Choose fence estimating software by what you need help with: drawing and counting materials, qualifying website leads, or turning your measured scope into quotes and invoices. ArcSite, mySalesman, Joist, and Dave serve different parts of that workflow.
For a fence crew, a useful trial should catch a missing gate, distinguish removal from installation, and keep labor and markup understandable. A fast total isn't enough if you can't trace it to the layout and cost inputs.
This guide is written by the Dave team using vendor documentation checked November 1, 2026. It compares documented fit rather than claiming hands-on performance results. The sample job below is hypothetical.
Four fence estimating tools, compared by task
| Tool | Strong reason to consider it | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| ArcSite | Drawing-driven quantities and prices using your fence catalog | Post, gate, and hardware rules; proposal-plan requirements |
| mySalesman | Customers outline a project online and get a preliminary budget | Site verification, lead handoff, and any separate project-management add-on |
| Joist | Straightforward estimates and invoices for a solo contractor | Document limits and the plan needed for your workflow |
| Dave | Quotes, options, approvals, project records, and invoices for a small crew | Supply checked measurements; use a separate tool if you need automated fence drawings |
These are four useful candidates, not every fence product on the market. Commercial subcontractors bidding from civil plans should also test PDF scale, drawing revisions, specification review, and required bid breakdowns before choosing a residential sales workflow.
Compare the relevant plan price
| Tool | Published price or buying route | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| ArcSite | Monthly: Takeoff $119.99; Estimates $159.99 | Drawing-only plans aren't equivalent to the proposal tier; annual rates differ |
| mySalesman | Configure service and add-ons or request current pricing | Confirm the total for lead quoting plus any myWorkflow features |
| Joist | Displayed monthly prices: Basics $10; Pro $17 | Basics allows five documents/month; Pro lists unlimited documents |
| Dave | $99/month or $948/year, including two seats | Additional seats and payment processing add cost |
Prices were checked on the date above. Verify currency, taxes, billing commitment, and any promotional terms before purchasing.
Drawing software and a website estimator solve different problems
ArcSite documents a workflow where fence drawings generate quantities and apply the contractor's prices. That is useful when layout changes otherwise mean rebuilding a material list. Test your actual fence styles and gate hardware before relying on the catalog rules. ArcSite fence workflow
mySalesman's website workflow lets prospective customers find their property, outline the work, and receive a budget. Its purpose is to qualify an inquiry before the salesperson gets involved. It also offers myWorkflow for project management. Confirm the scope of the package you're buying. mySalesman overview
A homeowner's map sketch isn't a verified property boundary or a final construction layout. Confirm the actual site, access, grades, and agreed line before turning a preliminary budget into a fixed quote.
Joist and Dave are worth comparing when you already establish quantities elsewhere and mainly need useful customer documents. Dave adds a project workflow and AI estimate drafting from supplied scope and saved prices. It doesn't replace a checked fence takeoff.
Trial example: a 120-foot layout with one gate
Assume a measured straight alignment of 120 feet including a four-foot gate opening. That leaves 116 feet of fixed fence, plus one gate. The supplier has priced the complete selected assembly from an approved layout.
Use these invented USD inputs to test calculation and editing. They are not a local fence price or construction specification.
| Input | Basis | Direct cost |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-fence material package | Supplier allowance for 116 ft, including specified posts and setting materials | $2,900 |
| Gate package | One 4-ft gate, dedicated supports and hardware not in the first line | $450 |
| Installation labor | 48 person-hours × $55 | $2,640 |
| Existing fence removal and disposal | Allowance including removal labor | $600 |
| Equipment | Separate allowance | $250 |
| Delivery | Allowance | $160 |
| Total direct cost | Sum | $7,000 |
| Selling price with 30% markup | $7,000 × 1.30 | $9,100 |
Tax, permits, design, staining, utility relocation, and unexpected ground remediation are excluded. Verify any required work and add it before issuing a real quote. Removal labor is already included in its allowance; installation labor covers the new fence and gate.
The implied selling price is about $75.83 per foot of alignment, but don't reuse that as a universal rate. It contains a gate, removal, delivery, and job-specific allowances. A different length or gate count changes the result.
Four errors your trial should reveal
| Test | Correct behavior |
|---|---|
| Gate opening | Price 116 ft of fixed fence plus the gate, not 120 ft of fixed panels plus a gate |
| Posts and hardware | Check the layout and assembly rules, including shared, corner, end, and gate posts |
| Added labor | Eight extra person-hours add $440 cost and $572 selling price at 30% markup |
| Price revision | The revised customer total becomes $9,672 before tax, with the change visible |
Don't calculate post counts from total footage alone. Corners, individual run lengths, allowed spacing, gate details, and the selected system matter. Attach a layout that identifies which items belong to each material package so gate supports aren't counted twice.
For a simpler starting point, use the fence cost calculator with your own verified rates. The wood privacy fence quote playbook helps turn the scope into a customer document.
Follow the quote through approval and invoicing
After the takeoff test, add a separately priced finish option. Accept the base scope only and check that the unaccepted option stays out of the invoice. Then revise the gate and inspect how the product records approval of that change.
If your agreed payment schedule uses a 30% deposit on the example's $9,100 pre-tax price, that is $2,730, leaving $6,370 before tax or later changes. This is arithmetic for the trial, not advice on the deposit terms permitted for your contract. Check the applicable requirements for the actual job.
In Dave, client options and estimate-to-invoice conversion help keep accepted work together. Test the customer-facing document on a phone, including dimensions, material, height, finish, gates, cleanup, exclusions, and payment schedule. Those details matter more than whether the app calls the document a quote or an estimate.
Common questions
Can I estimate a fence from satellite imagery?
Imagery can help prepare a preliminary layout. Verify distances, boundaries, changes in grade, obstructions, and access on the actual project. A mapping tool can't confirm every condition that affects labor and construction.
Is a spreadsheet enough for fence estimating?
It can be for a manageable volume of familiar work. Keep separate lines for fence runs, gates, removal, labor, and extras. Consider dedicated software when repeated takeoffs, revisions, or copying accepted work into invoices consume too much time.
Does Dave automatically count fence posts from a drawing?
That isn't a verified Dave capability. Use a suitable takeoff method, supply the checked quantities, and use Dave to organize prices, options, approvals, and the subsequent job paperwork. For drawing-driven counting, trial a specialist such as ArcSite.