How to Calculate Chain Link Fence Materials

Estimate the posts, top rail, mesh and concrete for a chain-link fence, and why it uses wider post spacing than a board fence.

Updated 4 min read By CodingEagles
Free tool Chain Link Fence Calculator Line posts, terminal posts, rail and mesh for chain link. Open tool

Chain link works differently from a board fence. The mesh and the top rail carry the run, so the posts can stand further apart and there are no rails-per-section or pickets to count. You are really counting posts, linear feet of rail and mesh, and concrete.

Posts: line and terminal

Line posts hold the run up and can sit up to 10 ft apart, so a 100 ft fence needs about 11 of them. Round the run divided by the spacing up, then add one.

Terminal posts are the heavy ones at each end, every corner and both sides of a gate. They anchor the tension of the stretched mesh, so they are a larger diameter and go in a bigger, deeper footing. Count your ends, corners and gate sides separately, they cost more and need more concrete.

Top rail and mesh

Both are sold by the linear foot and run the full fenced length. For a straight 100 ft fence, that is roughly 100 ft of top rail and 100 ft of mesh, less the width of any gate openings. Buy a little extra mesh for the overlap at terminal posts.

The rest of the kit

Chain link uses a handful of parts the calculator does not itemise because they are bought by the run or the bag: tension bars and bands at each terminal post, tie wires every foot or two along the rail and line posts, a cap on every post, and tension wire along the bottom if you want it. Add a fittings set per terminal post when you order.

Concrete

Set posts about a third of the fence height deep. Line posts take a modest footing; terminal posts want a wider, deeper one because of the tension they carry.

Run the numbers

The chain link fence calculator gives you posts, top rail, mesh and concrete from the length and height. For a fence with corners and gates, sketch the layout in the fence drawing tool and read the totals off the plan.

Frequently asked questions

How far apart are chain-link posts?
Line posts sit up to 10 ft apart because the top rail and mesh carry the span. Terminal posts at ends, corners and gates are heavier and set in larger footings.
How much chain-link mesh do I need?
Buy mesh and top rail to match the fenced length of the run. A 100 ft fence needs about 100 ft of each, minus any gate openings.
What is a terminal post?
An end, corner or gate post. It takes the tension of the stretched mesh, so it is thicker than a line post and set in a deeper, wider hole.

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