How Much Does It Cost To Chain Link Fence Half An Acre?

Are you planning to install a chain-link fence around your half-acre property, and you’re wondering how much it would cost you? You’ve come to the right place, for we have researched this question, and we have the answer for you.

To determine the cost of fencing a half-acre of land, you need to know the perimeter and the terrain. We then multiply the perimeter by the per foot cost of a chain-link fence to get the total. Chain-link fence costs vary from as little as $1.50 to as much as $20 per linear foot, depending on the link gauge. With this variable pricing, it's important to get your perimeter measurements exact!

However, getting the perimeter can be tricky—especially after you factor in the terrain. Read the succeeding sections to learn more about how to accurately get the cost of installing a chain-link fence on your land and the things you need to build a fence. Read on!

Chainlink real fence close-up and texture, How Much Does It Cost To Chain Link Fence Half An Acre?

How do you find the perimeter of land?

A perimeter is a linear path that encloses or surrounds the land. It means the same as circumference when used for a circular or elliptical-shaped piece of land.

Land may have the same area but different perimeters. Thus, you and your neighbor might have the same size of land, but you cannot use the amount they spent to build his fence to estimate the amount that you might need.

hills on the horizon and a curved path leading to the orange sky

Here is the mathematical proof of this:

First scenario

A half-acre of land is the same as 21,780 square feet.

Land that is 180 feet long and 121 feet wide is equal to 21,780 square feet, which is also equal to half an acre. We simply multiply the length and the width to get the area.

To get the perimeter of this land, add the length and width, then multiply by two. The perimeter will thus be equal to 602 feet. You will then need 602 feet of chain link to wrap a fence around a half-acre land with these dimensions.

Second scenario

Land that is 605 feet long and 36 feet wide is also 21,780 square feet, which is equivalent to half an acre of land. Multiplying 605 feet by 36 feet will give us 21,780 square feet.

The perimeter of this land is 1,282 feet. Follow the same formula from the succeeding section to get this total.

If we compare the two perimeters, the perimeter from the second scenario is more than twice the perimeter of the first land, even though they both have the same area. Building a fence on the second sample land will cost twice as much as building a fence on the first scenario's land.

Third scenario

Let’s take the third example to the extreme to illustrate this better.

Land that is 1,980 feet long and 11 feet wide also has an area of 21,780 square feet or half an acre. However, the perimeter of this third sample land is 3,982 feet.

Combine the perimeter of the first two sample lands and multiply it by two, and it will still be less than the total perimeter of our third sample land. That is how more expensive it will be to build a fence around the third sample land scenario compared to the first two.

What the three sample scenarios tell us is that knowing the total area is not enough to compute the cost to build a fence because you cannot get the perimeter from the area. And we need the perimeter to compute the length of chain link you’d need for the fence.

Moreover, uneven terrain will also change the total length of the perimeter.

How much does a chain link cost?

Chainlink fence and its pros and cons

The price of a chain link depends on the gauge or the thickness of the metal strands that the chain link is made. 5-gauge, 6-gauge, and 9-gauge are the most common gauges used for residential and commercial properties.

Here is the price range per linear foot for each of the three gauges:

  • The price per linear foot of a 5-gauge chain link ranges between $1.50 to $7
  • 6-gauge chain link costs anywhere between $4 to $20 per linear foot
  • The 9-gauge chain link costs $2 to $10 per linear foot

The 6-gauge chain link is more expensive than the other two because it is commonly used in commercial applications. The size of the mesh is smaller in chain links for commercial use, while the mesh size of the chain links for residential-purpose chain links is larger.

So, you use more material to make a 6-gauge chain link per linear foot compared to the other two gauges.

Once you get the total perimeter of your land, you simply multiply the total perimeter in feet by the price per foot of the chain link to get the amount that you need for the chain link.

If you’re using the 9-gauge chain link for our first sample land, then the chain link that you need cost around $1,204 to $6,020.

How to install a chain-link fence?

Chainlink fence and its durability

Another way for you to estimate how much your fence project would be is to learn how to install a chain-link fence. Knowing how to do it will give you an idea of the things that you will need in addition to the chain-link gauge.

Installing a chain-link fence on a half-acre of land might be too much work for one person. Use these steps to help you estimate the materials that you need to purchase beforehand.

If you want to DIY to install the chain link fence, these steps will also help you plan the work and divide it into small parts that you can do per day.

What to do before starting a fence project?

It is important to check your local building codes and regulations. This makes sure that you will fall within their requirements when you install your fence. This also ensures that your fence is within your property boundaries.

Additionally, this tells you about the codes for setting posts below the frost line that you need to know about.

Another important thing to do is to call your utility companies. You need to know where all the underground lines are located so that you don’t end up damaging them.

Initial preparation

  1. Mark the location of the terminal posts with stakes. Mark the location of line posts with a smaller stake. Use terminal posts for corners and as support for gates. The rest of the posts are line posts. The distance of the posts should follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
  2. Start by tying a string line on the first stake going to the next stake. Keep doing this until you’ve installed a string on all the stakes around your land.

Installation of posts and rails

  1. Start digging holes for the posts. Terminal posts should be deeper than line posts. Follow any manufacturer recommendations for the depth and width of concrete foundations for your posts. Normally, the depth should be 30 inches, and the concrete base should be eight inches on all sides.
  2. Mark the target depth on the posts. The height of the posts should be the height of the chain links minus two inches.
  3. Place a bed of dry concrete at the bottom of the hole at least an inch deep.
  4. Place the post in the hole, making sure it is at the right depth and that it is plumb.
  5. Pour wet concrete all around the post. You need one person to keep the concrete plumb while you pour the wet concrete.
  6. Once you’ve installed the first two posts, tie a line on top of the posts to keep the height uniform.
  7. Keep installing the posts and wait for the concrete cure.

Installing the top rail and the bottom tension wires

Durable type of fence called chainlink

  1. Slip in a brace at the bottom of each post.
  2. Next, slip in the tension bands. The number that you need is the height of the fence in feet minus one, multiplied by two.
  3. Insert a brace band near the top with a rail cup.
  4. Install the post cap at the top of each post. The offset loop at line posts should point outward.
  5. Slide the top rail into the offset loops and the rail end cup.
  6. Tighten the bolt at the rail end cup.
  7. Keep adding the top rail, sliding each one over the narrow end of the previous rail.
  8. Mark the length of the last top rail and cut.
  9. Install tension wires along the bottom.

The Jake Sales 2-3/8" galvanized chain link tension band is available on Amazon. Check it out through this link.

Installing the chain link

fence with metal grid in perspective

  1. Slide a tension bar through the first column of diamonds.
  2. Secure the tension bar to the posts using the tension bands.
  3. Insert a temporary tension bar two to three feet from the opposite end of the chain link.
  4. Hook a power puller to the tension band on the post, then hook a stretcher bar to the temporary tension bar.
  5. Connect the stretcher bar to the power puller.
  6. Tighten the tension of the chain link. Insert a tension bar into the opposite end.
  7. Connect the tension bar to the tension band on the terminal post.
  8. Install wire ties at the bottom and along the top rail.
  9. Repeat steps 1 to 7 until you’ve installed the chain link on all sides of your fence.

The Midwest Air Technologies fence stretcher bar is available on Amazon. Check it out through this link.

Conclusion

Chainlink real fence close-up and texture

You need to know the perimeter of your land to get the estimated cost of installing a chain-link fence. Once you have that, it is easy to estimate the cost of installing a chain-link fence by multiplying the perimeter with the per foot cost of the chain-link.