Chain link fence calculator

How this calculator works

You enter each side of the fence and place gates on the sides where they go. The calculator derives the rest.

Corners and ends come from your layout. Where two sides meet is a corner. Where a side stops against a house or another fence is an end. Each gate adds two gate posts, unless the gate sits at a corner or end, where it shares that post.

Gates split sides into runs and their openings come off the fence length. The fence length after gates is L_net.

Line posts are equally spaced on each run.

• bays = ceil(run ÷ 10 ft), or ceil(run ÷ 8 ft) for 9 gauge fabric
• spacing = run ÷ bays
• line posts = bays − 1

Terminal posts = ends + corners + 2 per gate.

From there, each part follows the post count or the length:

• Fabric: ceil(L_net ÷ 50) rolls.
• Top rail: one 10 ft 6 in swedged stick per 10 ft of fence, ceil(L_net ÷ 10). The swedged end slides 6 in into the next stick. With 21 ft rail it is ceil(L_net ÷ 20.5), plus one for cut-offs.
• Rail ends: 1 per end or gate post, 2 per corner.
• Brace bands: 1 per rail end, doubled if you add bottom tension wire, each with a carriage bolt.
• Tension bars: 1 per end or gate post, 2 per corner.
• Tension bands: max(3, H − 1) per tension bar, each with a carriage bolt.
• Post caps: a loop cap on every line post (the top rail runs through it) and a dome cap on every terminal.
• Ties: 1 per 24 in of top rail, plus 1 per 12 in of height on each line post. These spacings match the America's Fence Store install guide.
• Bottom tension wire: 170 ft coils, with hog rings every 24 in.

Worked example

A 6 ft galvanized fence with the same layout as our wood example: three 50 ft sides, a 4 ft walk gate in the middle of the third side, two corners and two free ends, 10 ft maximum spacing, bottom tension wire included.

Part	Math	Quantity
Net length	150 − 4	146 ft
Line posts	runs 50, 50, 23, 23 → bays 5, 5, 3, 3 → 4 + 4 + 2 + 2	12
Terminal posts	2 ends + 2 corners + 2 gate	6
Fabric	ceil(146 ÷ 50)	3 rolls
Top rail	ceil(146 ÷ 10)	15 sticks of 10 ft 6 in
Rail ends	4 end and gate posts + 2 corners × 2	8
Brace bands	8 for the rail, 8 for bottom wire	16
Tension bars	4 + 2 × 2	8
Tension bands	8 bars × 5	40
Carriage bolts	40 + 16	56
Ties	146 × 12 ÷ 24 = 73, plus 12 posts × 6 = 72	145, so 2 bags
Bottom wire	146 ft	1 coil, 73 hog rings
Concrete	12 line, 4 terminal, 2 gate holes, +10%	about 24 bags of 80 lb mix

Chain link reference

Component	Residential size	Length	Hole and concrete
Line post	1⅝ in OD	H + 2 ft	6 in × 24 in, about one 50 lb bag
Terminal post (end, corner)	2⅜ in OD	H + 3 ft	8 in × 30 in, about two 50 lb bags
Gate post, leaf up to 4 ft	2⅜ in OD	H + 3 ft	12 in × 36 in
Gate post, leaf over 4 ft	2⅞ in OD	H + 3 ft	12 in × 36 in
Gate post, leaf over 10 ft	4 in OD	H + 3 ft	12 in × 36 in
Top rail	1⅜ in OD	10 ft 6 in swedged or 21 ft	not applicable

Post and fitting names follow the Master Halco installation guide. In stable soil, line posts can be driven instead of set in concrete; ASTM F567 calls for driven posts to go at least 36 in deep. Terminals and gate posts carry the fabric tension and should always go in concrete.

Fittings, ties and gate hardware

Fabric, posts and rail are the framework. The fittings connect them, and the list counts each one from your post layout:

Tension bands and bolts. Every tension bar needs its own set of bands, and every band and brace band needs a carriage bolt. On the example fence that is 56 bolts. These are sold loose or in small packs, and running out of them stops the job.

Brace bands for the bottom wire. If you add bottom tension wire, each terminal needs a second brace band to anchor it, counted separately from the rail bands.

Ties on the posts. Ties go on the top rail every 24 in and on every line post every 12 in of height. On a 6 ft fence the posts take almost as many ties as the rail.

Gate hardware. A single gate needs two male and female hinge pairs, a double gate needs four. Walk gates take a fork latch. Double drive gates take a drive latch, a drop rod and a center stop set in the ground.

Pool mode. If the fence is a pool barrier, the calculator switches to pool rules. The 2021 ISPSC limits chain link openings to 1¾ in, which rules out standard 2 in and 2¼ in residential mesh. Bottom tension wire becomes required, gates need self-closing hinges, and the latch release goes at least 54 in above grade. Your local code may add more.

Chain link fence cost per foot

Chain link is the cheapest common fence to install, but published ranges vary widely. These are national figures for 2026. Labor is most of the installed price.

Installed cost by height

Height	Installed, per linear foot	Source
4 ft	$36 to $43 (4 to 6 ft)	Ergeon
6 ft, 12.5 ga galvanized	$29.02 to $44.92	Homewyse, Sept 2026
6 ft	$20 to $35	Fence Advisors
7 ft	about $75	Ergeon
8 ft	about $78	Ergeon
All heights, basic residential	$8 to $20	Fence Builders USA

Material cost by gauge and coating

Fabric	Materials, per linear foot	Source
4 ft, 11 gauge	$2.50 to $3.50	Fence Builders USA
6 ft, 11 gauge	$3.50 to $4.50	Fence Builders USA
9 gauge	25% to 30% more than 11 gauge	Fence Builders USA
Vinyl-coated	40% to 60% more than galvanized	Fence Builders USA

Lower gauge numbers mean thicker wire. Residential fence is usually 11 or 11.5 gauge. 9 gauge is the commercial standard and needs 8 ft post spacing in this calculator. Not every source agrees that coating costs much more installed: Ergeon found galvanized and vinyl-coated jobs both clustering around $38 to $42 per foot.

Parts and gates

Item	Typical price	Source
Line post	$8 to $15 each	Fence Builders USA
Terminal post	$25 to $45 each	Fence Builders USA
Single walk gate	$150 to $400	Fence Builders USA
Double drive gate	$400 to $800	Fence Builders USA

The calculator's cost estimate multiplies your own parts list by editable national-average unit prices. Change any line to your supplier's price and the total follows.

Before you buy

• Call 811 a few business days before you dig. It is free and marks buried lines.
• Check permits and HOA rules. Some neighborhoods ban chain link in front yards or require a coated finish.
• Confirm your property line from a survey or plat, not a guess.
• Measure along the ground. Chain link follows grade well, but the fabric has to cover the ground distance, which is longer than the map distance on a slope.
• Decide on the fabric side. The fabric normally goes on the outside face, away from the yard you are enclosing.

GuideFence post spacingHow far apart fence posts should be for wood, chain link, vinyl, aluminum and split rail, plus how to equalize spacing on each run so no bay is a stub.