Chain Length Fence Calculator
A chain length fence (often spelled chain link) is the most common galvanized wire-mesh fence in North America. This chain length fence calculator produces a complete bill of materials: fabric rolls, line and terminal posts, top rail sticks, tension wire, concrete bags, and tie wires so you can hand the list straight to a fence supplier.
What a Chain Length Fence Needs
A chain length fence uses these parts:
- Fabric: 50-ft rolls of galvanized or vinyl-coated chain link mesh (9 or 11 gauge)
- Line posts: 1-5/8" or 1-7/8" diameter steel tube, set every 10 ft (8 ft for high wind)
- Terminal posts: 2-3/8" diameter, at every end, corner, and gate (2 per gate opening)
- Top rail: 1-3/8" diameter steel tube in 10.5 ft sticks, sleeved together
- Tension wire: coated or galvanized steel wire at the bottom, continuous run
- Hardware: tension bands, brace bands, rail ends, post caps, ties
- Concrete: 1/3 bag (50 lb) per line post, 1 bag per terminal post
- Gates: walk gates 3-4 ft wide, drive gates 10-12 ft wide
Chain Length Fence Fabric Rolls
Chain link fabric comes in 50-foot rolls. A 200-foot fence needs 4 rolls. Odd-length fences round up: a 175-foot fence needs 4 rolls (200 ft) with 25 feet left over, which saves about $60 compared to cutting a partial roll at the supplier.
Posts for a Chain Length Fence
For a 200-foot fence at 10 ft OC spacing:
- Line posts: 19 (one between each section, 20 sections minus terminals)
- Terminal posts: 2 ends + corners (count yours) + 2 per gate
- For a rectangular yard with 4 corners and 1 walk gate: 2 ends + 4 corners + 2 gate posts = 8 terminal posts
Always use 2-3/8" diameter at corners and ends; 1-5/8" is sufficient only for line posts.
Top Rail, Tension Wire, and Ties
- Top rail comes in 10.5-foot sticks that sleeve together. For 200 ft of fence: ceil(200 / 10.5) = 20 sticks.
- Tension wire runs continuously along the bottom. For 200 ft: one 200-ft length.
- Ties: about 200 aluminum ties per 50-foot section of fence (top rail, tension wire, and post clips combined).
Concrete for Posts
- Line posts need 1/3 bag of 50-lb concrete each
- Terminal posts need 1 full 50-lb bag each
- For the 200-foot example with 19 line posts and 8 terminal posts: 19/3 + 8 = 14.3, round up to 15 bags
11 Gauge vs 9 Gauge Fabric
- 11 gauge (0.120" wire): standard residential, lasts 15-20 years, cheaper
- 9 gauge (0.148" wire): commercial / heavy-duty, lasts 20-30 years, about 50% heavier wire, 15-25% more expensive
Vinyl-Coated vs Galvanized
Vinyl-coated (PVC) in black or green adds 35-45% to fabric cost but looks better in residential yards and lasts 5-10 years longer before fabric degradation. Galvanized is fine for farm, industrial, or budget residential use.
Gate Openings Don't Need Fabric
When calculating fabric, subtract all gate widths from your total fence length. A 200-foot fence with one 4-foot walk gate and one 12-foot drive gate needs fabric for 200 - 16 = 184 feet (4 rolls, 16 ft left over).