What Software Design Associates does

Software Design Associates is a private, founder-owned vertical SaaS company founded in 1981 in Billings, Montana, that develops software exclusively for the fence contracting and fabrication industry. The company's product portfolio centers on Fence Cloud, a fourth-generation cloud-based platform launched in March 2023 that covers the full fence business workflow including lead management, job sketches, material breakdowns, estimating, contracts, work orders, shop drawings, e-signatures, and file storage. Supporting the cloud platform is the legacy Computer Fencing System (CFS) desktop suite (versions 18-23), along with specialized modules: GeoDraw (lead collection web app at $99/month), Fence3D (photo overlay visualization), QwikDraw (job layout entry), and MapDraw (satellite-based property mapping). The platform's core technical differentiator is 40 years of fence-specific estimating algorithms covering chain link, wood, vinyl, ornamental, and wire panel fence types, with pre-built supplier catalogs for major manufacturers and native integration with QuickBooks and SSD/CMM CNC routers.

The company serves over 2,000 fence contractors and fabricators across the United States and globally, monetizing through a mix of monthly subscriptions (Fence Cloud, GeoDraw at $99/month), annual subscriptions (CFS Enterprise Edition at $750/year), one-time software upgrades, and add-on Scratch Builder modules by fence type. Go-to-market is sales-led with direct website CTAs (Request a Demo, Sign Up), inside sales, FenceTech trade show presence, and an American Fence Association endorsement that anchors vertical credibility. The company is bootstrapped, founder-led by President Ray Pearson, and operates with a small team (1-10 employees) supported by a 45-hour-per-week toll-free tech support operation in Montana. Strategic posture reflects a mature, stable incumbent executing a deliberate platform transition from desktop licensing to cloud-based recurring revenue, leveraging deep manufacturer and trade association relationships as primary defensibility.

Name

Software Design Associates

Legal name

Software Design Associates

Website

https://fencesoftware.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Software Design Associates is a private, founder-owned vertical SaaS company founded in 1981 in Billings, Montana, that develops cloud-based and desktop estimating, job layout, and business management software exclusively for fence contractors and fabricators, serving over 2,000 customers nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Billings

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fence Cloud Subscription: Cloud-based software subscription for fence companies covering lead management, estimating, operations, and document generation.
2. GeoDraw App: Lead collection app at $99/month with no license or contract required.
3. CFS Enterprise Edition: Annual subscription at $750/year for CFS Enterprise Edition with InterOp and XML Export applications for data integration with external programs.
4. CFS Software Upgrades: Version upgrades for Computer Fencing System software with included renewal of QwikDraw, MapDraw, and tech support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Software Design Associates develops and sells software purpose-built for the fence industry. Its flagship Fence Cloud platform is a cloud-based, fourth-generation application that covers lead management, job sketches, material breakdowns, contracts, work orders, shop drawings, e-signatures, and file storage for fence contractors and installers. The company also sells the legacy Computer Fencing System (CFS) desktop suite, the standalone GeoDraw lead-collection web app, and Fence3D photo-visualization software.

Product overview

Software Design Associates offers a comprehensive suite of fence industry software solutions. The portfolio centers on Fence Cloud, a cloud-based 4th generation platform covering the complete fence business workflow from lead management through material breakdowns and installation documents. Supporting the cloud platform is the Computer Fencing System (CFS), a desktop software suite available in versions 18-23, which includes Scratch Builder programs for Chain Link, Wood, Vinyl, Ornamental, and Wire Panel fence types. Key modules include QwikDraw for job layout entry, MapDraw for satellite-based property mapping, Fence3D for photo visualization, and CFS Enterprise Edition for data export. GeoDraw provides a standalone lead collection web application. The products serve over 2,000 fence companies nationwide and integrate with QuickBooks for accounting workflows.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fence Cloud: Cloud-based fence industry software for managing leads, job sketches, material breakdowns, contracts, and installation documents.
• CFS (Computer Fencing System)
• GeoDraw
• Fence3D
• QwikDraw
• MapDraw

