# Is chain link cheaper than wood? > Chain link vs wood fence in Johns Creek: typical prices, privacy, durability, dogs, upkeep, and the local rules that limit chain link along streets. URL: https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/guide/chain-link-vs-wood-fence/ Decision Guide Usually, yes. Chain link costs less per foot and lasts a long time, but it gives no privacy and local rules limit where it can go. Last Updated: November 5, 2026 Usually, yes. Installed prices around Atlanta put chain link at roughly $8 to $24 a foot and a 6-foot wood privacy fence at roughly $20 to $30. Chain link also holds up for years with little care. What you give up is screening, since you can see straight through it, and freedom of placement, because Johns Creek and several neighboring cities restrict where it may stand. [Upright Johns Creek Fencing](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/) builds both [chain link](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/chain-link-fence-installation/) and [wood](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/wood-fence-installation/) fences across north Fulton. This guide compares them for a typical Johns Creek yard. ## Price The ranges overlap only at the top of chain link and the bottom of wood. Plain galvanized mesh at ordinary yard heights lands near the bottom of the chain link range, and coated black mesh, thicker pipe and extra height move a job upward. Wood privacy at 6 feet sits around $20 to $30 per foot, with board-on-board, 8-foot heights and cedar toward the top. Gates and tear-out are extra for both. A full estimate is broken out line by line in the [fence cost guide](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/guide/fence-installation-cost/). ## Privacy This is the deciding factor for most people. Wood privacy fences block views completely. Chain link blocks nothing. Privacy slats threaded through the mesh help a little, yet they also make the fence behave like a sail in storms, never quite read as a wood fence, and are barred along streets in Johns Creek single-family neighborhoods (confirm with the city). If the goal is screening a patio from a neighbor’s deck, wood is the answer. ## Where each is allowed Wood is allowed throughout north Fulton, subject to height and HOA rules. Chain link faces more limits. In Johns Creek, wire mesh, slatted or not, is kept away from street frontage in detached single-family subdivisions (confirm with the city). [Sandy Springs](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/service-areas/sandy-springs/) restricts it to coated mesh in back and side yards that do not run along a street, and Peachtree Corners likewise keeps coated mesh to back and side yards. Many HOAs restrict or prohibit chain link entirely. Check before choosing. ## Durability and upkeep Chain link does not rot and termites ignore it. A galvanized or vinyl-coated fence on a properly set framework lasts many years with little more than an occasional check of tension and fittings. Its weak points are terminal posts that lean and let the fabric sag, and bent top rails from falling limbs. Wood fences fail at the post base, where moisture and termites attack the wood at the soil line; posts set with drainage last much longer. Boards need stain every few years to stay sound and look good. The [wood fence lifespan guide](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/guide/how-long-does-a-wood-fence-last/) explains what decides how long one lasts. ## Dogs Both work for dogs, in different ways. Steel mesh resists chewing and climbing for most breeds, lets the dog watch the world (some settle down, others get worked up), and with a tension wire along the bottom plus a buried apron it holds most diggers. Wood privacy fences stop dogs that bark at what they see, but dogs can dig under boards, and gaps under stepped sections on slopes are common escape routes. Breed-by-breed advice sits in the [dog fence guide](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/guide/best-fence-for-dogs/). ## Looks Where a lot backs onto hardwoods, as so many here do, black coated mesh fades into the shadows within a season, while shiny galvanized mesh catches the eye. A wood privacy fence is a visible structure that defines the yard. Many owners combine them: wood along shared lines with neighbors where privacy matters, and black chain link along the back where the yard meets woods or a common area. ## Wind and slopes Open chain link catches little wind, so its posts carry less load than a solid wood fence of the same height. On slopes, chain link fabric follows the grade naturally; wood can be racked or stepped. The [slope guide](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/guide/fence-on-a-slope/) compares the methods. ## How to decide Choose chain link when cost, durability and pet containment matter more than privacy, and when the fence runs where local rules allow it. Choose wood when privacy is the point, when the fence faces neighbors on shared lines, or when the HOA expects it. The [wood vs vinyl guide](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/guide/wood-vs-vinyl-fence/) and the [board-on-board vs shadowbox guide](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/guide/board-on-board-vs-shadowbox/) help if wood is the choice. Questions about a specific yard can go to the number at the top of the page or the form below. ## Costs over twenty years Upfront price is only part of the comparison. A wood privacy fence in Georgia sun and humidity is usually stained every few years, and boards, pickets or a post may need replacing along the way, especially where sprinklers hit the fence or shade keeps it damp. Chain link mostly asks for nothing beyond re-tightening a sagging section or replacing a top rail bent by a fallen limb. Over a long horizon, the gap in total cost tends to widen in chain link’s favor, while wood keeps its advantage in privacy and looks. Owners planning to [replace an old fence](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/fence-replacement/) often weigh both numbers before deciding. ## Mixing both on one property A mixed layout is common on larger lots. Wood privacy goes where the patio, pool or a neighbor’s windows are close, and coated mesh runs along the rear where the yard meets woods, a creek buffer or a detention pond. Where the two meet, a shared corner post or a short transition panel keeps the line tidy, and a gate in either material can serve both runs. ## Questions about this guide ### How long does a chain link fence last compared with wood? Galvanized or vinyl-coated chain link on a well-set framework commonly outlasts a wood fence, because it does not rot. Wood life depends mostly on how the posts were set and how well the boards are kept up. ### Can I add privacy to a chain link fence later? Slats or screening can be added, but they turn an open fence into a wind-catching solid one, may need heavier posts, and are not allowed along streets in Johns Creek subdivisions. ### Which is easier to repair, chain link or wood? Both are repairable. Wood is fixed board by board or post by post. Chain link repairs focus on straightening the framework and re-tensioning the fabric from the end posts. Want this answered for your own yard? A site visit shows what the line, the slope and the rules mean for your fence. Call (678) 509-2926 ## More guides Decision Guide Wood vs vinyl fence: which is better in Georgia? Wood costs less to install and repairs easily; vinyl skips staining but cracks on impact and is not allowed everywhere nearby. The right answer depends on your lot. Decision Guide What is the best fence for dogs? The one built for how your dog escapes. Jumpers need height, diggers need a barrier below grade, and barkers do better behind a fence they cannot see through. Cost Guide How much does fence installation cost in Johns Creek? Typical Atlanta-area ranges per foot, what a Johns Creek permit adds, and the handful of things that move a fence price more than the material does. Decision Guide Board on board vs shadowbox fence: what's the difference? Board-on-board overlaps boards for full privacy; shadowbox alternates them for a look that is the same from both yards and lets air through. Decision Guide Aluminum vs steel fence: which should you choose? Aluminum for most yards, pools and slopes because it does not rust; steel where strength matters most, such as long driveway gates and security.