How to Offer Fence Financing to Customers

A $6,000 fence is a big ask for most homeowners. But $150/month for 48 months? That's easy to say yes to.

Contractors who offer financing close 20-30% more jobs and see 15-25% higher average ticket sizes. The customer buys the cedar upgrade instead of the treated pine. They add the second gate. They fence the whole yard instead of just the backyard.

Here's how to set it up.

How Contractor Financing Works

You don't become a bank. A financing platform handles all the risk, credit checks, and collections. You get paid in full (or nearly full) when the job is done.

The flow:

Customer wants a fence but hesitates at the total price
You say "We offer financing — would you like to see your monthly payment?"
Customer applies on their phone (2 minutes, soft credit pull first)
Platform approves and shows payment options (terms, rates)
Customer accepts. You start the job.
Job completes. Platform pays you (typically within 1-3 business days).
Customer makes monthly payments to the platform — not you.

You get paid upfront. The platform takes the risk.

Top Financing Platforms for Fence Contractors

GreenSky (Now Goldman Sachs)

Loan amounts: $500-100,000
Terms: 12-144 months
Merchant fee: 0-8% depending on plan (promotional plans cost you more)
Funded in: 2-3 business days
Best for: Large jobs ($10K+), customers with good credit
Notable: The most established contractor financing platform. Banks are doing the lending.

Hearth

Loan amounts: $1,000-100,000
Terms: 24-144 months
Merchant fee: 0-7%
Funded in: 1-3 business days
Best for: Mid-range jobs, easy contractor setup
Notable: Shows customer multiple lender offers at once (like LendingTree for contractors)

Mosaic (Dividend Finance)

Loan amounts: $2,500-100,000
Terms: 12-240 months
Merchant fee: Varies
Funded in: 1-3 business days
Best for: Larger home improvement projects

Wisetack

Loan amounts: $500-25,000
Terms: 3-60 months
Merchant fee: 2.9-6.9%
Funded in: 1-3 business days
Best for: Smaller jobs under $10K, fast and easy setup
Notable: Integrates with Jobber, Housecall Pro, and other field service software

Affirm / Affirm for Business

Loan amounts: $50-30,000
Terms: 3-60 months
Merchant fee: ~6%
Best for: If you already use Square or Shopify for payments

What Financing Costs You

There's no free lunch. You pay a merchant fee on each financed job. Here's how the math works:

Example: $6,000 cedar privacy fence

Scenario	Merchant Fee	You Receive	Close Rate	Expected Revenue/Estimate
No financing	0%	$6,000	30%	$1,800
3% dealer fee	3% ($180)	$5,820	40%	$2,328
5% dealer fee	5% ($300)	$5,700	40%	$2,280
8% dealer fee (0% promo)	8% ($480)	$5,520	45%	$2,484

Even at 8% dealer fee, you make more money because the higher close rate more than offsets the fee.

The 0% APR Play

You can offer "0% financing for 12 months" — the customer pays no interest. You pay a higher dealer fee (typically 6-12%). This is the most powerful closing tool in home services.

When to use it: On jobs where the customer is price-sensitive and you need to close the deal today. The $480 dealer fee on a $6,000 job is cheaper than losing the job entirely.

How to Present Financing

Don't Lead with Financing

Never open with "We offer financing." It signals your product is expensive. Instead:

Present the estimate normally
If the customer hesitates or mentions budget: "Would it help to see what this looks like as a monthly payment?"
Pull up the financing app: "If I could get this down to $140/month, would you want to move forward?"

Always Show the Monthly Payment

On your estimate/proposal, include a line like:

Or as low as $127/month with approved credit

This reframes the conversation from "$6,000" to "$127/month" — a completely different psychological category.

The Three-Option Close

Present three estimates:

Option A: Treated pine, $4,200 (or $89/mo)
Option B: Cedar, $5,800 (or $121/mo)
Option C: Vinyl, $7,200 (or $150/mo)

When people see monthly payments, they buy the middle or top option far more often than when they see the full price.

Setup Checklist

Choose a platform — start with GreenSky or Hearth (most established for home services)
Apply as a merchant — takes 1-3 business days for approval
Get your dealer code — this is how customers apply through you
Train your sales process — every estimate should have a financing option in your back pocket
Add the monthly payment to your proposals — most platforms provide a calculator or widget

Financing FAQ for Fence Contractors

Does financing affect my cash flow? No — you get paid within 1-3 business days of job completion. The platform collects from the customer monthly.

What if the customer defaults? Not your problem. The financing platform takes that risk. You already got paid.

What credit scores get approved? Most platforms approve 640+. Some (like Wisetack) go lower with higher rates. Approval rates are typically 50-70%.

Is this legal everywhere? Yes, but some states have licensing requirements for businesses that offer financing. The platform handles the compliance — you just need to register as a merchant.

Close More Fence Jobs

Financing removes the biggest objection in fence sales: "I can't afford it right now." When $6,000 becomes $127/month, the answer changes from "let me think about it" to "when can you start?"

FenceCalc lets you include monthly payment estimates on proposals so customers see the financing option right alongside the total price.

Start closing bigger fence jobs →