Industrial Fence Installation: Security Chain Link Built for Heavy Use

An industrial fence has a simple brief and a hard life. It has to stay closed around a large site for years while trucks, forklifts, weather and the occasional intruder work against it. The difference between a fence that manages that and one that does not is in the framework and the footings, which nobody looks at once the fabric is up.

QC Fence Contractors installs industrial fence across the Charlotte metro, including the industrial corridors in Mecklenburg, Gaston, Cabarrus and York counties.

• Height: set by the security need and by what local zoning allows on the site.
• Fabric: wire gauge, mesh size and coating. Heavier wire and smaller mesh are harder to cut and climb.
• Line posts: diameter and wall thickness matched to the height and to wind load, especially if slats or screening will be added.
• Terminal posts: larger posts at every corner, end and gate, braced and trussed back to the next line post.
• Top: rail or tension wire, with barbed wire arms or razor wire where permitted.
• Bottom: tension wire or bottom rail, and how close the fabric sits to grade.
• Gates: cantilever sliding gates or double swing gates, sized for the largest vehicle.

1. 1. Perimeter walk or plan review. We measure the line, note grades, ditches and pavement, and confirm gate locations and widths.
2. 2. Written estimate. Framework sizes, fabric, toppings and gates are listed so the estimate can be checked against a specification.
3. 3. Stake and locate. The line is staked against the survey or site plan and buried utilities are marked.
4. 4. Set posts. Posts are set in concrete footings sized for the height. Corner, end and gate posts get larger footings.
5. 5. Frame. Rails, braces and truss rods go on. Framework is checked for line and plumb before fabric is hung.
6. 6. Stretch fabric. Chain link is stretched tight between terminal posts and tied off. Bottom tension wire or rail is secured.
7. 7. Toppings and gates. Barbed wire or coils are installed where specified. Gates are hung, rollers and latches adjusted, and stops set.

Graded industrial pads often end in a steep bank. A fence at the top of a fill slope needs deeper posts than one on level ground, and water running off the pad will find the fence line. Where the perimeter crosses a ditch or swale, the gap under the fence has to be closed in a way that still lets water through.

Wind matters more than most owners expect. Bare chain link lets wind pass. Add privacy slats or a windscreen and the same fence becomes a sail, so posts and footings have to be sized for it from the start. Decide on screening before the framework is ordered, not after.

Pavement is the other variable. Posts can be core-drilled into asphalt or concrete or set on base plates, and each method suits different loads. Gate tracks and operator pads need power and conduit in place before concrete is poured, which means coordinating with the electrician early.

Not all industrial fence is outdoors. We install chain link partitions and gated cages inside warehouses to separate high-value inventory, tool cribs or tenant space. Posts are anchored to the slab, panels run to the height you need, and swing or sliding gates are fitted for forklifts or foot traffic.