Alright, so my deck was lookin' rough. Weathered gray, some mold spots near the railing – just sad, man. Definitely needed some serious cleaning and a fresh coat of stain. Knowing I didn't wanna spend my whole summer doing it myself, I figured, "Hey, let's get some pros." Started my adventure typing that exact phrase into my phone: deck cleaning and staining companies near me how much does it cost compare prices and save.

The Research Phase (Basically Googling and Calling)

First thing, jumped online. Man, was I shocked at the number of companies! All these different names and websites. Didn't recognize half of 'em. My game plan was simple: find at least three local-ish outfits and get estimates. Figured comparing prices was the only way to not get ripped off.

• Company #1: Called them up first. Guy was super friendly on the phone. Asked the size of my deck (standard size, nothing crazy), the condition (just dirty and old stain, no rotten boards I could see), and what kinda stain I wanted (honestly, just a nice brown, nothing fancy). Said they could come out for a free estimate next Tuesday. Okay, wrote that down.
• Company #2: Found them with a decent rating on that review site everyone uses. Gave 'em a ring. Similar questions about deck size and condition. They sounded busy, but squeezed me in for a quote that Thursday morning.
• Company #3: Honestly, just picked one more from the search results. Wanted the comparison. Called, got voicemail, left a message. They called back later that day and set up a visit for Friday afternoon.

So, I had three appointments booked. Just had to wait for them to actually show up and look at my deck. This part takes patience – gotta be ready to be home or make sure someone is.

The Quote Shuffle - Numbers Start Flying

Alright, dudes finally rolled through:

• Dude #1 (Tuesday): Showed up right on time, measured things carefully, pointed out a couple spots I missed. Told me their process: pressure wash the hell out of it, let it dry real good for a couple days, then apply two coats of a good quality oil-based stain. Ballpark price? "Probably around $1100 to $1200," he says. Ouch.
• Company #2 Guy (Thursday): Quick visit. Barely spent 10 minutes. Said it was straightforward. His quote was handwritten on a little pad: "$800 firm." Just cleaning and stain. Didn't mention how many coats or drying time. Kinda vague, but cheapest so far.
• Third Guy (Friday): This guy went all out. Talked about using special mildewcide wash before power washing, board inspection, light sanding where needed, then two full coats with premium stain. Gave me a full sheet with the breakdown. His number? $1495. Gulp.

Now I had the numbers: $800, ~$1150, $1500. Big spread! The cheapest felt too cheap, like maybe they'd rush it or use crappy stain. The most expensive felt... well, expensive. The middle quote seemed decent, and the guy took the most time explaining.

Comparing Apples to Apples-ish

Sitting at my kitchen table with these numbers scribbled on paper felt overwhelming. I had to compare details:

• Cleaning: All said pressure washing. Company #3 was the only one mentioning pre-treatment.
• Drying Time: Company #1 and #3 stressed 48+ hours drying between cleaning and staining. #2 didn't mention it – big red flag for me.
• Stain & Coats: #1 and #3 promised two coats of quality oil-based. #2 just said "stain" – when I asked later, they confirmed "one good coat usually does it." Not cool.
• Scope: Did price include railing, stairs? All three did, thankfully. Was sanding included? Only #3 mentioned minor sanding where needed; others didn't say.

It wasn't perfectly apples to apples, but it was clear. The $800 was probably a gamble on quality and likely less thorough. The $1500 felt like the Cadillac service – maybe more than my deck needed.

Making the Call and The Work Happens

I went back to Company #1. The middle price. Why? Felt comfortable with the guy, the process sounded thorough (two coats, proper drying), and the price wasn't crazy town. Called them up, confirmed the $1100-$1200 estimate (went with $1150 final quote after confirming all details), and booked them about a week and a half out.

They showed up Monday morning with their power washer and gear. Took them a few hours to blast the whole deck clean. They laid plastic down everywhere – smart. Let it dry Tues/Weds. Came back Thursday bright and early and applied the first stain coat. Looked awesome already. Came back Friday for coat #2. Done! Cleanup was good too.

Final Thoughts and Did I Save?

Result? Deck looks fantastic. Like new wood. Happy with that part.

Did comparing save me money? Absolutely, yes. If I'd just taken the first quote ($1150) or only gotten one quote (#3 at $1500), I'd have paid way more. By putting in the legwork – setting appointments, asking questions, comparing quotes line-by-line – I felt confident I picked a solid value. Avoiding the super cheap one probably saved me from a bad job too. Finding that middle ground felt right. It cost me some time scheduling and thinking, but saved a couple hundred bucks easily. Worth it.