A 4 foot galvanized chain link fence in Toledo runs $25 to $30 a foot installed, materials and labor together. Black vinyl-coated chain link runs $35 to $40 a foot at 4 feet. At 6 feet, galvanized runs $41 to $50 a foot and black $61 to $70.
The Toledo cost hub has every other style side by side.
Price by height
| Height | Galvanized | Black vinyl-coated |
|---|---|---|
| 4 feet | $25–$30 | $35–$40 |
| 5 feet | $33–$39 | $46–$52 |
| 6 feet | $41–$50 | $61–$70 |
A 5 foot fence runs about 30 percent more than a 4 foot one. Black chain link is the same galvanized steel wire with a vinyl coat bonded over it, and the posts and rails are coated to match.
Worked examples
No gates and no old fence to take out.
| Length | 4 ft galvanized | 4 ft black | 6 ft galvanized | 6 ft black |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 feet | $2,500–$3,000 | $3,500–$4,000 | $4,100–$5,000 | $6,100–$7,000 |
| 150 feet | $3,750–$4,500 | $5,250–$6,000 | $6,150–$7,500 | $9,150–$10,500 |
| 200 feet | $5,000–$6,000 | $7,000–$8,000 | $8,200–$10,000 | $12,200–$14,000 |
Now a fuller job, with 150 feet of 4 foot galvanized, a walk gate, a double drive gate and an old fence coming out:
- Fence, 150 feet at $25 to $30: $3,750 to $4,500
- One walk gate at $200 to $400: $200 to $400
- One double drive gate at $450 to $900: $450 to $900
- Tear out and haul away 150 feet at $5 to $10 a foot: $750 to $1,500
- Total: about $5,150 to $7,300
The gate and removal pages have more.
Chain link against wood
A 6 foot treated pine privacy fence runs $25 to $35 a foot installed. At the prices above, 4 foot chain link costs about what 6 foot wood privacy does, and 6 foot chain link costs more. On 150 feet:
- 4 foot galvanized chain link: $3,750 to $4,500
- 6 foot treated pine privacy: $3,750 to $5,250 (see the wood privacy page)
- 6 foot galvanized chain link: $6,150 to $7,500
Around Toledo you will also see chain link at $15 to $25 a foot, and elsewhere in Ohio 4 foot galvanized runs $15 to $25 and 6 foot vinyl-coated $25 to $40. That lower band is where chain link comes in under wood, so get more than one quote. Near Ann Arbor, galvanized runs $16 to $28 (see the Ann Arbor cost page).
Chain link keeps a dog in and leaves the view open, and wood privacy closes it off.
Town rules that apply to chain link
- Toledo. Chain link is fine on a house lot, up to 6 feet at the side and rear and 3.5 feet in front. The code says chain link cannot be used to meet the city’s buffer and screening requirements, but those apply to businesses, apartments and parking lots, and a single house or duplex is exempt. The Warehouse District bans chain link outright. In the Old West End, new chain link must be black or dark vinyl-coated, and only in the rear yard.
- Findlay. Side and rear yards only, and slats are banned.
- Rossford. Not allowed in a residential front yard.
- Port Clinton. Side and rear yards only, up to 5 feet.
- Wauseon. Side and rear yards only, up to 4 feet. Near homes the top and bottom edges must be knuckled, meaning the cut wire ends are bent back smooth instead of left as points. Chain link may sit within 2 feet of the line without the recorded agreement a solid fence needs.
- Michigan. In Bedford Township, which takes in Temperance and Lambertville, a front yard fence must be decorative, and the zoning code says chain link is not. Dundee allows chain link anywhere except the front yard. Milan allows 5 feet at the side and rear, and no front yard fence at all. The City of Monroe wants a smooth top edge. Ann Arbor’s guideline for historic homes keeps chain link to the rear yard.
How it is built, and where the money goes
The fabric is steel wire woven in a 2 inch diamond. Heavier 9 gauge wire costs more than 11 or 11.5 gauge. With wire, the smaller number is the thicker wire.
A top rail is a steel pipe along the top that the fabric is tied to, and a tension wire along the bottom keeps the bottom edge tight. Some fences run a wire across the top instead of a rail, and then the end posts need braces.
End, corner and gate posts are a size heavier than the line posts between them, and line posts sit no more than 10 feet apart. A yard with many corners and gates needs more of those heavy posts than a straight run of the same length.
The industry standard for installing chain link sets the minimum footing at 24 inches, plus 3 inches for every foot of height over 4 feet, so 30 inches for a 6 foot fence. Lucas County’s frost line is 36 inches, and around Toledo a 4 foot chain link fence in hard soil goes about 30 inches deep. Michigan’s code puts footings at 42 inches. The post depth page has more.
Privacy slats
Slats woven through the mesh run about $4 to $8 a foot in materials, plus about $2 to $3 a foot to put in. They also turn open mesh into something close to a solid wall, and a solid panel catches about seven to nine times the wind of open 2 inch mesh. A slatted fence may need heavier posts or posts set closer together, so mention slats before the installer quotes. Findlay bans them outright.
What else moves the price
Gates. A chain link walk gate runs $200 to $400 and a double drive gate $450 to $900.
Taking out an old fence. $5 to $10 a foot.
Slope. Sloped ground adds about 12 percent and steep ground about 25 percent.
The permit. Every fence in the City of Toledo needs a $50 Certificate of Zoning Compliance.
Minimum job. Residential jobs start around $975, even for a short dog run.
See your price range
Put your fence runs into the estimator, pick galvanized or black chain link and your height, add your gates, and see the range for your yard, or work it through with the fence cost calculator. If any run crosses a front yard, read your town’s page first, because several towns here keep chain link out of the front yard.
Questions people ask
How much does chain link fence cost per foot installed in Toledo?
Galvanized chain link runs $25 to $30 a foot installed at 4 feet and $41 to $50 at 6 feet. Black vinyl-coated runs $35 to $40 at 4 feet and $61 to $70 at 6 feet.
How much is a 150 foot chain link fence?
About $3,750 to $4,500 for 4 foot galvanized, or $5,250 to $6,000 for 4 foot black. Gates and taking out an old fence are extra.
Is chain link cheaper than a wood fence?
Not always around Toledo. At $25 to $30 a foot, 4 foot galvanized costs about what a 6 foot treated pine privacy fence costs at $25 to $35, and 6 foot chain link costs more. Chain link is also quoted here from $15 a foot, so compare more than one price.
How much does a chain link gate cost?
A chain link walk gate runs $200 to $400 installed and a double drive gate $450 to $900.
Can I put privacy slats in a chain link fence?
In most towns, yes, but not in Findlay, where the code bans slats in chain link. Slats run about $4 to $8 a foot in materials plus $2 to $3 a foot to put in, and they make the fence catch far more wind.
Can I put chain link in my front yard?
It depends on the town. Findlay, Rossford, Port Clinton, Wauseon, Dundee and Bedford Township keep chain link out of the front yard, and in Toledo any front yard fence stops at 3.5 feet.