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What it costs to strip, sand and restain a deck — contractor or DIY.
With these inputs:
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Contractor refinishing cost | $788 – $1,384 |
| Per square foot of deck | $4.10 – $7.21 |
| Stain / sealer | 2 gallons (1 coat) |
| Working time | about 7 hours plus drying |
| DIY price for comparison | $239 – $431 |
| Deck surface (192 sq ft) | $528 – $864 |
| Railing (40 ft) | $200 – $400 |
| Stairs (3 steps) | $60 – $120 |
| Cleaner / brightener | $40 – $70 |
| Deck sander rental (1 day) + paper | $100 – $180 |
Planning ranges, not a quote. Contractor rates include wash, prep, one finish system and clean-up; most crews have a minimum charge of a few hundred dollars. Peeling film finishes cost the most because every trace has to come off before new stain can soak in. A solid stain cannot go back to a semi-transparent one without stripping to bare wood.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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