Chain Link vs. Aluminum Fencing

Aluminum wins for almost every yard. Chain link installed runs $10 to $40 a foot depending on height, and aluminum runs $20 to $45 a foot in St. Louis, usually $25 to $40. The gap is smaller than you might expect, and aluminum never rusts, never needs paint, and clears most HOA rules that chain link fails.

We do not install chain link. Everything below is measured against what we do install, aluminum and ornamental steel, so you can weigh the real trade-off rather than a sales pitch for either side. If you are weighing chain link against vinyl instead, our chain link vs vinyl fence guide compares those two.

See our aluminum fence installation process, start to finish, or dial 636-464-1144 and we will price your yard at no charge.

What Chain Link and Aluminum Actually Cost

Height decides most of the chain link price. A 4-foot chain link fence typically runs $10 to $20 a foot installed. Go to the 6- to 8-foot heights most back yards use, and the price climbs to $15 to $40 a foot or more. That range comes from HomeGuide’s chain link fence cost guide. Roughly half of that is labor.

Aluminum, installed by us across the St. Louis metro, runs $20 to $45 a foot. Most yards land between $25 and $40. Gates are priced on their own. See our aluminum fence cost page for the current line-by-line figures.

The day-one price is not the whole comparison. Chain link is cheaper to buy, but it needs replacing sooner, and it can rust in the meantime. That is the next section.

Rust, Upkeep and How Long Each One Lasts

Galvanized chain link resists rust for a while, but the coating wears at cut ends, gate hinges, and anywhere the wire gets scraped or bent. Once rust starts, it spreads along the wire. There is no real fix short of replacing sections. Most galvanized chain link lasts 15 to 20 years before it looks its age.

Aluminum does not rust. The finish is applied at the factory rather than brushed on later, so repainting never comes up. Elite, the aluminum we install most, carries a lifetime limited warranty from its maker. A powder-coated aluminum fence still looks like day one at year twenty.

What upkeep actually looks like for you. With chain link you are out there with a wire brush and touch-up paint on any exposed rust, plus periodic checks on ties and tension. With aluminum you turn on the hose.

Security, Pet Containment and What Each One Actually Stops

Chain link is easy to climb. The mesh gives your foot a hold at every diamond, so it slows an intruder down more than it stops one. It is also easy to cut. Higher-security chain link uses a heavier gauge wire and barbed top strands to compensate. Both cost more, and both look worse.

Aluminum in a picket style is harder to climb, since there is nothing to grip between the pickets. Cutting through a picket takes more than a pair of wire cutters.

For pets, the opening size decides the fence, not the material. Standard residential chain link uses a 2 to 2 3/8 inch diamond. That is wide enough for a small dog or a cat to squeeze through, especially a young or thin one. Standard aluminum picket spacing has the same problem. On the Voegtli job in Kirkwood, 15 May 2026, we found the driveway side of the yard wide open. Nothing stopped two small dogs from reaching the street. We closed the aluminum picket gaps to 1 and 5/8 inches and added a gate across the gap. That was 38 linear feet with 2 gates, finished in a single day.

Chain link cannot be tightened the same way once it is up. A smaller diamond means a different roll of mesh from the start, not an adjustment you make on site. Our dog fence page covers pet-containment spacing in more depth if that is your main reason for fencing at all.

Curb Appeal and HOA Rules

Chain link is the fence most subdivisions and cities restrict or ban outright in a front yard, and some ban it everywhere on the lot. Ask before you buy it, not after.

Aluminum clears the style rules on most subdivisions because it reads as an ornamental fence rather than a utility one. On the Criscione job in Eureka, the subdivision allowed only one approved fence style. Matte black Elite aluminum passed the subdivision’s review without a single change requested.

Resale. A buyer sees chain link as a fence they will probably replace. When you sell a house with aluminum, there is no rust and no repainting waiting for the next owner.

When Chain Link Still Wins

We are not going to pretend chain link has no place. Here are three situations where it is the right call for you.

Budget-driven, large-acreage perimeter. Fencing several acres at $25 to $40 a foot in aluminum adds up fast. At that scale, chain link’s lower per-foot cost matters more than it does on a 150-foot back yard.

Temporary or construction fencing. If the fence comes down in a season, the durability argument for aluminum does not apply to you.

A dog run or kennel where looks do not matter. A utility enclosure tucked out of sight does not need a decorative fence.

Aluminum is not for you if your only goal is fencing acreage on the tightest possible budget, or if the fence is coming down again within the year. Outside those cases, both the math and the maintenance favor aluminum for a residential yard. We also install vinyl and composite fencing across St. Louis where privacy matters more than sightlines. Neither one competes with chain link the way aluminum does on an open, see-through fence.

Two Real Aluminum Jobs, Compared

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an aluminum fence cheaper than a chain link fence?

Not on the day it goes in. Chain link runs $10 to $40 a foot installed, depending on height. We price aluminum between $20 and $45 a foot. Aluminum tends to win over time, because it does not rust or need repainting the way chain link eventually does.

What are the downsides of chain link fences?

Chain link rusts once the galvanized coating wears through, and it is easy to climb and easy to cut. Most HOAs restrict or ban it, and it gives you no privacy. It also reads to buyers as a fence they will need to replace.

What are the downsides of aluminum fences?

You pay more up front than chain link. It will not stop a determined climber on its own, not without added height or a top rail. And standard picket spacing will not hold a small dog or cat unless you order it tighter.

What is the average lifespan of an aluminum fence?

Decades. Aluminum does not rust, and Elite, the brand we install most, backs it with a lifetime limited warranty. Galvanized chain link typically lasts 15 to 20 years before rust and wear show.

Does a chain link fence lower property value?

Yes, it can. Buyers tend to see chain link as a fence they will replace, especially once it shows rust. A fence with no upkeep waiting on it reads as worth more to them.

What type of fence needs the least maintenance?

Aluminum and vinyl come closest to needing none at all. A rinse now and then is the whole job for both. Chain link and wood both need real, ongoing work once wear sets in.

How much would 200 feet of chain link fence cost installed?

At the typical $15 to $40 a foot range for a 6- to 8-foot residential height, 200 feet runs roughly $3,000 to $8,000 installed. Height and gate count move that number more than anything else.

Is chain link cheaper than a wood fence?

Usually, yes, on the day it goes in. We do not install wood or chain link. Get a like-for-like quote from installers of each if you are weighing those two specifically.

Getting a Price for Your Yard

We install aluminum and ornamental steel across St. Louis and the Metro East, and we are a listed installer on the Catalyst installer directory. Your installation is guaranteed for one year by us, and the aluminum carries Elite’s lifetime limited warranty on top of that, separate from our guarantee.

We usually get out to measure your yard within 1 to 4 days of your call. Stop by our Arnold showroom first if you want to handle a panel before you decide. Homeowners around St. Louis have left their own account of working with us on our reviews page.

Call 636-464-1144 and get a firm number, at no cost to you.