Here's the honest state of things: almost no estimating software is built for fence contractors. Most of what gets sold as fence estimating software is a general quoting app with a fence picture on the landing page. That's not a dealbreaker. A fence quote is linear feet, posts, gates and concrete, and you can build that into almost any tool once you set up your price list right. Below are the one fence-specific option we'd shortlist, the general tools that fence crews adapt, and the math that makes them work. For the rest of the systems a fence company runs on, see our guide to fence company estimating software.
What fence shops need from estimating software
A fence estimate is a linear-foot problem with a handful of exceptions. The exceptions are where the money goes. Gates cost far more per foot than fence. Corners and ends need heavier terminal posts. Slopes mean stepping or racking panels. Rocky ground means a rock auger and a slower day. And every job has a removal question: are you hauling off 140 feet of rotten stockade?
So the software needs four things. It needs per-foot pricing by fence style and height. It needs separate gate items with hardware (hinges, latch, drop rod for doubles). It needs extras you can add in two taps: removal and haul-off per foot, stepping on grade, permit handling, and a note that you'll call 811 for utility locates before digging. And it needs a deposit request, because you're ordering material before you set a post.
The material list is the part general tools skip. A fence-specific estimator calculates it. Everyone else needs a little math.
Here's how fence owners make Jobber, Joist or a spreadsheet behave like a fence estimator. Build one "assembly" per fence style, then price per foot from it.
Take a hypothetical 150-foot straight run of 6-foot wood privacy:
- Sections: 150 ÷ 8 ft spacing = 18.75, round up to 19 sections.
- Posts: 19 sections + 1 = 20 posts. Add one per corner and two per gate opening, upsized at gates.
- Rails: 3 rails per section for 6-foot privacy = 57 rails.
- Pickets: 150 ft × 12 in ÷ 5.5 in pickets = about 328, plus 5 to 10% for culls and cuts, call it 350.
- Concrete: your per-post number (say two 50-lb bags) × 20 posts = 40 bags.
- Labor: your crew's feet per day for this style, plus a set-up and clean-up charge.
Add material and labor, apply markup, divide by 150, and you have an installed price per foot for that style. Keep gates out of the per-foot number and quote them separately. Rebuild the assembly when supplier prices change, at least every quarter.
How the picks compare
FenceCloud is the only pick that does the assembly above for you. Everything else assumes you did it already. For a fence-only company quoting dozens of residential jobs a week, that automation can be worth the higher price. For a three-person crew that also does decks, Jobber plus a spreadsheet is cheaper and runs the whole day, not just the quote.
ArcSite is the odd one out: it replaces the clipboard sketch, and the drawing becomes your takeoff. Contractor Foreman is for fence companies bidding commercial work from plans. If none of these fit, our broader roundup of estimating software for contractors covers more general tools.
What to look for before you sign
- Separate gate items with their own hardware, not a per-foot fudge.
- Per-foot pricing by style and height, editable in seconds when prices move.
- Deposit collection on approval, since you buy material up front.
- A site sketch or photo attached to the quote, so the property line is on record.
- Supplier catalog updates (fence-specific tools): ask how often and which distributors.
- Line-item export, so your price list isn't trapped if you switch.
What it costs
As of October 2026, billed annually where that's cheaper. Count the people who estimate and run the office; installers often only need a field login, if anything.
| Shop size |
Joist |
Jobber |
Contractor Foreman |
FenceCloud / ArcSite |
| 1 user |
$14.17/mo (Pro) |
$29/mo (Core) |
$49/mo (Basic) |
See vendor site |
| 5 users |
Not published per user |
$149/mo (Connect) |
$166/mo (Plus) |
See vendor site |
| 15 users |
Not published per user |
$299/mo (Connect) |
$221/mo (Pro) |
See vendor site |
For most small residential fence crews, the realistic budget is $29 to $149 a month for quoting and scheduling, plus an evening building your per-foot assemblies. That evening is worth more than any feature on this page.
