Chain Link Fence Calculator
A straight 100 ft chain link fence, 6 ft high, with line posts no more than 10 ft apart takes 9 line posts, 2 end posts, 2 rolls of 50 ft fabric, 10 tension bands and 11 bags of concrete. Type your stretches, corners and gates for your own list.
Units available: US customary / metric.
Your stretches and the fence you are building
Order 2 rolls, 11 posts, 11 bags
- Fabric length
- 100 ft
- Stretches
- 1 ea
- Line posts
- 9 ea
- End posts
- 2 ea
- Corner posts
- 0 ea
- Gate posts
- 0 ea
- Line post length
- 99 in
- Terminal post length
- 103 in
- Hook-ups
- 2 ea
- Tension bands
- 10 ea
- Tie wires
- 104 ea
- Top rail
- 100 ft
- Concrete total
- 4.86 cu ft
- Bags, 60 lb
- 11 bags
- NoteType your supplier's top-rail stick length to count sticks.
Drawings
A-303Takeoff
| Item | Net qty | Waste | Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chain link fabric, 50 ft rolls1 stretch (100 ft). Rolls are woven together, so 0 ft is left on the last roll. | 100 ft | — | 2 ea |
| Line posts, 99 in longceil(stretch / 10 ft) − 1 per stretch. Set 69 in above grade (height − 3 in) + 30 in in the hole. | 9 ea | — | 9 ea |
| Terminal posts, 103 in long2 end + 0 corner + 0 gate. Set 73 in above grade (height + 1 in) + 30 in in the hole. | 2 ea | — | 2 ea |
| Tension bands5 per hook-up x 2 hook-ups (end and gate posts 1, corners 2). One tension bar per hook-up is common practice; confirm with your supplier. | 10 ea | — | 10 ea |
| Tie wires6 per line post x 9 = 54, plus 1 per 2 ft of top rail = 50. | 104 ea | — | 104 ea |
| Top railType your supplier's stick length to count sticks. | 100 ft | — | 100 ft |
| Concrete, 60 lb bags9 line holes at 0.4418 cu ft + 2 terminal holes at 0.4418 cu ft, 0.45 cu ft a bag. | 4.86 cu ft | — | 11 bags |
Assumptions used
- A stretch is a straight line of fabric between two terminal posts; gate openings are not part of it.
- Every stretch is hooked at both ends: 2 hook-ups. End and gate posts take one, corners two.
- Line posts: each stretch divided at no more than 10 ft, minus one.
- Tension bands: 5 per hook-up (height − 1, at least 3). Ties: 6 per line post, 1 per 2 ft of top rail.
- Posts reach the bottom of a 30 in hole; concrete stops 3 in below grade.
- No post diameter typed: the post is not deducted from the concrete.
- The frost line and any required depth are your local code, not printed here.
Count by stretch, not by total length
Hoover's calculator defines a stretch as a straight line of fence unbroken by gates or end posts. Each is hooked at both ends: an end or gate post takes one hook-up, a corner two. A yard of 50, 62, 50, 41.5 ft with 3 corners and one gate needs 8 hook-ups, 24 line posts at 8 ft and 5 terminal posts.
Bands and ties follow the height
The installation manual sets tension bands at the height in feet minus one, at least three a hook-up: 3 at 4 ft, 5 at 6 ft. Line posts take as many ties, at least one a foot (6 here).
Two post lengths, from two marks
Terminal posts stand at the fence height plus 1 in, line posts minus 3 in. Add the hole: at 30 in deep a 6 ft fence cuts terminals at 103 in and line posts at 99 in.
Rolls, rail and concrete
Fabric comes in 50 ft rolls, woven together, so a 51 ft stretch takes 2. Type your rail stick length to count sticks. A 6 in by 30 in hole filled to 3 in below grade holds 0.442 cu ft, at 0.45 cu ft per 60 lb bag.
Hook-ups = 2 x stretches End posts = hook-ups - 2 x corners - 2 x gates Line posts = ceil( stretch / max spacing ) - 1, per stretch Bands = max( 3, height ft - 1 ) x hook-ups Rolls = ceil( sum of stretches / roll length ) Post cut = height + 1 in (terminal) or - 3 in (line) + hole depth Concrete = pi x ( (hole/2)^2 - (post/2)^2 ) x ( depth - gap )
Frequently asked
- How many posts do you need for 100 ft of chain link fence?
- On one straight stretch with line posts no more than 10 ft apart: 9 line posts and 2 end posts, 11 in all.
- What materials do I need to build a chain link fence?
- Fabric, line and terminal posts, tension bands, tie wires, a top rail or bottom wire, and concrete. Fittings (bars, caps, rail ends) are given as hook-ups.
- How much is 200 ft of 6 ft chain link fence?
- In material: 4 rolls, 19 line and 2 end posts, 10 bands, 214 ties and 21 bags. The price is the one you type.
- How to calculate chain link fence cost?
- Each quantity times the price you type for it.
Limits of this sheet
A-303 counts materials. Your frost line, local code and supplier govern; for wood or vinyl, see the fence calculator.
Sheet A-303 prepared by TakeoffMetric Editorial; no author, credential or field measurement is claimed.
Sources checked
The documents the numbers on this sheet were checked against. Nothing here is attributed to an author or a credential we do not have.
Where this page compares itself with other calculators, it describes the pages ranking on Google in the US when they were read, on October 13, 2026. Rankings change.
- Hoover Fence Co. Chain Link Fence Installation Manual Post spacing, hole size, concrete gap, post marks, bands and ties.