In fact, some communities even ban chain link fences in incorporated, residential areas.

Covering your chain link fence also helpsprotect it from the elementsto make it last longer over time.

Options range from traditional chain link fence slats and mesh to bamboo, reed, and wood fence panels.

Front view of a chain link fence covered with privacy tape and plants

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Here, discover inexpensive ways to cover a chain link fence to upgrade your space and offer some privacy.

Individual slats slide in easily from the top and stay in place without means of attachment.

This is one of the most neutral options, so it can blend with any yard.

Chain link fence slats

The Spruce / Jacob Fox

The slats offer 75 to 80 percent visual blockage for privacy.

Ten linear feet of chain link slats at 6 feet high cost around $90 to $110.

The bamboo fencing is constructed from attached poles ranging in thickness from 3/4-inch to 2 inches.

Bamboo fence screen over a chain link fence

The Spruce / Jacob Fox

Bamboo is durable but it is organic and can deteriorate over the years.

This fencing can offer 85 percent coverage for privacy.

The nodes act as natural weather-resistant caps.

Wood panels secured against a chain link fence

The Spruce / Jacob Fox

Since these panels are been pre-constructed in a factory, there is no need to individually nail up boards.

When wood panels touch the ground, water wicks up through the wood.

Durability is usually excellent.

Reed screen over a chain link fence

The Spruce / Jacob Fox

Privacy coverage is high (about 90 percent).

It is not inexpensive.

A single wood fence panel 6 feet high and 8 feet long costs between $145 and $160.

Mesh wind screen on a chain link fence

The Spruce / Jacob Fox

These rolls are easy to carry and transport back from the home improvement store.

Reed screens are usually installed vertically and stay attractive for about two years before needing replacement.

These thin reeds feel beachy and tropical, so they are ideal for a coastal yard.

Faux ivy vine covering a chain link fence

The Spruce / Jacob Fox

Reed screens offer about 85 percent privacy when new.

As the screen falls apart, privacy drops as well.

A roll of 6-foot by 16-foot reed screen costs about $28 to $35.

Privacy tape on a chain link fence

The Spruce / Jacob Fox

But a mesh privacy screen is designed specifically for fences.

However it’s woven, so it will eventually wear.

Privacy ranges from 80 to 96 percent, depending on how much you are willing to spend.

Mesh screening is a low-cost solution.

But costs vary greatly per size of screen, manufacturer, or seller.

Screens with 96 percent blockage may cost about 50 percent more.

It can instantly camouflage the chain link fence but weather will affect the aesthetics of the material over time.

It offers just about full coverage.

Regardless of if you choose real or faux vines, they will give your yard a secret garden feel.

The tape is typically made of low-density polyethylene treated with color and UV inhibitors.

But it’s labor-intensive to install, especially on large expanses of fencing.

Tape usually comes in a variety of colors and it attaches with fasteners.

Diagonal weaving with tape offers more privacy coverage (about 90 percent) than vertical slats.

The main focus of this option is getting maximum privacy, not aesthetics.

But the overall style is simple and likely won’t clash with your landscape design.

It just depends on how much work, maintenance, and money you want to put into the project.

For the least expensive route, choose tape, mesh, or even rolled bamboo.

For the more expensive way to achieve full coverage that’s attractive, go with wooden fence panels.

you might also plant shrubs and other greenery to obstruct their views.

Keeping a chain like fence and adding privacy is an easier and much less expensive option than replacing it.

There are even some privacy coverings that mimic the look of a wooden fence.