By Gene and Katie Hamilton

While it doesn’t have the style of other fences, a chain link fence is a reliable and sturdy enclosure that requires little in the way of care and maintenance. It is built as a system of metal posts and rails that fit together, with mesh stretched across its frame. If after several years the fence needs a facelift, a simple coat of paint will see it through many more maintenance-free years.

A painting contractor will charge $199 to prime and paint 150 square feet of fence (e.g., a 3-foot high fence 50 feet in length). That includes labor and material. You can do the job for $55, the cost of materials, and save 72 percent, a nice saving for a day’s work. Even a do-it-yourselfer wannabe can get this job right because the tools and paint are inexpensive, and you can learn the skills and technique on the job.

The project involves removing any rust or dirt with a wire brush and then priming all the sides and surfaces. Then use a brush to paint the fence posts, hardware and horizontal supports and a paint roller with a 1 1/2-inch nap for the chain mesh. Before you begin, it’s a good idea to mow the lawn and cut back plants that border the fence so you can lay down the drop cloth and protect the area from paint splatter. Use wide masking tape to protect any other surfaces near the fence.

If you don't have the time or desire to paint, you can find a painting contractor who has the skills and tools to do it right. Click here to get to Home Advisor and it will open in a new tab and you’ll have to answer some basic questions about your job followed by contractors in your area to do the job.

Watch this video from the Dirt Doctor about How to Make a Chain Link Fence Look Good.

Wrapping up, given the average cost to paint a chain link fence you can compare the price of a contractor’s bid with doing it yourself. For a local cost input your ZIP Code.

Improvement and Repair Cost Updated 2019

The cost and time data is generated by averaging labor and material data from annually updated cost books used by contractors and refined by the authors' experience remodeling 13 houses. They are authors of 20 home improvement books and Do It Yourself or Not, a weekly column syndicated by Tribune Content Agency. The national cost can be adjusted by ZIP Code.