How to Install a Chain Link Fence

 Chain link fence installation is an economical way to protect your property and keep you and your family safe. Chain link fences can provide a secure barrier without blocking your sight line. With proper installation, they should remain tough, require minimal maintenance, and need no replacement for years.

 

Chain link fences may be a little challenging to install because almost every component is unique to this type of fencing. However, after building one post-to-post stretch, the other sections should be straightforward to build. Here is a guide to help with your installation.

 

Make preparations

 

Before anything else, look into local building codes and homeowners’ association guidelines for acceptable fence placement, sizes, and styles. These codes may also indicate post-hole requirements. Knowing these things will ensure a smooth chain link fence installation and eliminate unnecessary removal and rework down the line.

 

Consider doing these things:

 

• Know if you need a permit to build a chain-link fence
• Talk with your neighbors about the project.
• Identify and mark your property lines.
• Draw a plan for the fence, and note the post and gate locations. Some towns may require this before approving a building permit.
• Consider getting at least another person to help you with this project.
• Rent a truck to transport heavy and bulky chain link fence materials to your home.

 

A step-by-step installation process

 

Create the layout before digging post-holes for chain link fence installation.

 

1. Mark the layout

 

Use string and batter boards to do this. Place batter boards beyond the fence corners and tie the string to them. They will make it easier to adjust the string to mark your layout.

 

2. Square the corners

 

Measure three feet with one of the strings and four feet along an adjacent string. The diagonal must be five feet. Otherwise, adjust the strings.

 

3. Use stakes to mark the spacing and posts

 

The typical spacing is between 6 and 10 feet in the center. However, consider looking into the manufacturer’s instructions for post spacing. Mark the holes around half the width of the post away from layout lines, and mark the lines on batter boards with a pencil before untying them to dig holes.

 

Dig the post holes

 

The hole diameter must typically be around three times the post's width, but do check the local code for the required post hole size. Some codes may need the depth to be beneath the frost line, the level where the water in the soil typically freezes. That way, the ground won’t push up your posts during a freeze. Follow these steps to dig holes:

 

1. Mark your layout string locations on batter boards
2. Remove the strings
3. Dig the holes to size. Holes for the corner, gate, and end posts (a.k.a. terminal posts) must be a bit wider and deeper than line posts. Use a shovel, digging bar, or post hole digger for holes next to your house. In open areas, use a power auger to save effort and time.
4. Reattach the layout lines to your batter boards.

 

Installing the posts

 

With the holes ready, now you can add the posts for chain link fence installation.

 

1. Mark the ground line

 

This will help you set the posts at an appropriate height. Set the terminal posts, which must be the height of the chain-link fabric and an additional two inches. Line posts must be the height of the fabric, minus two inches.

 

2. Ensure a uniform height

 

Tie a string between the terminal posts at the correct height of line posts. This can be very helpful when building on slopes.

 

3. Add concrete mix to the holes

 

Choose between fast-set and standard set. If you choose the latter, mix it to the consistency of a thick cake battery and fill around every post, leaving the concrete a few inches below ground level. Ensure it’s sloped away from the post to enable water runoff.

 

For fast-set concrete, pour dry mix around every post to a few inches below ground level before adding water. Water should sit on top at first, but it will work its way to the bottom. Mix with a stake when needed, but avoid overdoing it.

 

4. Ensure every post is plumb

 

Use a post level for this, and hold it in place with the braces.

 

5. Allow the concrete to cure

 

After curing, remove the braces and use dirt to fill in the rest of the hole. Then, you can proceed with the chain link fence installation.

 

Installing the post hardware

 

Leave the hardware loose first, then tighten the nuts and bolts once you have installed the fabric.

 

1. At every terminal post, slip on the end brace and tension bands with the flat side to the outside. Slide on another end brace band with an end cup before adding the post cap.

 

2. For the corner posts, add the tension bands for every direction, alternating the cups of the brace bands with one down and one up. By offsetting the cups, the top rails can remain in position.

 

Installing the fence rails

 

1. Add the offset loop post tops on the line posts while ensuring the offset is facing the outside
2. Add the tension wire along the bottom, ensuring it’s around two inches from the ground and on the same side of the fabric.

 

Hanging the fence fabric

 

1. Unroll the fabric on the ground, then slide a tension bar through the first row of diamonds
2. Secure the tension bar to a terminal post with the carriage bolts and tension bands
3. Make sure the fabric extends just past the end post. Open the loops at the bottom and top of the fabric strand to remove any excess, and twist it out
4. Attach the fabric to an end post. Insert the tension bar around three feet from the end and add a temporary tension band to a terminal pole before hooking a come-along. Hook a stretcher bar to a tension bar and attach the come-along before tightening the fabric. The fabric should be tight enough that you can squeeze the diamonds a bit
5. Pull the rest of the fabric to your terminal post and insert the tension bar through the fabric, then the tension bands on the post. Tighten the bolts and remove the temporary bar and come-along
6. Using fence ties, attach the fabric to the posts around every 12 inches and every 24 inches along the top rail. Use wire clips to secure the fence to the tension wire along the bottom.

 

Finish chain link fence installation by attaching the gate

 

1. Place the gate hinges on the posts around eight inches from the top and bottom. Ensure the top pin is facing down and the bottom pin faces up.
2. Attach the frame hinges loosely to the gate.
3. Place blocks on the ground to set the gate about two inches from the ground. Adjust frame hinges to suit the post hinges, then tighten.
4. Place the latch at a comfortable height on the gate, then secure it with nuts and bolts.

 

Does the process sound tedious? Then hire a professional contractor to do it for you.

 

Installing a chain link fence may sound simple as a DIY project. You even have the option to ask a few friends or family members to help. However, you may want to save time and ensure proper installation by hiring a professional contractor to do it instead. Professional installers will do the job correctly to ensure a long-lasting chain link fence that serves its purpose well.

 

Nowadays, you can easily find a professional contractor near you. Use an established and trustworthy contractor referral service to locate chain link fence installation specialists near you. It’s a quick and easy way to find and bring qualified contractors to your doorstep, with free estimates to help you compare costs and make an informed hiring decision for your project.