Products and services

• Fence Cloud Cloud-based subscription software for fence contractors covering lead tracking, estimating, operations pipeline, contracts, work orders, e-signatures, shop drawings, image markup, and file storage, with pre-built supplier catalogs and estimating engines for chain link, wood, vinyl (PVC), ornamental, and wire panel fencing.
• Computer Fencing System (CFS) Desktop fence estimating and shop drawing software with QwikDraw job layout interface, MapDraw satellite mapping, Scratch Builder programs for chain link, wood, vinyl, ornamental, and wire panel fence, QuickBooks integration, and supporting modules. Sold as a licensed product with annual version upgrades.
• GeoDraw Standalone web-based lead capture and qualification app for fence company websites, interfaces with Fence Cloud leads board. Priced at $99.00 per month with no license to buy and no contract required.
• Fence3D Web-based photo editing and visualization app that overlays vinyl, ornamental, and wood fence models onto photos of customer properties. Includes 80 vinyl styles, 40 ornamental styles, and 20 wood styles with color and texture options.
• CFS Enterprise Edition Annual subscription tier of CFS that includes the InterOp application for exporting and importing items from the CFS Master File to Excel, plus XML Export for creating open-format XML files of estimates and invoices. Priced at $750 per year and includes free upgrades to current CFS version.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increases estimating productivity tenfold
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• American Fence Association (AFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe American Fence Association has endorsed Fence Cloud as 'the most powerful tool in the fence business.' This endorsement provides credibility within the fence industry trade association.
• Dozens of Fence Manufacturers and WholesalerscoreTechnology or IntegrationDirect working relationships with dozens of leading fence manufacturers and wholesalers in the fence industry. Product modules available for major brands including Bufftech, Alumi-Guard, ActiveYards, Digger Specialties, Ameristar, and many others.
• QuickBooks (Intuit)coreTechnology or IntegrationCFS integrates with QuickBooks Premier and Enterprise editions. Estimates transfer directly into QuickBooks where they can be converted to Sales Orders, Purchase Orders, or Invoices. Inventory and pricing synchronization between QB and CFS.
• Merchants MetalscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParts Catalog program produces real-time catalogs throughout all Merchants Metals locations. PDF catalogs distributed through their network.
• BufftechcoreTechnology or IntegrationVinyl fence manufacturer with product modules integrated into CFS and Fence Cloud. Updated annually for both CFS and Fence Cloud.
• Alumi-GuardcoreTechnology or IntegrationAluminum fence manufacturer with product modules integrated into CFS and Fence Cloud.
• ActiveYardscoreTechnology or IntegrationVinyl fence manufacturer with product modules integrated into CFS and Fence Cloud.
• Digger SpecialtiescoreTechnology or IntegrationFence manufacturer with product modules integrated into CFS and Fence Cloud.
• AmeristarcoreTechnology or IntegrationSteel and aluminum fence manufacturer with ornamental fence product modules available for CFS.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jobber: Jobber is a field service management SaaS for small home-service businesses including landscapers, contractors, and installers. It directly overlaps with SDA's customer base of SMB contractors and competes for the same lead-to-invoice workflow.
• Housecall Pro: Housecall Pro provides field service software for home service professionals (plumbers, electricians, landscapers, fence installers). It competes for the same SMB contractor customer with scheduling, estimating, invoicing, and payment workflows.
• Buildertrend: Buildertrend is construction project management software for residential builders and remodelers. Fence contractors frequently use it for project workflow, making it a partial substitute and adjacent workflow owner to Fence Cloud.
• FieldEdge: FieldEdge provides field service management software for residential and commercial contractors. It targets similar SMB contractor customers with scheduling, dispatch, and estimating capabilities.
• Houzz Pro: Houzz Pro is business management software for home remodeling and design professionals, including project management, estimating, and client communication. It targets a similar SMB home-service buyer profile.
• STACK Construction Technologies: STACK provides construction estimating and takeoff software used by contractors of various trades. Its estimating and takeoff capabilities are functionally comparable to SDA's QwikDraw and MapDraw tools.
• Clear Estimates: Clear Estimates is estimating and proposal software for remodeling and specialty trade contractors. It competes directly with the estimating portion of SDA's product suite.

Broad incumbents

• ServiceTitan: ServiceTitan is a broader, well-funded field service management platform for residential and commercial service contractors. It overlaps with SDA's workflow but operates across trades at much larger scale.
• Procore Technologies: Procore is a broad construction management platform used by general contractors and specialty trades. While focused on larger commercial projects, its expanding trade contractor capabilities overlap with SDA's project and estimating workflow.
• Salesforce Field Service: Salesforce Field Service is an enterprise field service management platform used by larger service organizations. It represents the broad incumbent option if larger fence service companies seek more comprehensive platforms than SDA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UComQGTOKPpoyWeLhi2HfW-g
• Facebookfacebook.com/FenceSoftware
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/software-design-associates
• Instagraminstagram.com/fencecloud

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Software Design Associates