How to Make a Chain Link Fence Private: 8 Inexpensive Ways

Installing a chain-link fence lets your kids and pets play safely around the yard, but it doesn’t provide much privacy. Fortunately, there are plenty of inexpensive ways to cover a chain-link fence so you can water your petunias in your pajamas without the neighbors seeing. 

No matter what aesthetic your backyard has, there are tons of simple solutions to create a private, relaxing outdoor living space and regain your peace of mind. Below, we’ll introduce you to the six best chain-link privacy options along with printable, family-friendly activities to celebrate your newfound tranquility once you’re done.

1. Chain-Link Fence Slats

Chain-link fences have large openings, making it easy to slide slats down the fence to provide more privacy. Installation is relatively straightforward, albeit time-consuming.

Manufacturers typically construct the slats from aluminum or high-density polyethylene, meaning they’ll last up to several decades, and it's easy to replace any slats that get damaged. The material is also easy to paint, so you can customize the slats to match your home’s aesthetic. 

The cost of chain-link fence privacy slats is $3 to $10 per linear foot, not including the labor costs for installation. 

• Privacy coverage: Slats provide 75%–85% visual coverage.

• Durability: Slats can last decades if you invest in a quality brand.

• Cost: $$$

• Installation difficulty: Medium

2. Wire Mesh

While wire mesh isn’t the most attractive option, it provides privacy at a low price. Wire mesh is wind- and water-permeable, meaning it will likely last longer than other fence coverings if you live in an area with extreme weather.

A local privacy fence installation company can easily and quickly install wire mesh with brass grommets and zip ties at a budget-friendly price. Depending on the thickness of your mesh, it could provide 80% to 90% visibility coverage.

While this solution provides great privacy, it comes at the cost of an aesthetic that not many people love. For this reason, wire mesh is used less often for homes and more often for industrial sites or schools. 

• Privacy coverage: Wire mesh provides 85%–95% visual coverage.

• Durability: Wire mesh can last many years and is water- and wind-permeable.

• Cost: $

• Installation difficulty: Easy

3. Bamboo Screens

Bamboo screens are an efficient privacy solution with a natural aesthetic that could complement any outdoor butterfly garden. You’ll want to use a screen made from bamboo poles cut right on the node, which makes the entire screen more weather-resistant. When bamboo poles have exposed ends, they accumulate rain, causing them to deteriorate faster.

Installing a bamboo privacy screen is relatively easy using cable ties. Just loop the ties through your bamboo every foot or so from top to bottom. Once you’re finished, you can trim the excess from the cable ties for a cleaner look.

The biggest downside of bamboo screens is that they have a short life span since they come from organic materials. If your bamboo isn’t regularly maintained, it could turn brown and develop sizable cracks. 

• Privacy coverage: Bamboo screens provide 85%–95% visual coverage.

• Durability: Bamboo is susceptible to weather damage and wear and tear from a lack of maintenance.

• Cost: $$$

• Installation difficulty: Easy

4. Reed Screens

Reed screens are a lightweight and low-cost privacy option that can perfectly set the mood for a backyard beach retreat. While the screens themselves are highly susceptible to weather damage, they’re affordable enough to replace easily. 

You can use wire to fasten your screen to your fence in less than a couple of hours. Once you’ve installed it, the screen can provide 80% to 90% privacy. As they age, however, the screen’s reeds will begin to gray and fall out, exposing your space.

Reed screens are affordable and easy to find at housing centers. A 4-by-14-foot reed screen can range from $35 to $40.

• Privacy coverage: Reed screens provide 80%–90% visual coverage.

• Durability: Reed screens are very susceptible to damage from weather and aging.

• Cost: $

• Installation difficulty: Easy

5. Wooden Panels

Wooden fence panels are an attractive privacy option that can completely cover your yard and last for decades when properly installed and maintained. To further increase their durability, you can apply weather-resistant sealants to your panels.

A wood fence installation company near you can complete this project for you; it’s not an easy DIY. Installation requires two or more people and a variety of materials and tools. If you do opt to DIY wooden fence panels, you may need the following materials for installation: U-brackets or C-brackets, exterior wood screws, zip ties, carpentry nails, a drill, and a hammer. 

Keep in mind that your city might require a fence permit for wooden panels. Check with your HOA or city before beginning installation.

• Privacy coverage: Wooden fence panels provide 95%–100% visual coverage.

• Durability: One of the more durable options on our list, wooden panels can last up to two decades.

• Cost: $$$$

• Installation difficulty: Hard

6. Climbing Plants or Hedges

When talking about inexpensive ways to cover a chain-link fence, going all-natural is a really appealing option. For those with a green thumb, climbing plants or hedges can be a great way to add natural interest to your space while investing in some privacy. This option will require some plant know-how, like training the plant to climb your fence or making sure you don’t choose a plant (like ivy) that’s poisonous to people or pets. 

But don’t expect this to immediately turn into a 100% privacy solution. It could take years before the plant is fully grown and covers your entire fence or makes your fence taller.

If you want an immediate solution, you can install hedges instead. Privacy hedges are much more expensive, costing between $1,700 and $2,400 on average. You can do this yourself to save money or hire a local landscaping company to help. 

• Privacy coverage: Vines and hedges provide up to 100% visual coverage.

• Durability: Plants can last a long time with proper upkeep.

• Cost: $–$$$

• Installation difficulty: Medium

7. Artificial Greenery

If you like the look of climbing plants and hedges but feel that you’re lacking the green thumb—and time—to achieve it, then there’s an even more affordable route to take. Artificial greenery provides a faux-natural backdrop for your chain-link fence that can be unrolled in panels to span the width between each fence post for instant coverage. You also have your choice of plants, from ivy vines to ficus leaves, boxwood shrubs, or classic green hedges. There are even some with faux flowers included. 

Be aware that artificial greenery is made of vinyl materials that often fade in harsh sunlight. Your greenery may show wear and tear after only a couple of years of weather exposure. But given its easy installation and low price tag, replacing it shouldn’t be a hassle. 

• Privacy coverage: It’s customizable, and most artificial greenery can provide full coverage. 

• Durability: While the weather may affect its look, the strength and durability of this material make it a winner overall. 

• Cost: $

• Installation Difficulty: Easy 

8. Privacy Tape

Upgrade the seclusion and security of your chain-link fence with privacy tape. Much like fence slats, this tape is woven through the gaps in your fence, leaving no holes of visibility inside or out. Privacy tape comes with a brass snap on either end to fasten the edges with a clean, finished look. 

While this is surely an affordable, effective way to cover a chain-link fence, it doesn’t necessarily provide the visual attractiveness that wood, reeds, or bamboo does. The good news is, it’s totally DIY-friendly—pretty much anyone who’s the least bit handy can get it done. 

• Privacy coverage: 99%; there may be small gaps near the top edge. 

• Durability: Most privacy tape lasts for over a decade, thanks to its sun-resistant material. 

• Cost: $

• Installation Difficulty: Easy