SmartFence vs Typical Fence Estimators
Most fence software is either a drawing tool for homeowners or a back-office tool for your staff. SmartFence is built to win the lead on your website.
Fence contractors usually choose between two kinds of software. Here's how SmartFence differs from both.
How homeowners build estimates on SmartFence client websites (approximate split)
Drawing or manual entry. Your customer chooses.
Most homeowner-facing fence estimators offer a drawing tool only. Contractor estimating software is built for your staff, not your website visitors.
On SmartFence client websites, roughly 4 in 10 homeowners choose to type in their measurements instead of drawing. Many already know their lengths, some already have a quote from another contractor and don't want to redraw the same lines, and others find the satellite view unclear because of trees or new construction. Offering only one method risks losing those leads.
Earn the Lead, Don't Demand It
Many fence estimators ask for a name, email and phone number before the homeowner sees anything. That's the moment many visitors leave. SmartFence lets homeowners explore and build their project first, and asks for contact details at the last step, just before they get their estimate.
Typical estimator
- Enter name, email and phone
- Enter address
- Draw the fence
- Select the fence type, style, height and add-ons
- Fence removal
- Wait for a call, a rough range or estimate
Asks for commitment before giving any value.
SmartFence
- Get guidance from the Fence Advisor and chatbot (optional)
- Choose a fence type, style and height
- Enter address
- Draw the fence or enter measurements
- Add-ons and fence removal
- Enter contact details
- See the instant estimate
Builds trust first. By the last step, homeowners have invested time in their project and want their price.
Why ask for contact details up front?
The idea behind asking first is simple: capture the homeowner's details before they can abandon, so you can follow up even if they never finish. In practice, it works against you:
- Many never get past the form. Visitors who aren't ready to share personal details leave before seeing anything, so you never get their details at all. In Baymard Institute's survey of 1,026 US adults, 18% had abandoned an online order because the site required them to create an account.1
- The lead is cold. Contact details with no fence type, measurements or budget give your team little to work with on the first call.
- It signals a sales call, not help. Asking for a phone number before offering any value tells the homeowner they're about to be sold to.
Why asking last works better
SmartFence's flow is built on well-researched principles of how people make decisions:
- Foot-in-the-door. People who agree to a small request are more likely to agree to a larger one. In Freedman and Fraser's classic study, 76% of residents who first agreed to a small safe-driving sign later accepted a large one, compared with 17% who were only asked the large request.2 Choosing a fence and entering measurements are the small steps; contact details are the larger one.
- The IKEA effect. People value things more when they've helped build them.3 A homeowner who has designed their own fence values the estimate and wants to see it.
- The goal-gradient effect. People push harder to finish as they get closer to a goal.4 Asking for contact details at the final step puts the request where motivation is highest.
- Baymard Institute, Current State of Checkout UX.
- Freedman, J. L. & Fraser, S. C. (1966). Compliance without pressure: The foot-in-the-door technique. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
- Norton, M. I., Mochon, D. & Ariely, D. (2012). The IKEA effect: When labor leads to love. Journal of Consumer Psychology.
- Kivetz, R., Urminsky, O. & Zheng, Y. (2006). The goal-gradient hypothesis resurrected. Journal of Marketing Research.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Based on our review of fence software websites as of October 2026. Individual products vary.
| Feature | SmartFence | Typical homeowner estimator software | Typical contractor estimating software |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer experience | |||
| Who uses it | Homeowners on your website, plus your team in the lead dashboard | Homeowners | Your office and sales staff |
| Draw fence on satellite view | Yes | Yes | Staff only |
| Manual measurement entry | Yes | Usually no | Staff only |
| Adjust drawn points and place gates | Yes | Varies | Staff only |
| Both drawing and manual entry for homeowners | Yes | Usually no | No |
| Fence Advisor app (guides buyers to the right fence type) | Yes | No | No |
| AI chatbot app (answers questions using your company's information) | Yes | No | No |
| When contact details are requested | Last step, after the homeowner builds their project | Often up front, before the homeowner sees anything | Not applicable |
| Instant price for the homeowner | Yes | Often a budget range | No, staff send a quote later |
| Website and tracking | |||
| Website integration | JavaScript embed that runs on your own pages | Usually a link (redirect) or iframe | Not on your website |
| Google Analytics 4 | Yes | Varies | Not applicable |
| Heatmaps | Yes | Usually no | Not applicable |
| Fence Advisor and chatbot reporting | Yes | No | No |
| Advisor and chatbot to estimator conversion tracking | Yes | No | No |
| Works with your own analytics, heatmap and ad-tracking tools | Yes, runs on your page so your tools see it directly | Limited by link or iframe setup | Not applicable |
| Your business | |||
| Lead dashboard and filtering | Yes | Yes | Yes, usually as a CRM |
| Pricing model | Flat monthly fee, unlimited users | Usually a flat monthly fee | Often tiered by number of users |
| Multiple fence brands under one login | Yes, US$50 / CA$69 per extra brand | Varies | Varies |
| Staff quoting and field measurement | Coming Winter/Spring 2027 | No | Yes |
| Lead data ownership | Your leads remain your property | Varies | Varies |
Comparing a specific product? See SmartFence vs mySalesman. Spot something out of date? Let us know.
Built Into Your Website, Not Bolted On
SmartFence installs with a JavaScript embed, so the Fence Advisor, chatbot and estimator run directly on your own pages. Tools that send visitors to another site, or load inside an iframe, keep part of the experience out of reach of your website and your marketing tools.
Works with the tools you already use
Other benefits of a JavaScript embed
Already Using Estimating Software? Keep It.
SmartFence isn't a replacement for your back-office tools. It handles the front end: educating homeowners, giving them an instant estimate, and qualifying the lead. Then it hands the lead to the estimating, CRM or job management tools your team already relies on.
Homeowner visits your site
The Fence Advisor and chatbot answer questions and recommend a fence type.
Instant estimate
They draw their fence or enter measurements and see a price right away.
Qualified lead
You get their budget, preferences, and conversation history, then send it to your other tools by CSV or API.