Chain link fence calculator

The chain link fence calculator works out the full material list for a chain link run from three inputs: your total fence length, the height you want, and the post spacing, which defaults to 10 feet because chain link fabric is designed to span that distance without sagging the way a wood panel would at the same interval. From those numbers it derives line post count, terminal posts at every corner and end, the top rail length needed to tie the posts together, and the concrete volume for every hole, the same volume math used by the fence post concrete calculator. If you already know how many linear feet you are fencing but have not settled on spacing, the fence post calculator is a useful starting point for comparing spacing options side by side before locking in the chain link defaults here.

Posts and rail are only half of a chain link project; the fabric itself is sold separately in rolls, and matching roll count to your run length is a different calculation from post spacing. The chain link fabric calculator handles that half: how many rolls a given run needs, what cut piece is left over, and how many splices join the rolls together. Running both calculators against the same total length keeps the post list and the fabric list consistent with each other. Chain link is also the material most often compared on price against wood, since both are common budget choices for a basic perimeter; the wood vs chain link fence cost comparison walks through why chain link usually comes out cheaper per linear foot once labor is included, while the chain link cost per foot guide breaks that number down by height and gauge.

Post spacing is the single input with the biggest effect on the total post count and therefore most of the cost, since every added post also means another hole and another bag count. The 10 foot default used here reflects common residential practice, but it is not a code requirement, and tighter spacing, closer to 8 feet, is reasonable in high wind areas or where privacy slats will be added to the fabric later, since slats catch wind the open fabric does not. The how far apart should fence posts be guide covers that tradeoff for chain link and other materials together. Whatever spacing you choose, do not assume chain link posts can skip concrete because the fabric itself is light: corner, end and gate posts absorb real tension once the fabric is stretched and laced, and an under-set terminal post will lean within a season or two. For the full sequence of laying out, setting and stretching a chain link run, see the chain link fence installation guide.

Once the post, rail and fabric quantities are settled, the fence cost calculator turns them into a dollar total using your own local unit prices for posts, rail, fabric and concrete, rather than a national average that may not match your supplier. If you are fencing an irregular lot rather than a straight run, measure the full boundary first with the fence perimeter calculator so the length you feed into this calculator reflects corners and offsets instead of a straight-line guess. Chain link is one of several metal fencing options covered on this site; the broader metal fence calculators hub links to the aluminum, ornamental and ornamental post tools for projects that call for a different look or a taller, more decorative result than standard galvanized fabric provides. Working through the post calculator, the fabric calculator and the cost calculator together, all against the same run length, is the most reliable way to avoid the two most common chain link estimating mistakes: skipping concrete at terminal posts and using wood spacing instead of the wider interval chain link is built for.

Height and fabric gauge are the two inputs that do not change the post math here but do change the price, and it helps to settle them before ordering rather than after. Residential chain link commonly runs 4 to 6 feet, with 8 foot runs used for sport courts or deer exclusion, and a taller run catches more wind, which is part of why high wind areas often call for tighter post spacing even with the same fabric. Fabric gauge, usually described as 11.5 down to 9 gauge for homes, is a separate decision from height: a lower gauge number means heavier wire that resists bending and costs more, and picking it has no effect on how many posts or how much concrete this calculator returns, only on the price per roll you enter into the cost calculator. Terminal post hardware, including tension bands and brace bands, scales with the number of corners and ends rather than with height or gauge, so a short run with several corners can need more terminal hardware than a longer straight run with just two ends. Working out height and gauge first, then running the numbers through this calculator and the fabric calculator together, keeps the whole estimate internally consistent before you request pricing from a supplier.