Fence Staining — Wood Privacy Fence Washed, Stained and Sealed
The privacy fence has gone gray, the old stain is blotchy or the new fence is finally dry enough to seal — cleaned, repaired where it needs it, and stained so it stops soaking up every rain.
JMB Builders does fence staining across the Twin Cities metro: a cedar or pressure-treated privacy fence is washed with a cleaner and brightener, left to dry, loose pickets and rails refastened, then sprayed with a penetrating stain and sealer and back-brushed so it soaks in instead of sitting on top. Priced per project by the length and height of the fence, quoted from your photos within one business day.
- Priced per project, by fence length and height
- Wash, dry, refasten, spray and back-brush
- Loose pickets and rails fixed by the same crew
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A wood fence in Minnesota goes gray in a couple of summers if it is left bare, and once it is gray the surface fibers are loose and no stain holds well on them. Staining is what keeps the water out of the boards and the fence standing straight. The trick is the order: a fence has to be clean and dry before stain, and stain has to go on thin enough to soak in. Stain flooded on with a sprayer and never brushed out is what leaves the shiny drips and the peeling you see on a lot of fences.
We wash the fence with a wood cleaner and a brightener, low pressure so the wood is not furred up, then give it dry days before we come back. Loose pickets get screwed back, a rotted rail or a leaning post gets fixed, and then the stain goes on with a sprayer and a brush behind it. Both sides if you have access to both. A new fence built from pressure-treated lumber has to dry out for a season before it will take stain; cedar can go sooner.
What you supply
- The stain color and type, or tell us the look and we bring samples of semi-transparent and solid
- Access to both sides of the fence, or a word with the neighbor if their side is being done
- Plants, furniture and grills pulled back from the fence, or we cover them
- A hose bib we can reach
What JMB supplies
- Wood cleaner and brightener applied and rinsed at low pressure
- Loose pickets and rails screwed back, split or rotted boards replaced with matching stock
- Plants, siding, concrete and the neighbor's side masked or covered
- Stain and sealer sprayed and back-brushed so it penetrates and coats evenly
- Gates, posts, caps and the top rail done by hand
- Second coat where the wood is thirsty or a solid stain calls for it
- Overspray checked and cleaned off the house, patio or car
- A labeled leftover of the stain for touch-ups
- Photos of the finished fence in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Linear feet of fence and its height, and whether one side or both are being stained
- Style: flat privacy boards go fast, shadowbox and lattice tops take longer to cover
- Condition: bare gray wood soaks up more stain and needs a brightener; peeling old stain has to be stripped
- Semi-transparent stain vs. a solid stain, which is more like paint and usually two coats
- Repairs: loose pickets and a rail or two are quick, a leaning post is a separate fix
- How close the fence is to the house, a patio or the neighbor's things that need covering
- Weather: we need dry days on both sides of the stain
Send a photo down the length of the fence on each side, a close-up of the worst section, and tell us roughly how many feet. Pace it off if you do not know; that is close enough for a firm quote.
How long it takes
A typical backyard privacy fence: one visit to wash and repair, two or three dry days, then one day to stain. Solid stain or a very long fence adds a day.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Weathered gray fence, first stain
The gray is dead surface fiber. Cleaner and brightener bring the wood back to a tan, and a semi-transparent penetrating stain goes on once it is dry. The fence looks like new wood with color.
Restain over old semi-transparent
Old semi-transparent stain that has faded evenly gets cleaned and restained in the same or a darker color. Blotchy or peeling stain has to be stripped first, which is a bigger job we price after seeing it.
Solid color stain
A solid stain hides the grain and old blotches and comes in any color, including white and black. It sits on the surface more like paint, so it goes on in two coats and shows wear at the top rail first.
New fence, first seal
Cedar can be stained a few weeks after it goes up, once a splash of water soaks in instead of beading. New pressure-treated lumber needs a summer to dry. A clear or lightly tinted sealer keeps a new cedar fence from graying.
Fence Staining — Wood Privacy Fence Washed, Stained and Sealed: questions, answered
How often should a wood fence be stained in Minnesota?
Semi-transparent stain on a fence in full sun and weather lasts about two to three seasons before it fades and starts to let water in; a solid stain lasts longer but peels instead of fading. A quick test is to sprinkle water on the fence. If it soaks in instead of beading, it is time.
Do you power wash a fence before staining?
We wash it, but at low pressure with a wood cleaner and brightener doing the work. High pressure on a fence furs up the surface and drives water deep into the boards, and both make the stain fail early. After the wash the fence needs a couple of dry days before any stain goes on.
Can a gray weathered fence be stained?
Yes, and it is the most common fence we do. The gray is loose, dead fiber on the surface. A wood cleaner lifts it and a brightener neutralizes the cleaner and brings the wood back to a tan color. Stained after that, the fence looks like fresh wood with color on it, not gray with a tint.
Semi-transparent or solid stain for a privacy fence?
Semi-transparent if the wood looks good and you want to see grain; it soaks in, fades gradually and is easy to recoat. Solid if the fence is patchy from old stain or mismatched repairs and you want one even color; it covers everything but needs two coats and eventually peels rather than fading.
Do you stain both sides of the fence?
If we can reach both. The back side facing the neighbor takes the same weather and needs the same protection. We cover the neighbor's plants and anything near the fence, and it helps if you let them know the day. One side only is fine when the other side is not yours to reach.
Can you fix loose boards and a leaning post before staining?
Yes. Loose pickets and rails get screwed back as part of the wash visit, and a split or rotted board gets replaced with matching stock. A post that has rotted at the ground or heaved is a separate repair, reset in concrete before the stain goes on, and it is quoted from the photos with the rest.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
Related jobs we do
Deck Staining — Wash, Sand, Stain and Seal a Wood Deck
A gray deck, a stain that is peeling in the traffic lanes, or a new treated deck that has weathered long enough — cleaned, fixed and stained by the crew that also repairs decks.
Read moreExterior House Painting — Siding and Trim Scraped, Primed, Painted
Peeling paint on the south side, chalky siding, trim that has not been touched in a decade — prepped the slow way and painted when the weather lets it cure.
Read moreDeck Railing Repair — Loose Posts, Rails and Balusters
Lean on the deck rail and it moves. A post is loose, a top rail is soft, or half the balusters are split. We anchor it so it holds a person, and replace only what needs replacing.
Read morePorch Railing Replacement — Rotted Front Porch Rails and Spindles
The bottom rail on the front porch is soft, the spindles wobble in their holes, and the whole rail moves when somebody leans on it. We replace the rail and spindles and anchor the posts so it is solid again.
Read moreAccent Wall Painting — One Wall in a Dark or Bold Color, Sharp Lines
You want one wall in navy, charcoal, forest green or terracotta, and you want the line where it meets the white wall to be dead straight — that is the whole job, and it is a half day for us.
Read moreCabinet Painting — Kitchen Cabinets Sprayed, Not Brushed
Sound oak or maple cabinets in a color you are tired of. Painted properly they read as new cabinets for a fraction of a replacement, and the kitchen stays usable while the doors are out.
Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All painting pages
Where we work
Painting near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: