Chain Link Fence Parts & Hardware Checklist

A 100 ft run of 4 ft chain link fence needs 2–4 terminal posts, 9–12 line posts, about 100 ft of top rail, fabric and bottom tension wire, plus the fittings: 6–18 tension bands, 2–6 brace bands, tension bars and rail-end cups, a cap on every post, about 85–100 fabric ties, about 50 hog rings and about 30 carriage bolts. The table below lists every part with its size; the chain link parts calculator counts them for your exact run.

Chain link is deceptively parts-heavy. A single missing tension band and the fabric bulges. A missing brace band and the top rail sags. This is the full 2026 hardware checklist — post by post, fitting by fitting — with quantities, sizing, and what to actually buy before you head to the store.

Complete Parts Table (per 100 ft of 4 ft fence)

1. Posts — The Foundation

Terminal posts are the anchor points where fabric is tensioned. Always heavier gauge — 2⅜" outer diameter, Schedule 40 or SS20 wall thickness. Set in concrete, cured 48 hours before you touch them again.

Line posts hold the fabric off the ground between terminals. 1⅝" OD is standard for residential 4-ft fence; 1⅞" OD for 6-ft and taller. Set every 8–10 ft.

Gate posts are just terminal posts with a hinge assembly. Size up one grade if the gate is over 4 ft wide.

2. Fabric

Chain link fabric is sold in 50 ft or 100 ft rolls. Standard residential is 11.5 gauge galvanized; commercial is 9 gauge (heavier, longer-lasting). Vinyl-coated fabric (black or green) hides better against foliage and lasts 5–8 years longer than raw galvanized.

Height: match your fence height exactly — cutting fabric is a pain and always looks rough at the trim. 4 ft, 5 ft, and 6 ft are the standard offerings; 8 ft and 10 ft are commercial-only.

3. Top Rail

1⅜" OD tubing, typically 10.5 ft lengths with swaged ends that slide into each other. Ten pieces make ~100 ft of continuous rail. Pass through the looped line-post caps and terminate at rail-end cups on each terminal post.

4. Tension Bands, Brace Bands, and Tension Bars

This is the trio homeowners get wrong most often:

• Tension bands — J-shaped bands that clamp around the terminal post and hold the tension bar. Rule: one tension band per foot of fence height, minus one, on every tension bar. So a 4-ft fence needs 3 per bar, a 6-ft fence needs 5 — and a corner post, with two bars, needs twice that.
• Brace bands — Round bands that hold the rail-end cup where the top rail terminates. One per end post and gate post; two per corner post, because the rail stops at the corner from both directions.
• Tension bar — A flat steel bar the full height of the fence, woven through the last row of fabric mesh. The tension bands grab this bar to pull fabric tight against the terminal post. One per end post and per gate post; two per corner post, since fabric is stretched to a corner from each direction.

5. Post Caps

Looped line-post caps have a horizontal slot that guides the top rail through. Dome/acorn caps for terminal posts. Never leave posts uncapped — water gets in, they rust from the inside out within a few winters.

6. Bottom Tension Wire

9-gauge galvanized wire strung tight along the bottom of the fabric, attached with hog rings every 24". This is what stops the bottom of the fabric from being pushed inward by a dog or pulled outward by lawn equipment. Skip it and you'll be re-securing the bottom edge every summer.

7. Fabric Ties & Hog Rings

Aluminum ties, 6" long, wrap once around the top rail and twist off. One tie every 24" on the rail and every 12" up each line post — about 50 on the rail plus 4 per line post on 100 ft of 4 ft fence. Hog rings for tension wire at the bottom every 24". A hog-ring pliers is $15 and worth every penny.

Choosing Fasteners for Chain Link Fencing

Four kinds of fastener hold a chain link fence together, and each has one job. Match the metal to the fabric so the fence does not corrode where two metals touch:

• Fabric ties (wire ties) — attach the mesh to line posts and the top rail. Use 9-gauge aluminum ties on galvanized fabric; on vinyl-coated fabric use coated ties in the same colour. Pre-formed "hook" ties are fastest; straight 6.5" ties twisted on with pliers hold slightly tighter.
• Hog rings — clip the fabric to the bottom tension wire every 24". 11-gauge galvanized rings, closed with hog-ring pliers.
• Carriage bolts (5/16" × 1¼") — close every tension and brace band on a terminal post. One per band; buy them with the bands, as many band packs do not include them.
• Tension bars — not strictly a fastener, but they spread the pull of the bands along the whole fabric edge. One per terminal side: an end post takes one, a corner takes two.

Galvanized steel ties are stronger than aluminum but rust sooner at the twist; aluminum is the standard for residential fences. For commercial or high-security fence, specify 9-gauge galvanized steel ties and tamper-resistant carriage bolts. The Chain Link Parts Calculator counts every tie, ring and bolt for your length.

8. Gates

Pre-welded chain-link gate frames come sized (36", 42", 48") with hinges and a fork latch included. Buy the pre-hung kit — building your own from tube stock costs more time than it saves in money. Full sizing in our Gate Calculator.

Common Missed Items

• 5/16" carriage bolts and lock nuts — sold separately from bands.
• Concrete — see Concrete Mix for Fence Posts. Roughly 1.5 bags per terminal, 1 bag per line post.
• Post driver — for line posts if you go steel-in-ground (see Best Fence Post Driver).
• Come-along or fence puller — the tool that actually tensions the fabric, and the one job you cannot do by hand. Rental yards keep them, and it is a cheap rental relative to the difference it makes.

Full Rollup

Let the Chain Link Calculator generate exact quantities from your fence length and height. Full install steps: Chain Link Installation Guide.