Small deck
About a 10 by 12 platform, no stairs
Deck, fence and log-home staining in Bozeman, Montana
Decks, fences and log homes, stained in the short Montana season.
Six of us, one crew, one written estimate per job. Delmar Littlefield walks every job before the estimate is written, and the summer calendar opens in winter.
What are we staining?
What we stain
Three kinds of wood, one way of working
Walk first, write it down, wash and prep, then stain in dry weather. The order never changes, whatever the surface.
What moves a price
Four things on one log house move the number
The same four show up on a deck or a fence. We look at each on the walk-through and write them down.
Height and reach
Anything past a ladder's reach needs a lift or scaffold, and that is a day of setup.
Bare logs or an old finish
Bare wood takes stain fast. An old coat has to be washed or stripped first.
Rails and spindles
Every spindle is brushwork. A long run of railing costs more than the same length of wall.
Decking and sun
Boards that face the sun and the shoveling take the most wear and get the most care.
Typical jobs
The jobs we stain, before the walk-through
Your price is written after we walk the wood.
Decks
Wash, sand, stain two coats where the wood needs it. Railing and stairs are written as their own lines.
Deck with rail and stairs
Typical back deck
Large or multi-level deck
Needs a second day of prep
Fences
Wash, spot-repair and stain both faces. Priced by the length of fence and the height.
Short run, about 100 feet
Side yard or garden
Backyard, about 200 feet
Privacy fence, both faces
Large lot, 400 feet and up
Priced by the day
Log homes
Priced by the wall after we walk every side, because sun, height and the old finish differ on each.
Whole house or cabin
Written after the walk-through
Prep, repairs and the number of coats change the price, and the written estimate lists every line.
The booking clock
The staining season here is short, so the calendar opens in winter
Wood has to be dry and the days have to hold. We stage the work around that, and we say no when the weather says no.
Send photos, get a slot
Winter is when slots are open.
Jan to Apr
Walk-throughs
We come out as the snow leaves.
Apr to May
Wash and prep
Washing, sanding and repairs, with drying days.
May to Jun
Decks and fences
The long stretch of the year.
Jun to Sep
Log homes
Walls staged by how much sun they get.
Jul to Sep
Frost rush
Late jobs squeeze in before the hard frost.
Sep to Oct
The crew
Six people, one crew
One owner, one crew lead for each kind of job, and an estimator who keeps the calendar honest.
Delmar Littlefield
Owner, log-home lead
Served in the Army before he picked up a stain brush. Walks every job before the estimate is written.
Sylvia Gaona
Crew lead, decks and railings
Runs the deck crews. Hablamos español.
Ted Wilcox
Scaffold and log-end specialist
Sets the lifts and does the high walls, gable ends and log ends.
Myles Epps
Stain tech, fences
Handles fence runs and keeps the sample boards.
Saul Jurado
Washing and prep
Washes, sands and sets the drying days, so the stain goes on dry wood.
Briana Holbrook
Estimator and scheduling
Writes the estimates and keeps the booking calendar.
From past customers
What people write after the last coat
“They sent photos after the wash and again after each coat. We were in Texas the whole time and never had to guess.”
Gretchen E.Second-home deck, Big Sky
“The estimate listed the rail and stairs as their own lines, so there were no surprises when I read the total.”
Jim F.Back deck, Four Corners
“Delmar walked every wall of the cabin and told us which side would wear first. We picked the finish after that.”
Terra A.Log cabin, Gallatin Gateway
“Rain pushed our fence job twice. They texted the new day each time and covered the garden beds before they started.”
Melinda M.Cedar fence, Belgrade
Sample reviews.
Service area
The Gallatin Valley and the towns on either side of it
Bozeman is home base. If your place isn't listed, text us and we will say whether the drive makes sense.
- Gallatin County: Bozeman, Belgrade, Four Corners, Gallatin Gateway, Manhattan, Three Forks, Big Sky, West Yellowstone · Home base. Big Sky and West Yellowstone jobs are booked by the week.
- Park County: Livingston, Emigrant, Pray, Gardiner · Over Bozeman Pass; we group Livingston jobs on the same days.
- Madison County: Ennis · Madison Valley jobs are scheduled by the day.
We don't take jobs beyond Gallatin, Park and Madison counties, and we don't stain in winter.
ZIP codes: 59715, 59718, 59714, 59730, 59741, 59752, 59716, 59758, 59047
Questions
Before you book
How long does a deck take?
Most decks take three to four working days from wash to final walk-through, with a drying day between the wash and the stain. Weather moves it, and we give you the plan before we start.
What is on a written estimate?
The surfaces and their size, the repairs, the prep, the number of coats, the product and finish type, the color, the cleanup, the schedule, the payment schedule and the warranty terms. If a line is missing, ask for it.
Homes built before 1978: what changes?
Federal rules, the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, cover paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes and child-occupied buildings built before 1978. Staining bare or stained wood usually doesn't disturb paint; scraping or sanding painted trim or siding can. We ask the year your home was built at the walk-through and tell you what the rule means for your job. Our firm's EPA number is in the footer and on the About page.
What if it rains?
We don't stain wet wood or ahead of rain. A rain delay moves the dates; it doesn't add a charge. We text you the new plan the same day.
Can you work while we are away?
Yes, and many second-home owners do. We text photos at each step, you approve color by text, and we agree how we get in and out. Nobody needs to be on site.
When should I book?
Winter is when the summer calendar is open. Send photos from January on, and we pencil in a walk-through for when the snow leaves.
Get on the calendar
Tell us what needs stain
Send what you know. We reply the next working day with a time to walk the job.
Phone(406) 555-0105