Most fence shops looking at software ask the same question two different ways. Is it worth $180 a month? and How fast does it pay for itself? They're the same question. This article gives you the math — by crew size, by quotes-per-month, and by what you're using today — plus an interactive calculator so you can plug in your own numbers.
The payback equation, in one sentence
You save money the month FenceTracer costs less than (a) your current software bill plus (b) the time your team currently spends quoting.
That's it. No mystery. The interesting question is whether (a) alone covers it, or whether you need (b) in the mix.
Run the math for your shop
ROI calculator
Your savings with FenceTracerAll figures in CAD. Numbers update as you type, adjust to match your shop.The calculator above is live — change any input and the savings update instantly. The numbers persist in your browser, so you can adjust over a few days as you nail down what your real time-per-quote and crew size look like.
Where the savings come from
1. Software cost (the obvious one)
If you're on a per-user tool, FenceTracer's flat $180 CAD/month wins the moment your crew passes the breakeven point. Rough numbers from typical mid-tier per-user pricing:
| Current tool | Breakeven crew size |
|---|---|
| JobNimbus (~$40/user/mo) | 5 users |
| ArcSite (~$99/user/mo) | 2 users |
| ServiceTitan flat (~$300/mo) | Any size — FT is cheaper from day 1 |
| Buildertrend flat (~$399/mo) | Any size — FT is cheaper from day 1 |
| Spreadsheet ($0) | Never on software alone — see #2 |
If you're on flat-priced software like ServiceTitan or Buildertrend that's already more expensive than FenceTracer, the software-cost savings start the day you switch. The decision is purely about feature fit.
2. Time saved per quote (the bigger one)
This is where the math usually decides it.
Most fence contractors spend 30–60 minutes per quote when you count site measurement → spreadsheet → cleanup → email. FenceTracer customers report 8–12 minutes per quote once they're past the first few jobs: draw the run, pick the style, the catalogue prices it, the tax applies, send.
That delta — call it 30 minutes saved per quote — adds up fast:
20 quotes/month × 30 min saved = 10 hours/month
10 hours × $50/hr loaded cost = $500/month in time value
For a shop doing 20 quotes a month, the time savings alone are ~2.8× the software cost. The software bill is almost a rounding error against the time you get back.
3. Quotes you don't lose
Harder to quantify, but every fence contractor has the same story: a hot lead came in, the estimator was buried, the quote went out three days late, the customer signed with someone else.
A faster quoting workflow doesn't just save time — it closes more deals. We don't put a number on this in the calculator (you shouldn't trust software that does), but if a faster turnaround wins you one extra $4,000 fence job per quarter, that's another $1,300/month in revenue the calculator isn't showing you.
Payback by shop profile
A few realistic profiles to anchor the math:
| Feature | FenceTracer | Estimated monthly savings |
|---|---|---|
| Solo operator, on spreadsheets, 8 quotes/mo | +$120 (time only) | — |
| 3-person crew on JobNimbus, 15 quotes/mo | +$315 (software + time) | — |
| 5-person crew on spreadsheets, 25 quotes/mo | +$445 (time only) | — |
| 7-person crew on ArcSite, 30 quotes/mo | +$1,000+ (software + time) | — |
| 10-person crew on Buildertrend, 40 quotes/mo | +$1,200+ (software + time) | — |
The two profiles that benefit least are: (1) a one-person shop quoting fewer than 5 jobs a month on spreadsheets, and (2) a 1–2 person shop on the cheapest tier of a per-user tool. Everyone else clears the $180 bar comfortably.
What the calculator doesn't include
To keep the numbers defensible, the calculator above only counts what we can stand behind:
- Software cost differential (your current bill − $180)
- Time saved per quote × your hourly cost
It does not include:
- Faster cash collection (digital quotes accepted same-day vs PDFs that sit for a week)
- Fewer pricing errors (catalogue-driven vs free-text spreadsheets)
- Fewer tax mistakes on cross-border quotes
- Better close rate from a more professional-looking quote
If you want a more aggressive estimate, add 10–20% to the calculated annual savings to roughly account for these.
FenceTracer
Run the math on a real month
The trial is 30 days, no credit card. Quote a full month of jobs in FenceTracer — you'll know if the payback math holds for your shop before you ever pay.FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is fence software worth $180/month for a small shop?
For a 1-person shop doing fewer than 5 quotes a month, probably not — the time savings won't clear $180. For anyone doing 10+ quotes a month, or any shop with 4+ users, the math is almost always positive once you count time saved on quoting. Run the calculator above with your real numbers to be sure.
What's the typical payback period?
For shops with a crew of 4+ on a per-user tool, payback is immediate — the software cost differential alone covers FenceTracer in month 1. For solo operators on spreadsheets, payback usually shows up in month 2–3 once you're quoting faster and start winning back lost evenings.
How do you know FenceTracer takes only 10 minutes per quote?
That number comes from observed customer behavior on quotes built end-to-end in FenceTracer — drawing the run, picking a style preset, applying the catalogue, generating the PDF. First few quotes take longer (you're learning the tool); by week 2 most contractors are at 8–12 minutes per quote.
Does the calculator account for setup time?
No. FenceTracer typically takes 1–4 hours to set up if you have a price list ready (the Toronto 2025 catalogue is pre-loaded if you don't). That's a one-time cost, not monthly. Even at $50/hr × 4 hours = $200 one-time, it's recovered inside the first month of savings for any shop the calculator shows a positive number for.
Is the $180/month CAD or USD?
CAD. FenceTracer is built for Canadian fence contractors — pricing is in CAD, taxes are HST/GST/QST aware, the catalogue is priced in Canadian dollars.
