Chain Link Installation Guide

Terminal posts, top rail, mesh stretching, and tension bands.

Chain link is the most economical and DIY-friendly option for security fencing.

Components

Terminal posts (corners, gates, ends)
Line posts (between)
Top rail
Mesh fabric
Tension bars and bands

Steps

Set terminal posts in concrete first (cure 48 hrs)
Set line posts to string height
Install top rail through line-post caps
Hang mesh, thread tension bar, tighten bands

See our Chain Link Calculator and hardware checklist.

❓ Frequently asked questions

What order do you install a chain link fence in?

Terminal posts first and set in concrete, then line posts, then let everything cure. Top rail next, through the loop caps and into the rail ends at each terminal. Then hang the fabric, weave a tension bar into the end, pull it tight with a come-along, and tie it off. Ties go on last.

How tight should chain link fabric be?

Tight enough that the diamonds pull into a slight vertical stretch and you cannot push the fabric more than about a quarter inch away from the line posts. A come-along and a stretcher bar does this properly; pulling by hand never gets a chain link fence tight enough and it will sag within a season.

Which side does chain link fabric go on?

The outside of the posts, facing away from your property, with the knuckled edge up and the barbed or twisted edge down unless the fence is a security fence. Putting the fabric on the inside means anything leaning on the fence pushes the fabric off the posts rather than into them.

How far apart should chain link posts be?

Ten feet on centre maximum, which is what most codes allow, and eight feet is better on uneven ground or a taller fence. Terminal posts go at every corner, every end and both sides of every gate, and they are a heavier gauge than the line posts between them.

Do I need a bottom tension wire?

It is optional on paper and worth fitting in practice. A tension wire threaded through the bottom of the fabric and tied to the terminal posts stops the fabric being pushed up between line posts, which is how dogs get out and how debris gets in.

Chain Link Installation Guide

Components

Steps

❓ Frequently asked questions

What order do you install a chain link fence in?

How tight should chain link fabric be?

Which side does chain link fabric go on?

How far apart should chain link posts be?

Do I need a bottom tension wire?

📬 Free Fencing Cost Guide

🔧 Recommended Fencing Tools & Supplies

Metal Zip Ties 11.8 inch 100pcs 304 Stainless Steel Zip Ties Heavy Duty Multi-Purpose Self-Locking Cable Ties for Machinery, Vehicles, Exhaust Wrap, Farms, Pipes, Roofs, Cables, and Outdoor Fence

VEVOR 36 in T Post Puller, Heavy Duty Steel Fence Post Puller, 660lb Load Capacity, Labor-Saving T-Post Remover Tool for Round Fence Posts, Sign Posts & Tree Stumps, Lifting Chain Not Included

Extbtfor Cordless Circular Saw,2.0 Battery 3400RPM Laser Guide,45° Angle | 4-1/2" Mini Circular Saw Maximum Cutting 1-11/16" at 90° and 1-1/8"at 45° for Wood, Soft Metal, Plastic

Sinlon Metal Zip Ties Heavy Duty 304 Stainless Steel Fence Ties 100-Pack | 198 lb tensile rating, self-locking ball closure, corrosion-resistant straps for chain-link panels, wire mesh, coops, cages

T Post Puller Fence Post Puller Heavy Duty Fence Post Puller with 47" Lifting Chain & T Post Puller Plate Puller T Post Puller for Round Fence Posts T Stakes Sign Post & Tree Stump

Romeda Mason Line #18, 500 Ft Orange String, Construction Twine for Gardening & Masonry