How to install chain link fence

1. Dig the post holes. If you decide to install your chain link fence without concrete, use a post-hole digger to make a hole deep enough to bury the posts at least two feet, or about 1/3rd of the height. Never pound the posts into the ground, especially if you have hard clay or rocky soil, because you'll bend the tops.

2. Install the posts. To set your posts at the correct height, it’s helpful to mark the ground line on them before setting them in the holes. Set the terminal posts first. They’ll be the height of the chain-link fabric plus two inches. The line posts will be the height of the fabric minus two inches.

3. Install the post hardware and fence rails. When installing the hardware, leave it loose at first. You’ll tighten the nuts and bolts after the fabric is installed. Fence rails are next in the assembly process.

4. Hang the fence fabric. Unroll the fabric on the ground and slide a tension bar through the first row of diamonds.

5. Attach the gate. Attach the gate hinges to the posts from the top and bottom. The top pin should face down and the bottom pin up.