Privacy Fence

[smcguirt]

I have been asked by a customer to pressure wash 225 feet of privacy fence and stain with something he called CWS Clear Wood Stain or something, never heard of it. My question is do you charge double for washing both sides of the fence? I was thinking 1.50 per foot which would be 337.50 for one side. How much for applying a stain that will likely need to be brushed on?

Thanks,
Shawn

 

[Aplus]

Each side is priced separately. $1.50/ft is too low. Look at $3.00+ per foot.

 

[smcguirt]

Would 3.00$ a foot include the stain? What stain do you recommend? Have you ever heard of CWS?

 

[DanKes]

Are you sure it is not CWF?

http://www.floodco.com/Products/cwfuv.cfm

 

[smcguirt]

I think that is it. Thanks!!

 

[Keep It Clean]

If you are not sure charge by the hour.

 

[Pam & Cujo]

1- Clear stain will offer no UV protection (bad)
2- Guessing the fence to be standard 6' fence you'll have 2700 sq ft to cover
3- Guessing the average coverage rate of quality stains to be in the 120-150 ft per gallon range, you'll need 18-22 gallons of stain to cover it
4- Guessing the average price to be near $18.00 per gallon, this equals about $320.00-400.00 for materials alone.
5- Labor time to brush this would be huge, so hourly billing would be likewise and you'll probably lose the job if you charge the going hourly rate. A sprayer would be the only way to go and still make money.

Depending on where you are in Ga., I would be glad to split this job with you to offer some OJT, and help you to complete it in a timely manner using quality products.

Call me if this interests you.


Cujo

 

[Aplus]

Cujo's #s are right on.

But his calcs miss the chems used to wash, and other overhead you incur.

Fences use a lot of materials and therefor pricing has to reflect those costs plus the additional you need to make.

They turn into expensive jobs quickly, and some homeowners will balk at spending so much. At least that's how it is here.

When I threw out the $3/ft charge, it was meant as a bare minimum figure, and in reality a little too low for what the job is worth.

I don't let the customer supply my stain or tell me what to use. They are free to ask plenty of questions as to why my stains are better than any of the retail stains they can buy. Once they understand, most have no problem.

Even if someone is paying me, I won't use CWF. It's a great product to ruin your reputation, when it prematurely fails.

I think if you spend some time using the search tools on this board, you can get answers to just about anything you need to know about all your topics.

 

[smcguirt]

What do you guys recommend as a good stain. I have never had good luck with clear either. Cujo, thanks for the offer, I might take you up on it. I have got to give the guy an estimate first hopefully he won't balk like you guys mention.

Thanks,
Shawn

 

[kap123]

Hi am thinking of doing some restoration on my fence.Its a wood and its 8ft long and 6ft high about 10 sections would you have some pictuers of fences you did before and after shots. and whut would you charge for both sides, thanks

 

[Cat Powerwash]

I have been using cabots for years with no complaints.

 

[DeckDoctor]

To low

I charge $35 every 200 sq ft for wash and it works out great if I was u I would not try the ccw cause u have to keep mixin it and it becomes a real pain. You do need to charge for both sides of the fence or you will be cuttin into your time and money if u dont.I use Olmypic Waterguard clear for my sealent cause it has a uv protectant in it that slows down the graying process and keeps the wood from crackin and splintering and it also has linseed oil in it that inhances the wood grain perfectly while replenishing the oils back into the wood that was stripped out from washing.It cost about $50 dollars for a 6 gallon can but works great.I give all my customers that use it a 2 yr gaurantee when using it.I am very confident in the sealant and have to be to give a unconditional gaurantee on it [spin]
Hope this helps The Deck Doctor!

 

[reedsterstl]

One word of caution, Linseed oil is a food source for mold and mildew. Stains should have an Iron oxide pigment to slowdown UV discoloration. Clay pigments will not last more than a year.

correct procedure for fences and decks are using a quality stripper if an old stain is present and failing. Then you need to neutralize the stripper with an acid. Cleaners are also alkalinic in nature so neutralizing is recommended here too. One thing most inexperienced stain appliers do, ie, homeowners, is not put enough stain on.

reed

 

[Cat Powerwash]

I use cabots with very good results!