carry travel or time loadings for rural addresses. Our cost factors guide covers how prep and access interact across exterior jobs generally.
Materials, labour and how long the job actually takes
Material costs vary widely by finish. MyJobQuote’s price tables show oil-based stain at roughly £10 to £20 per 5 litres, gel stain at £15 to £25, and dye stain at £20 to £35, with coverage depending heavily on the timber’s condition and porosity. A rough fence face drinks far more product than a smooth, previously treated one.
Labour is usually the bigger line item. At Checkatrade’s average day rate of around £175, and with Cornwall data putting labour at roughly 77% of the total job cost against 23% for materials, a medium ten-panel fence costing £265 overall would typically break down as roughly £204 in labour and £61 in materials, treated on one side.
Spraying suits long, uninterrupted runs where masking time is easily recovered through faster coverage.
Brushing remains more cost-effective on short runs or fences close to planting, windows or parked cars.
Multiple coats, common on bare or weathered timber, add material cost and at least half a day to the schedule.
Both-sides treatment roughly doubles the per-panel material and labour figures quoted for single-sided work.
Job element | Typical figure |
Labour day rate | ~£175 |
Paint, per panel | ~£26 |
Stain, per panel | ~£30 |
Oil stain, per 5L | £10-£20 |
Gel stain, per 5L | £15-£25 |
Dye stain, per 5L | £20-£35 |
For product recommendations by finish type, our guide to exterior paint brands covers options suited to UK weather.
Getting an accurate quote: what to check and ask
A proper quote starts with someone looking at your fence in person. An on-site visit reveals hidden rot, awkward access behind sheds or borders, and overgrown vegetation that a phone estimate simply can’t account for, which is why the lowest remote quotes often grow once work begins.
Ask for prep to be itemised separately from coating, so you can see exactly what’s included.
Confirm the product name, finish type and that it meets the VOC limits set for UK coatings.
Check how many coats are quoted and whether one or both sides are being treated.
Ask about timescale, including what happens if weather delays the job.
Confirm waste removal, payment terms and a reasonable deposit schedule.
Check the contractor holds liability insurance and ask what guarantee period applies to the finish.
Pro Tip: Get at least two itemised quotes before booking, since the gap between them usually reveals what’s been left out of the cheaper one.
If you’re in Cornwall or further across the South West, expect some jobs to carry a small travel or time loading, and booking four to six weeks ahead tends to secure better availability and rates. Our guide to how quotes work for South West homeowners sets out what a complete quote should look like locally.
How we approach fence and exterior work in the South West
We cover fence painting as part of our wider exterior home painting work across Cornwall and the South West, alongside services that often come up in the same conversation as a fence job.
Exterior home painting for fences, sheds and other outdoor timberwork alongside house exteriors.
Airless spraying for long fence runs or multiple structures where even coverage matters.
UPVC spraying for fascias, soffits and frames near the fence line.
Exterior home cleaning to clear moss, algae and grime before any coating goes on.
We start every job with an on-site survey and an itemised quote, because prep work is where corners get cut elsewhere, and a fence treated properly lasts far longer between re-coats.
What quotes rarely tell you upfront
The biggest surprise I see in low fence painting quotes isn’t the headline price, it’s what’s missing from it. Prep work gets quietly dropped because it’s the easiest line to cut without the customer noticing until the finish fails early.
My advice is simple: spend a little more on proper preparation and a quality coating now, and you’ll stretch the gap between re-treatments by years rather than months. Before you book anyone, ask for an itemised quote with the product name on it, not just a total figure.
— Angus
Book a local fence painting survey with us
We serve homeowners in the South West with exterior painting, spraying and cleaning services, and fence work fits naturally alongside the rest of outdoor timber and UPVC. Rather than guessing at a price over the phone, we come out, assess the condition of your panels, and give you an itemised quote covering prep, coating choice and finish.
We survey the fence on-site to catch rot, access issues or prep needs before quoting.
We itemise the scope so you can see exactly what’s covered for the price.
We recommend a finish suited to your fence’s exposure and condition.
If you’d like a straightforward quote for your garden fence, get in touch through our domestic painting page and we’ll arrange a visit.
FAQ
How much does it cost to paint a wall in the UK?
Wall painting costs are generally quoted per square metre rather than per panel, and our exterior painting cost guide sets out a detailed per-square-metre breakdown for UK exterior walls. Fence costs are priced differently, usually per panel or per job, because fencing involves separate timber sections rather than a continuous surface.
How long does it take to paint a 6ft fence panel?
A single 6ft panel typically takes well under an hour once prep is done, but most jobs are quoted by the full fence rather than per panel. A medium ten-panel fence usually takes around one day to complete, including drying time between coats.
How much paint to cover a fence?
Coverage depends on the product and the timber’s condition, with porous or rough timber needing more product than smooth, previously treated wood. Oil, gel and dye stains are typically sold in 5 litre tins, and a contractor can confirm exact quantities once they’ve seen the fence.
How much is paint for a fence?
Material prices vary by finish: oil-based stain runs roughly £10 to £20 per 5 litres, gel stain £15 to £25, and dye stain £20 to £35, according to current UK pricing. Paint itself averages around £26 per panel once applied, against roughly £30 per panel for stain, based on Checkatrade’s cost data.
What should a fence painting quote include?
A complete quote should itemise preparation, the product name and finish, the number of coats, whether one or both sides are treated, and the expected timescale. It should also confirm VOC compliance for the coating used, payment terms and any guarantee period offered.
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