If you’re like a lot of people who order cable ties from me, you probably don’t think of them as fence material first. Most of the time they’re for bundling loose wires, securing a tarp, or tidying up a toolbox. But last spring, I had a customer reach out to me from a small farm an hour outside the city. His goats kept escaping, and the cheap wire fence he’d thrown up wasn’t holding them. He didn’t have time to run to the hardware store for proper fencing supplies, and the local shop was out of roll fencing anyway. What he did have was a roll of heavy-duty cable ties, and a few extra metal stakes laying around. By the end of our chat, he had a makeshift fence up that worked for three months—long enough to wait for the proper supplies to arrive. That moment made me realize cable ties are way more versatile than most folks give them credit for, especially for quick, emergency fencing jobs. Today I’m going to walk you through exactly how to turn cable ties into a solid temporary fence, from picking the right ties to small tweaks that make a big difference. Cable Tie
First, let’s get the basics right. Not all cable ties are created equal, and if you grab the wrong ones, your fence won’t last a week. I tell every customer who asks about this to start with size and strength. For a standard makeshift fence that needs to hold small animals like goats, chickens, or even a few dogs, you want ties that are at least 12 inches long and have a tensile strength of 50 pounds or more. The wider the strap, the stiffer it is, too—so a 1/4-inch-wide tie will hold tighter than a 1/8-inch one, even if they’re the same length. If you’re building a fence for larger animals, like pigs or sheep, go for 18-inch ties with 80+ pounds of strength. Avoid the thin, light-duty plastic ties you use for produce at the grocery store; those will snap the second a curious goat butts against them. Also, pay attention to the material. Most of our cable ties are made of UV-stabilized nylon, which means they won’t turn brittle or crack when left in direct sunlight for weeks. If you’re planning to take the fence down after a few days (like for a backyard party to keep kids and dogs away from a garden bed), non-UV ties will work fine, but for anything longer than a month, splurge on the UV-stabilized ones. It’s worth the extra 10 cents per tie to not redoing the whole fence a week later.
Next, you need a frame. Cable ties don’t stand on their own—you need something to attach them to. The good news is you don’t need fancy posts. For temporary fencing, wooden stakes work great; just drive them 12 to 18 inches into the ground, spacing them 4 to 6 feet apart. If you’re on concrete or pavement (like blocking off a section of a patio for a construction project), you can use heavy-duty plastic stakes, or even clamp the ties directly to existing railings, fence posts, or furniture legs. If you don’t have stakes at all, some of our customers have used five-gallon buckets filled with concrete, or even stacked cinder blocks, as anchor points. Just make sure whatever you use is heavy enough that it won’t tip over or get pulled away by the animals you’re containing.
Now the actual building process, step by step. First, lay out your perimeter. Mark where each post will go, making sure the line is straight—you can use a string or a garden hose to outline the area first, so you don’t end up with a lopsided fence that’s easy to escape over. Once your posts are in place, start with the bottom rail. This is the most important part for keeping small animals in; a gap at ground level is a ticket out for chickens, and a weak bottom rail will sag. Take a length of wire, a thin wooden dowel, or even a extra bundle of our cable ties laid flat, and run it along the base of the posts, about 2 inches off the ground. This is your backbone. Now, take your cable ties, and loop them around the backbone and each post, fastening them every 6 to 8 inches. Here’s a pro tip from that farm customer I told you about: don’t just pull the tie tight. Pull it until the strap is snug, then give it one extra hard tug. That takes up all the slack in the plastic, so the fence won’t flop around in the wind. Cut off the excess tail of the tie with a pair of wire cutters or heavy scissors—this keeps the fence looking neat, and also prevents the tie from catching on clothing or animal fur and pulling loose.
After the bottom rail, move to the middle and top rails. For a standard fence, you’ll want three rails total: bottom (2 inches off the ground), middle (3 feet up), and top (6 feet up, if you’re containing large animals). The middle rail keeps the fence rigid, and the top rail makes it harder for animals to jump over. Attach each rail the same way as the bottom one: run a length of your backbone material along the post, then fasten cable ties every 6 to 8 inches. If you don’t have a solid backbone, you can also string a line of cable ties directly between posts, attaching each tie through the next one. That works, but it’s a little more labor-intensive, and the fence won’t be as sturdy. Another trick: if you’re worried about the ties stretching over time, use double ties at stress points. Where two posts meet, or where a post is leaning, add two cable ties instead of one to hold that section extra tight. I once had a customer build a fence around his garden to keep deer out, and he added double ties every other post. That fence lasted all summer, even through a few heavy rainstorms.
