Do you Have to Use Concrete for Chain Link Fence Posts?

You can install a chain link fence without using concrete, but this is not recommended. Securing each fence post in concrete is the best way to ensure your fence will stand upright for many years. Skipping the time and expense of setting the posts in concrete may be tempting, but the savings are usually not worth it in the long run for a number of reasons.

Installing a chain link fence without concrete

If you decide to install a chain link fence without concrete, use a stake hole digger to dig a hole deep enough to bury the post at least two feet or about 1/3 of the height. Do not hammer the post into the ground, especially if you have hard clay or rocky soil, as you will bend the top. The hole should be slightly larger than the post so that you can fill it tightly with soil around the post.

Installing the fence without concrete will save you a small amount of money on concrete, trowels and gravel. If you use an auger to dig the post holes, you may be able to complete the installation in one day.

Installing a chain link fence with concrete

Whether you use concrete or not, installing chain link fence yourself requires a variety of tools and materials, including fence posts, gates, chain link mesh, fasteners, ties and wires, pile hole diggers, power augers, hacksaws or pipe cutters, trowels, leveling wires, mason's lines, lead hammers, rubber hammers, socket wrenches, ties, fence pullers, pliers, ready-mixed concrete, gravel, and trowels.

This method usually takes two full days to complete, including time for the cement to dry overnight.

The safest way to anchor fence posts is with cement

If you only need a temporary fence, then concrete anchoring is not feasible. In all other cases, securing each post is the best way to prevent movement and leaning over the years. Some recommend using cement only on the ends, gate posts, and corner posts, but this method still allows for a lot of movement, so you end up resetting unanchored posts over the years anyway.