“Sounds great, let’s do it.” You pencil them in for the second week of next month. Then nothing. No call back, no texts answered, and you turned down two jobs for that slot. If you don’t collect a fence deposit when they say yes, a yes is just a maybe.

This post is about one habit: take the signature and the deposit in the same moment, while the homeowner is still excited. It’s for small residential fence shops (solo to small crew).

Why verbal yeses ghost

It isn’t personal. A homeowner says yes on the phone, then their spouse wants another quote, or the tax refund goes to the car, or a cheaper shop calls back. Nothing they’ve done costs them anything to walk away. Meanwhile you’re holding a crew day for them.

A signed quote and a deposit change that. They’ve made a commitment, and you’ve got the money to order material.

When to ask for the fence deposit

Right when they agree to the number. Not at the end of the week, and not after you “send over paperwork.” Every hour between yes and deposit is an hour for something else to come up.

That’s hard when the deposit means mailing a check, reading a card number over the phone, or meeting them on site. So make it one tap.

Sign, then take the fence deposit on one link

In FenceAI.app the homeowner gets a phone-friendly share link with the quote. Your logo, your warranty line, your total. They sign on that link. They can pay the deposit on that same link, right after signing, once you connect your own Stripe, PayPal, or Square.

A few honest details:

• It’s your processor. Payments go through the Stripe, PayPal, or Square account you connect. Written setup guides are at fenceai.app/access/.
• You set the percentage. The default is 50%, and you can set something like 60% if that’s what you run.
• Until you connect one, signing still works. You collect the deposit the way you do now.
• You get told. An email alert when a quote comes in. Text alerts: Crew only, coming soon.

What to put in your deposit terms

Spell it out on the quote:

1. The percentage and the dollar amount.
2. What it holds: material order and a spot on the install calendar.
3. When the balance is due, usually on completion.
4. Your refund or cancellation policy, in plain words.

Clear terms protect both sides. If a homeowner balks at a fence deposit, that tells you something useful before you’ve ordered a single post. They also cut down the “wait, what was that for?” calls.

Don’t book the date without one

Make it a rule: no deposit, no date. You’ll lose a few tire-kickers, and that’s the point. The calendar fills with people who’ve actually committed, and you stop holding days for maybes.

Fast quotes help too, because the homeowner is most excited right after they ask. Also on the blog: The Two-Hour Quote Rule, and What Windshield Time Really Costs a Growing Fence Shop. More short how-tos are on our YouTube channel.

Try it this week

Connect your own processor and send a signable quote, starting with the 14-day trial at fenceai.app. Questions about setup? Call (229) 466-5045 or (352) 290-8357.

Shop is $49/mo or $470/yr with 2 seats. Crew is $149/mo or $1,490/yr with 5 seats.

fenceai.app · (229) 466-5045 · (352) 290-8357 · support@fenceai.app