A chain link fence has two kinds of post, and the count follows a simple split: line posts go a maximum of 10 feet apart between the strong points, and a terminal post stands at every end, corner, and gate. A straight 100 foot run with one gate needs about 9 line posts and 4 terminal posts, 13 in all.
Getting that split right matters, because the two posts are different parts and almost all the small hardware hangs off the terminals. Here is the count, the difference, and the rest of the parts list.
Line posts vs terminal posts
They look similar on the shelf, but they do opposite jobs:
- Terminal posts are the end, corner, and gate posts. They are a larger diameter, set deeper in a wider concrete footing, and they carry all the tension in the fabric. Every place the fence stops, turns, or meets a gate gets one.
- Line posts are the lighter intermediate posts that just hold the fabric up between terminals. They go a maximum of 10 feet on center, tightening to 8 on slopes, in wind, or with 6 foot and taller fabric.
The order of work follows from this: set and concrete the terminals first and let them cure, because the whole fence pulls against them. A line post used in a terminal spot, or a terminal that shifts before the concrete sets, lets the entire run go slack once you stretch the fabric.
Posts by fence length
Each row is a straight run with 10 foot spacing, two end posts, and one gate (which adds two gate posts):
| Fence length | Line posts | Terminal posts | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 ft | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 100 ft | 9 | 4 | 13 |
| 150 ft | 14 | 4 | 18 |
| 200 ft | 19 | 4 | 23 |
Add one terminal post for every corner, since each corner is its own strong point. The chain link fence calculator takes your ends, corners, and gates and returns the post counts plus all the hardware below.
The rest of the parts list
Chain link is a kit, and the fabric and posts are only the start. For a standard run you also need:
- Top rail: the horizontal tube along the top, running the full length. It sleeves together from roughly 21 foot sticks and passes through loop caps on the line posts.
- Mesh fabric: the chain link itself, sold in rolls by height and gauge.
- Bottom tension wire: a wire (or bottom rail) along the base that keeps the fabric from being pushed out at the bottom. Strongly recommended, especially for pets.
- Tension bars and bands: at each terminal, a bar is woven down through the fabric and clamped to the post with tension bands to pull the mesh tight. Figure one bar per fabric end and roughly one band per foot of height on each.
- Rail ends and brace bands: connect the top rail to each terminal post, one pair per rail connection.
- Caps: a loop cap on each line post for the rail to pass through, and a dome cap on each terminal post.
- Tie wires: aluminum ties that fasten the fabric to the top rail every couple of feet and up each line post.
Because so much of that hardware is counted off the terminal posts, an accurate end, corner, and gate count drives the whole order more than the exact line-post spacing does.
Fabric gauge and finish
Two quick choices on the fabric itself. Gauge is wire thickness, and lower numbers are heavier: 11.5 gauge is typical residential, 9 gauge is the tougher kennel and commercial standard worth paying for where a dog will test it. Finish is galvanized (silver, cheapest) or vinyl-coated (usually black or green), which costs more but reads as far less industrial and tends to disappear against a yard.
Match the posts, rail, and fittings to the same finish so the fence looks like one system rather than a patchwork.
Gates and footings
Every gate opening is framed by two terminal-grade gate posts set in the deepest footings on the job, since they carry the swinging weight. Buy the gate as a pre-welded frame with its own hinge and latch kit rather than counting that hardware piece by piece. A walk gate is usually 3 to 4 feet wide, a drive gate 10 to 12.
For the footings, a common rule is to set posts about one third of their above-ground height into the ground, deeper and wider for terminals. The concrete footing calculator sizes the holes, and if you are weighing chain link against a wood privacy fence, the wood fence calculator runs that material instead.