Clipping 4-Foot Welded Wire to Studded T-Posts with a Clip Tool: Four Clips per Post, Top Wire 1 Inch Below the Cap, and 48 Clips for a 100-Foot Run

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Clip the top wire, the bottom wire, and two wires about 15 inches apart between them, 4 clips per post. Keep the top wire at least 1 inch below the post top, and plan 48 clips for 11 posts on a 100-foot run.

How many clips does each T-post need to hold welded wire fence?

Four clips per post on a 48-inch fence: the top wire, the bottom wire, and two between them. NRCS specs say wire attaches to steel posts with manufacturer clips or two turns of 14-gauge galvanized wire, and the top wire sits at least 1 inch below the post top.

The USDA NRCS Wisconsin fence construction specification says wire is attached to steel posts with manufacturer's clips or two turns of 14-gauge galvanized wire, and that the top wire is at least 1 inch below the top of a steel post.

The USDA NRCS Ohio woven wire specification calls for studded steel line posts weighing at least 1.25 pounds per foot, set 21 inches below ground, and fastening the top, bottom, and every other horizontal wire.

Post and Clip Math for a 48-Inch Fence

Item Value How it is figured
Post length 72 in. (6 ft.) NRCS minimum for steel line posts
Post in ground 21 in. NRCS Ohio
Post above ground 51 in. 72 in. minus 21 in.
Top wire height 48 in. 3 in. below the post top, 1 in. minimum
Clips per post 4 Top, bottom, and 2 between
Clips for 100 ft. at 10-ft. spacing 44 11 posts x 4 clips

Materials and Tools

  • T-post clip tool for closing each clip
  • About 48 galvanized T-post clips, which is 44 plus 4 spares
  • Eleven studded T-posts, 6 feet long, already driven
  • 48-inch welded wire fence and a spool of 14-gauge galvanized wire for corners
  • Gloves, safety glasses, and a tape measure

Clipping Steps

  1. Check the posts. Confirm each post is driven 21 inches or more and the studs face the same way.
  2. Unroll the wire. Stand it against the posts on the side facing the animals you want to keep out.
  3. Mark heights. Mark the post at 48, 32, 17, and 2 inches above the ground.
  4. Set the first clip. Hook it at the top wire, 3 inches below the post top.
  5. Close it. Use the clip tool to wrap the clip tight around the wire and post.
  6. Add the bottom clip. Clip the lowest wire near the 2-inch mark.
  7. Add the two middle clips. Place them on the wires nearest 32 and 17 inches.
  8. Check the pull. Tug the wire at each clip and re-close any that slide.
  9. Corner with wire. Wrap two turns of 14-gauge wire at corners and gates.

A 100-foot run takes 44 clips on straight line posts, and the spares cover dropped clips.

Clip Problems

  • Clips closed over two wires bend the wire and weaken the fence
  • Clips only at the top leave the lower wires free to bow
  • Loose clips let wire creep and the fence bellies out
  • Bare steel clips rust before galvanized ones do

Spacing for deer fences is covered in setting an 8-foot T-post deer fence around a vegetable garden. Posts for this build go in as in driving 6-foot and 8-foot T-posts in clay and rocky soil. The hardware cloth mesh size and gauge guide explains which mesh to clip along the bottom.

Light mesh uses ties instead of clips, as in attaching hardware cloth to metal T-posts and pipe frames.

FAQ

Can I use zip ties?

Sunlight breaks plastic ties, so galvanized clips last longer.

Do I clip every wire?

No. NRCS fastens the top, bottom, and every other wire, and four clips is a light-duty garden version. For deer or livestock pressure, follow the every-other-wire rule.

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