What a Commercial Chain Link Fence Costs, and How to Spec It
9 gauge galvanized at 6 feet runs $55 to $70 a foot. Height, coating, tops, gates and length move it from there.
The commercial standard is 9 gauge galvanized fabric on a 6-foot frame, and on a full run it costs $55 to $70 a foot installed. Residential fabric is 11 or 11.5 gauge; it costs less and it stretches and sags under daily traffic. The height, the coating, what goes on top, the gates and the length of the run move the number from there.
In this guide
What it costs per foot
The gate and the trip cost the same on 60 feet as on 600, so on a short run they carry most of the number. That is why the last row looks nothing like the first one.
The gauge
Gauge is the thickness of the wire, and lower numbers are thicker. 9 gauge is the commercial standard. Security and industrial yards go heavier than 9 with a tighter mesh, and the gauge is what a pair of cutters runs into. On a plan job the engineer specifies it and we build to that. When you compare bids, check the gauge is written on each one, because two quotes at different gauges are not the same fence.
Height
Six feet is the commercial standard. Security, storage and industrial perimeters run 7 to 8 feet, and taller happens by plan. A taller fence takes more fabric and heavier posts set deeper, so height is one of the bigger levers on the price.
Galvanized or vinyl-coated
Galvanized is the standard silver finish and the lower cost. Vinyl-coated is black or green over the galvanizing, so it carries two coatings instead of one, and it costs more.
Tops, slats, and gates
Barbed wire or razor ribbon goes on arms at the top where the local code allows it, about $4 to $8 a foot for three-strand barbed. Privacy slats weave through the mesh and add $6 to $14 a foot.
The gates cost more than the fence around them. A rolling gate on V-track runs $2,100 to $2,700, and swing gates and wide equipment gates are each their own line on the quote. What each commercial gate runs is on the gates page.
Getting a number
Send the site address, the length and height, the gates, and whether the site calls for a heavier gauge or a top. If there is enough detail we quote from it; if not, we walk the site. There is no charge for the quote.
FAQs
What gauge chain link is commercial grade?
9 gauge. Security and industrial sites go heavier with a tighter mesh. Residential 11 or 11.5 gauge is too light for most commercial use.
Is chain link the cheapest commercial fence?
Per foot, yes: $55 to $70 a foot on a full 6-foot commercial run, against $40 to $120 for ornamental iron.
Galvanized or vinyl-coated, which costs less?
Galvanized. Vinyl-coated adds a second coating over the galvanizing and costs more.
Can you add privacy to chain link?
Yes. Privacy slats weave into the mesh at $6 to $14 a foot. Wood slats on an existing fence are the other option. For full privacy on a metal fence, solid metal fence panels covers sheet, expanded metal and corrugated with the costs.
Do you install barbed or razor wire?
Yes, where the local code allows it. Three-strand barbed adds $4 to $8 a foot.
Pricing a chain link fence?
Send the length and height, the gates, and what goes on top, and we will price it. See our chain link fencing.
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