Yeah I went through that too, ended up doing a mix. I do a flat fee for the basic job, but my quote always says if we open it up and find a huge mess, it switches to hourly. It keeps the price clear for normal jobs but I don't get burned on the nightmare ones. Clients seem okay with it because they know up front what might change.

Last year, my uncle used cheap paint on his shed and it peeled in six months. @thomas441, your neighbor might have a point about weather proofing because wrong paint can let water in and rot the wood fast. It's not his fence, but good advice can come from anywhere. Spending a bit more now could save you from replacing the whole fence later. Have you checked if your paint is really holding up against rain?

Wait your cousin actually asked to play more.

Friend's star photo called unreal, but @sage_jackson56 gets the true beauty!

Really? I've never needed scheduled breaks to stay sharp. I just work straight through and get into a flow that way.