Removing chain link fences has never been so easy
Whether you installed a chain link fence yourself, or it came with your house, it’s likely served its purpose of keeping children and pets in and furry creatures out. But now you’re ready to move on to greener pastures and remove it. In this guide, we’ll show you how to remove a chain link fence yourself and give you helpful tips to make this DIY project easier.
While chain link fences are an affordable way to solve your problems, here are a few reasons why you should remove them:
They can rust, which takes away from your home’s curb appeal.
Unless you cover a chain link fence, it doesn’t offer much privacy.
They can hurt your home’s resale value.
They don't allow you to add much of a personal touch.
They can’t sustain considerable damage, especially in areas with high winds, tornados, and hurricanes.
They have the shortest lifespan of all fence types.
While removing chain link fences is a straightforward DIY project, there are a few things you’ll need to do to prepare for your project. Below, we’ll cover how to prep.
When you start removing your fence, you want a clean work area free of weeds, vines, debris, etc., so you’ll need to remove any obstructions. You don’t want to pull weeds or plants with your bare hands if you’re unsure what type of plant it is, so use safety gloves to protect yourself. Also, if you have plants that you want to keep along your fence, you’ll need to protect them by covering them with a bucket.
An extra pair of hands can help you get the job down twice as fast. Also, picking up and carrying a metal fence (and its posts) is a physically taxing task, so ask a friend, family member, or neighbor to help lighten the load.
Whether you’re working alone or with someone else, you’ll need to mark your work areas. Because the more material you try to carry, the more it’ll weigh. We recommend you determine the best size and mark the distance using a measuring tape. However, on average, if you’re removing this fence yourself, it’s optimal to work in 20 feet increments.
Here’s a list of the tools you’ll need:
Safety gloves and goggles
Long sleeve shirt
Durable jeans
Wrench
Buckets
Fence pliers
Cable ties
Now that you’ve prepped the fence for removal and gathered the necessary tools, it’s time to take it apart piece by piece.
Begin taking down the fence at its corner posts. The chain link fabric attaches to these main fence supports via a long flat piece of metal called a tension bar, which is held to the post by several metal clamps.
A nut and a bolt hold each tension bolt to the post, so you’ll need to use a wrench to remove them. Have a bucket at the ready to hold the clamps, bolts, and nuts you remove. Pull the clamps off the fence post. The fence fabric will loosen but won’t fall on the ground.
With the clamps out of the way, you can now remove the tension bars by sliding them out of the chain links. Place them in the same bucket as the clamps.
How you remove the chain link fencing depends on how much open space you have around the fence and whether you have help or are going it alone. If you have an assistant to help you roll and move the fence fabric, you can remove the chain link fence cloth in 50-foot sections. If you’re working alone or have numerous obstacles to work around, such as trees and bushes, you’ll need to work in smaller, more manageable 20-foot sections.
Remember to mark each section with a piece of colored tape, so it’s clear what section you’re working on.
The fence ties are pieces of heavy gauge metal wire that hold each section of fence to the metal posts. Working in the first marked section, bend all the fence ties back using heavy-duty pliers to free the fabric from the post. Alternatively, you can also cut the ties. Whichever method you choose, be sure to collect the ties in a bucket to prevent these small, sharp pieces of metal from becoming a hazard in your yard.
Next, use your fence pliers to cut through the chain link fence at either end of the marked section you’re working on. If you come across a section where a tree or shrub you want to preserve is growing through the fence, cut around it using your fence pliers to remove the fencing fabric without damaging the plant.
Once you’ve finished cutting, you’ll be able to lay the section of chain link fabric on the ground, roll it up, and secure it with cable ties.
If there isn’t enough space to lay each section of fence flat in the yard, you’ll need to take a different approach. Free a few feet of fence fabric by removing ties, then roll up the freed section of fence vertically.
Secure the rolled up section of fence fabric to the top rail with a bungee cord to prevent it from unrolling, then free a few more feet of fence by removing ties. Roll the fence, then reattach the bungee cords to hold the roll in place. Cut the fence to remove the roll before it becomes too bulky to move, then begin with another section. Keep working your way around the fence until you’ve removed all the chain link fence fabric.
Now that you’ve removed the chain link fence and have it bundled up somewhere nice and cozy, it’s time to remove the top rail. It’s typically the horizontal metal bar with caps along its length; to remove it, simply slide it out.
