Commercial Chain Link Fence in Jacksonville, Florida

The easy answer is 9 gage galvanized wire is commercial grade, while 11.5 gage is residential. That is true, but there are other things to take into consideration regarding your chain link fence.

For this discussion let’s focus solely on galvanized material. I will save vinyl chain link fencing for another discussion. Briefly the key to vinyl fence is the core wire. A 9 gage core wire is commercial grade and 11.5 gage core wire is residential. We will discuss this later though.

Just as important as the chain link fence wire is the framework. The framework involves the posts, top rail, bracing, tension wire, and fittings. Let’s start with the fence posts. The posts should be a 40 weight pipe. The outside diameter of the line posts should be a minimum of 2″ – most commercial work prefers a 2 1/2″ line post. The wall thickness on a 2″ commercial grade posts is .120″; and the wall thickness of a commercial weight 2 1/2″ post is .130″. Your terminal posts (End Posts, Corner Posts, and Gate Posts) should be 3″ in outside diameter with a wall thickness of .160″. The size of the gate post depends on the size of the gate leaf hanging off that post. For gate leafs under 6′ in width you can use a 3″ gate post. For gate leafs between 6′ and 12′ you use a 4″ gate post. For gate leafs between 12′ – 18′ you use a 6 5/8″ gate post. For gate leafs between 18′ – 24′ you use an 8″ gate post. Do not skimp on your gate posts, or sooner rather than later the weight of that gate will start pulling over that gate post and you are going to have problems.

Next is the all important top rail. Not only does top rail make the fence look complete and help to frame in that new fence, it also serves as a bracing unit. The top rail helps to brace the posts as the fence installer stretches out the fence. The fence wire is tied to the top rail to give strength and tension to the fence. Commercial top rail is a 1 5/8″ diameter pipe. A 40 weight pipe of course. If you go with a lighter weight pipe the heavy commercial grade chain link wire will over time cause the lightweight rail to droop between the posts. The wall thickness of a commercial weight 1 5/8″ pipe is .111″.

It is important to brace all your ends, corners, and gate posts with the same pipe you used on the top rail. Bracing the terminal posts gives necessary added strength to these critical posts.