Chain Link vs. Ornamental Iron for a Commercial Property

A 6-foot chain link run costs $55 to $70 a foot. Six-foot ornamental iron runs mostly $70 to $90. Many properties use both. Iron goes along the street, and chain link goes around the yard and the back.

Cost

Like for like, chain link is the lower cost per foot. A plain 6-foot run is $55 to $70 a foot installed; 6-foot iron lands mostly at $70 to $90, inside a full band of $40 to $120 that runs from a plain flat-top panel to taller custom work. Short chain link runs cost more per foot, and a run under about 100 feet comes to $150 to $245 a foot.

What each one is made of

Ornamental iron is steel tube, with pickets about 4 inches apart. Chain link is woven steel wire, and the gauge of that wire is what a pair of cutters runs into.

Both can be built heavier for a security site. Chain link can go to a heavier gauge, a 1-inch mesh, a taller fence, and three strands of barbed wire with razor wire on top. Iron goes to taller pickets, a heavier bar, and expanded metal sheet behind the pickets.

Looks

Vinyl-coated chain link comes in many colors, and a slatted chain link fence covers most of the view through the mesh. A 6-foot chain link fence with slats runs about $59 to $67 a foot, against mostly $70 to $90 a foot for 6-foot ornamental iron.

Finish and upkeep

Both are steel, so the finish is what keeps the rust off. Chain link is galvanized, and vinyl coating adds a second layer over that. Iron is powder coated or galvanized, and a scrape in powder coat gets touched up so the steel underneath stays covered.

Where each one goes

Chain link: industrial yards, storage and equipment lots, sports facilities, utility and substation enclosures, and any long perimeter.

Ornamental iron: commercial frontages, apartment and HOA perimeters, retail centers, schools, and anywhere the fence is seen from the street.