Wait, what about gaps? If you’re using a thin backbone, there might be gaps between the ties that small animals can squeeze through. To fix that, you can use smaller cable ties to attach extra straps between the main ones. Or, if you’re using our longer 18-inch ties, you can wrap a single tie all the way around the fence, weaving it between the bottom, middle, and top rails, to fill in the gaps. That’s a simple fix, and it doesn’t require any extra materials. Just make sure you’re not leaving gaps bigger than 3 inches—most small animals, like rabbits or chicks, can squeeze through a gap that big, so keep that in mind when you’re spacing your ties.
Now, let’s talk about testing the fence. Once you’re done building, give it a good shake. Grab the middle rail and push it as hard as you can—if it wiggles more than an inch, you need to add more ties. If the posts move, drive them deeper into the ground, or add weight to the base (like a rock or a bag of soil) to keep them steady. For animal containment, do a quick test by leaning against the fence a few times, or even giving it a light kick. If it holds, it’s ready to go. If not, go back and reinforce the weak spots. That farm customer I mentioned? He tested his fence by herding his goats toward it—they bumped it a few times, and it didn’t give at all. He told me later he was shocked at how well it worked, and he used it until the permanent electric fence he ordered arrived two months after.
There are a few common mistakes people make with makeshift cable tie fences, and I want to make sure you avoid them. The first is using too small of ties. Like I said earlier, the thin, light-duty ties will snap under pressure. I’ve had customers send me photos of fences that fell apart because they used produce ties—don’t do that. Another mistake is spacing posts too far apart. If you put posts 8 feet apart, the fence will sag between them, and animals can get through the gaps. Stick to 4 to 6 feet between posts for the most stability. And finally, don’t forget to check the ties regularly. Even the best UV-stabilized ties will fade over time, especially if they’re in direct sunlight. Every couple of weeks, walk along the fence and pull each tie tight again—this removes any slack that might have developed, and keeps the fence sturdy.
One last thing to mention: temporary vs. permanent. A cable tie fence isn’t meant to be a long-term replacement for a proper metal or wooden fence. It’s for when you need a quick fix—maybe you’re fixing a broken section of fence, or you’re hosting an event and need to section off a yard, or a goat got loose and you need to contain it while you wait for supplies. That said, if you use heavy-duty, UV-stabilized ties and build it right, it can last for months, as long as you check it occasionally. I’ve had a few customers use their cable tie fences as semi-permanent fencing for small areas, like a chicken coop run, and they’ve held up for over a year. It all comes down to how you build it, and what you’re using it for.
If you’re thinking about building a makeshift fence, you’ll want to make sure you have the right supplies. We carry a full range of cable ties, from 8-inch light-duty ones for small jobs to 24-inch heavy-duty ones for larger animals. If you’re not sure which size is right for your project, feel free to reach out to our team—we can help you pick the right ties for your needs. Whether you’re a farmer in need of a quick fix, a homeowner trying to keep dogs out of the flower beds, or a contractor needing to block off a worksite, we’ve got the cable ties to get the job done. We’re always here to answer questions, or help you order the right quantity for your project—no matter how big or small.
When you’re ready to order, just get in touch with us to discuss your requirements, and we’ll be happy to provide you with the right products and any guidance you need. Don’t let not having the right fence supplies slow you down—cable ties are a simple, reliable solution for any temporary fencing job.
Military Wire References:
- “Cable Tie Applications: Versatile Uses Beyond Cable Management,” Industrial Nylon Fasteners Association, 2022.
- “Temporary Fencing Solutions for Agricultural Settings,” USDA Agricultural Extension Service, 2021.
- “UV Resistance in Nylon Fasteners: Performance Under Outdoor Conditions,” Plastic Industry Association, 2020.
3F Electronics Industry Corp., Ltd.
3F Electronics Industry Corp., Ltd. is well-known as one of the leading cable tie manufacturers and suppliers in China. Please feel free to buy or wholesale high quality cable tie in stock here from our factory. Contact us for quotation.
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