Sometimes the top rail will be attached to the cap on the corner or end post. If there is a nut and bolt holding the cap to the rail, remove them and disconnect the rail. In some cases, the cap will be welded to the post or simply stuck in place. Attempt to knock it loose by positioning a block of scrap wood under the lip of the cap and tapping the block with a hammer.
If you’re unable to remove the cap, you’ll need to use a reciprocating saw fitted with a metal cutting blade, a hacksaw, or an angle grinder to lop the top of the post off.
Most chain link fence posts are cemented into the ground. There are different methods you can use for uprooting them from the ground, which we’ll discuss below.
While it may not be the easiest method, the most straightforward way of removing the metal posts is by digging them out. Start with the interior posts first. Corner posts are larger in diameter and therefore embedded in more concrete than interior posts, making them more difficult to remove. You’ll mount an assault on these posts later.
Begin by soaking the ground around the post to soften the soil and make digging easier. Use a shovel to dig up the ground around the post until you reach the bottom of the concrete plug. Rock it back and forth to loosen it until you can pick it up and out of the ground.
While you should be able to remove the interior posts by digging them out, corner posts and end posts present a much greater challenge because they have larger concrete bases. You can grit your teeth and attempt to dig out this type of post using the method above, or you can make the job easier by renting a farm jack or a pole puller to uproot it.
To use a pole puller or farm jack, first dig around the base of the pole to reveal the concrete footing. Next, wrap the puller’s chain around the concrete base. Attach the chain to the puller, then position it as close to the post base as you can to maximize leverage. Pull back on the lever repeatedly to jack the post out of the ground inch by inch until you can lift it out of the hole.
If the posts you’re attempting to remove are set in a small amount of concrete or no concrete at all, you may be able to use a simple garden hose to remove them. Use a pick ax to loosen up the ground around the post then flood the soil around the post using your garden hose. The key here is to get the ground around the post so saturated with water that it will soften enough to allow you to work the post free.
With the water running, begin wiggling the post back and forth as the water soaks the soil. Push the hose deeper into the ground as the dirt becomes mud to saturate the soil below the surface. Continue maneuvering the post back and forth until you can pull it free.
If you can’t remove the post from the ground, then you can cut it. Since this method leaves part of the pole sticking out of the ground, you should only use it as a last resort. Cutting metal presents a significant hazard to your eyes, so make sure to wear eye protection if you go this route.
Use a reciprocating saw with a metal cutting blade or an angle grinder to cut the pole as low as possible to the ground. If there is a layer of earth on top of the cement base, use a shovel to remove it so you can cut the post lower.
After you’ve lopped off the post, flatten the remaining jagged top using a sledgehammer, so it's less likely to cause injury should someone step on it. You can also cover the end of the pole with an object, such as a planter or a landscaping rock.
This step is optional, but after removing the posts, if they still have concrete, use a jackhammer to remove the large areas and a hammer and chisel for the areas closer to the post.
Here are a few tips to help make removing your chain link fence easier:
Allow yourself a few days to work on this job if doing it alone.
Use protective gear if you need to cut the posts.
Chain link fences are heavy, so take frequent breaks if needed.
Use multi-use lubricant on rusty hardware that won’t budge.
Removing a chain link fence is a simple DIY that most homeowners can do themselves as long as they have patience and know-how. But if you’re not familiar with using some tools required for removing the fence posts, aren’t comfortable or able to lift on the rolled-up fence, or have a unique situation with your fence that you’re unsure how to remove, we recommend hiring a pro.
Your pro knows how to use the equipment necessary to remove your fence, the most efficient method of removing your fence posts, and how to dispose of it. If letting the pros handle this job while you relax sounds appealing to you, contact your local chain link fencing contractor for more assistance.
While it’s possible to remove a fence post with a truck and requires little physical effort, we don’t recommend this method. You can potentially hurt others or yourself or damage your property or vehicle attempting to take a fence post out with a truck. Instead, use a farm jack or a pole puller to remove the post.
You can reuse chain link fences as long as they’re in good condition. The best part—reusing it helps you make the most of the cost of a chain link fence. Whether you want to reuse it or consider asking someone to remove it for you in exchange for a free fence, it’s possible. If you can’t find a location for it in your yard, you can repurpose a chain link fence by donating it to a local animal shelter or community garden.
You can dispose of a chain link fence in a handful of ways. One way to dispose of a chain link fence is to give it away to someone else. Some other options to get rid of your fence is to recycle it, scrap the metal, donate the fence to someone who needs it, or bring it to a local landfill. You may have to pay a fee to hand it over to a landfill; check with the establishment first to check on fee costs.
