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A lot depends on the age of the neighborhood and what community standards are. In the suburbs of Baltimore I grew up in and knew back in the late 50s and early 60s chainlink was common in parts of town where there were row houses and duplexes. there were no HOAs. In the newer suburbs with single family homes there were HOAs and most specified 'no fence in front of the building line' Later they started specifying the type of fence.
Some of those chainlink fences have survived several generations of home owners. That was when the fence was heavy gauge steel and the posts were heavier gauge and set solidly in concrete. With one of the largest steel mills in the world providing jobs for a large portion of the population, the consumers knew what they were buying and would not accept second rate product.
But 'upwardly mobile' people started thinking chain link reminded them of the 'working class' neighborhoods many grew up in and happily accepted the new subdivisions rules about no frontyard fences and no chainlink in spite of the fact it kept kids, dogs, and toys (especially soccer balls) in and required little if any maintenance.
I grew up in the exact same suburbs! Every row house in our neighborhood had a chain link fenced back yard and all the row houses were built in the 50's and 60's. Ours was built in 1954 and was my parents first new house. The neighborhood I live in now was also built mostly in the 50's with some 60's and even a 1970's house or two. A couple of the original houses have chain link fences, which don't distract at all from the looks of the area. TBH, I didn't even notice them when I was scoping out the house I now own. There are more fences in the back and most of those people have dogs. I don't have any fence, and that's fine as well. I like for people to look at all my flower beds in the front lawn instead!
In the nearest city to me I see chain link fence, picket fences, short brick walls, that run along the sidewalks. On the other side of the sidewalk is a strip of lawn between the sidewalk and street. Some have trees planted in that strip. A few people have left grass, but I notice that many have put down river rock. Others have made raised beds. Most of the homes in the area are well maintained. There is a big park nearby. I meet friends there. We walk in the park and around the neighborhood. I can only guess that the home owners are trying to keep their yards nice, fencing or creating a barrier around their property, keeping people on the pavement where they belong.
Of course, there are other neighborhoods that do not have as many barriers from pedestrians around their yards. Newer developments with postage stamp yards, for example. Maybe yard size plays a factor? Or how much people invest in landscaping? HOAs are not popular around here.
Where I live we are are not permitted to have any type of fence in the front yard. I have a chain link fence in my backyard; it was there when I bought the house. If it ever has to be replaced I will replace it with another chain link fence so my dogs can enjoy looking at what's going on around them instead of only seeing a fence that they can't see through. (They don't bark BTW).
A neighbor recently installed some ugly, white, metal fence around his back & side yard (he's on a corner lot) and they have a large dog who starts barking the minute he hears anybody walking down the street. It must be frustrating for the poor dog not to be able to see what is happening.
But 'upwardly mobile' people started thinking chain link reminded them of the 'working class' neighborhoods many grew up in and happily accepted the new subdivisions rules about no frontyard fences and no chainlink in spite of the fact it kept kids, dogs, and toys (especially soccer balls) in and required little if any maintenance.
We had one woman here who started to cry when speaking about how much she hated chain link at a meeting.
It ended up being zoned out of future approvals. The recommended replacement is that shiny vinyl clad picket fence.
Meanwhile, whenever we get a nasty storm surge all those pickets become waterborne missiles while the former chain link held firm and protected the houses by holding back debris.
But, then again, we're a waterfront town where boats were once banned and which still has people advocating the reinstatement of that.
Costs are not significantly different. Some wooden fences are cheaper than metal fences.
Chain link fencing costs between $5 and $20 per foot for materials and $10 to $20 per linear foot for installation. Homeowners typically pay $2,118 on average.
Homeowners pay an average of $2,866 to install a wood fence, or a range between $1,674 and $4,078. Lumber averages from $7 to $15 per foot while labor ranges from $10 to $30 per foot.
Straight up google answer there with no context.
The reality is the chain link is about $2 a linear foot (typical 4’ tall fence) with the posts that you set every 8’ under $10 apiece. Cement per post is literally pennies. I had to fence my cabin yard for my dog and used chainlink as a quick fix, and have been in the process of replacing it with 6’ & 8’ dog-eared boards.
$20 a foot must be for an industrial grade 10’ tall fence with razor wire? I’d love to know where it’s $20 a foot for installation on top of material cost? I’ll start a fencing business there tomorrow.
I’d also love to know how “some wooden fences are cheaper than metal fences”? Unless you’re using pallets gathered from behind stores, wood will always be more expensive.
We had one woman here who started to cry when speaking about how much she hated chain link at a meeting.
It ended up being zoned out of future approvals. The recommended replacement is that shiny vinyl clad picket fence.
Meanwhile, whenever we get a nasty storm surge all those pickets become waterborne missiles while the former chain link held firm and protected the houses by holding back debris.
But, then again, we're a waterfront town where boats were once banned and which still has people advocating the reinstatement of that.
LOL
Neighbors. Can't live with 'em. Can't live without 'em.
There are people who have no care for aesthetics, who will go for the cheapest possible option to fix their problem, unless they are prevented by an HOA or other restrictions.
I’ve never seen a chain link fence that wasn’t ugly, unless it’s completely covered with vines or bushes.
Same thing as anyone who puts bars or grates on their windows. What if there was a fire?
There are people who have no care for aesthetics, who will go for the cheapest possible option to fix their problem, unless they are prevented by an HOA or other restrictions.
I’ve never seen a chain link fence that wasn’t ugly, unless it’s completely covered with vines or bushes.
Same thing as anyone who puts bars or grates on their windows. What if there was a fire?
Window bars are required by code to have releases.
The chain link everyone complains about is the shiny silver type (especially after it's painted). The newer clad versions tend to blend into the background on older lots with mature or nearly mature plantings. They do stand out on the typical suburban clear cut, mono-culture, tastefully planted with stunted and undersized plants.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Here there are no front fences at all, but we have very little crime, mostly mail theft. Some neighborhoods are subject to frequent property crime so fences are a security measure. When one owner puts up a fence, many others follow, because they don't want to be the easy pickings house. My grandparents lived in an area with high crime in another state and finally moved in the 1980s, since then I noticed that nearly every house has put in iron fences. For me, secure, gated front yard fencing is a sign that I don't want to live there.
This is my grandparents' old neighborhood:
.....The reality is the chain link is about $2 a linear foot (typical 4’ tall fence) with the posts that you set every 8’ under $10 apiece. Cement per post is literally pennies. I had to fence my cabin yard for my dog and used chainlink as a quick fix,...........
When was that? 1980?
Cement is not pennies,. A bag of cement, one full bag required per post, is a couple of dollars. A quick google shows a 60 pound bag of cement is closer to $4.00. The fence installers do not work cheap. They want to be paid for their hard work.
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