Wood and chain link fences are often compared on price alone, but the more useful comparison is what actually drives cost for each: material quantity per foot, post spacing, and what each material is realistically used for.
Post spacing differs by design
Chain link fabric carries very little of its own weight between posts, so it commonly runs on wider spacing, typically 10 feet, than a wood fence’s typical 8 feet. Wider spacing means fewer posts for the same run length, which is one real, calculable reason chain link tends to need less post material than wood over the same distance.
Wood has a picket count; chain link does not
A wood fence’s material list includes a picket count driven by board width and gap, on top of posts and rails. Chain link instead uses fabric sold by the roll, plus top rail and tension wire, a fundamentally different bill of materials rather than a cheaper version of the same one. This means a fair cost comparison has to price each material’s actual components, not assume they scale the same way per foot.
Where cost genuinely converges
Both materials need the same post-hole concrete formula, the same gate hardware logic (a gate subtracts its width from the run and adds two posts, regardless of fabric), and the same labor-rate structure if installed rather than DIY.
A comparison you can trust
Rather than a fixed price table (which goes stale within a season and varies enormously by region), price both options with your actual numbers: the wood fence calculator for a cedar, pine or redwood build, and the chain link fence calculator for fabric-based fencing, both using the same fence length and height so the comparison is apples to apples. Feed either result’s quantities into the fence cost calculator with your own local unit prices to see a real total for each option.
Related reading: how much does a wood fence cost, how far apart should fence posts be.