For fence contractors & estimating teams

Turn Fence Sketches into CAD Layouts

LaunchAI converts salesperson sketches, plats and site notes into CAD fence layouts and drawings for estimating. The agent prepares runs, gates and material quantities using your rules, flags unclear openings and grade details, and waits for your estimator to approve the drawing and price.

See your sketches converted to CAD See the approval screen

For estimators, office managers and owners at residential and commercial fence contractors and fence fabricators

April. Everybody wants the fence up before the dog arrives.

Saturday's appointments are on your desk as graph-paper sheets from the estimate pad. The house drawn as a box, three sides of the yard with a wheel reading on each run, an X for every gate, "6' white vinyl" across the middle, and "drops ~3' back right" along one side. A customer emailed the plat with a highlighter line on it. Another texted four photos of the old chain link and "same as the neighbors but taller." A GC sent a 40-page civil set with the fence on sheet C-5 and spec section 32 31 13 calling for shop drawings.

So you build each one. Every run, minus the gates. Line posts at panel width, then a terminal post for every end, corner and gate, and an extra post for every step on the slope. Panels, rails, caps, gate kits and hardware, concrete. Then the drawing for the HOA, the permit and the crew, then the estimate, then the next sheet in the pile.

It's the same forty minutes a dozen times before lunch, and the customer got three quotes. Miss one corner post and the crew drives back to the supply yard; put the gate swing on the wrong side and it opens into the slope. The fence company that sends a clean drawing and a price first usually gets the job.

What the job looks like today

  1. Read the sketch

    Work out which X is a gate, which run includes it, and where the slope is.

  2. Redraw it

    Every run, gate and corner in the estimating tool, by hand.

  3. Count everything

    Line posts, terminals, panels, rails, gate kits, concrete.

  4. Price it

    Per foot, per gate, per step, removal, permit.

  5. Chase the gaps

    Text the salesperson about the gate, call the customer about the pins.

Where it goes wrong

Every second trip to the supply yard started on the sketch

The wheel readings are usually fine. The trouble is what the X for a gate, the arrow for a slope and "on the line" actually meant.

  • Opening or gate?

    "10' dbl gate" can mean a 10' opening between posts or two 5' leaves. Order the leaves to the opening and the hinges and latch have nowhere to go.

  • The slope is a line item

    Three feet of fall over a run is stepped panels or racked panels, longer posts, and a gap at the bottom. It's on the sketch as an arrow, and in the estimate as nothing.

  • Pool gates swing out

    The sketch says the gate swings into the yard. If that yard is the pool side, the code wants it self-closing, self-latching and swinging away from the pool.

  • "Tie in" to whose post?

    Tying into the neighbor's fence means their post, their height, their line. Usually it means one more terminal post and a conversation about the property pins.

Why it's still manual

Where fence design software still needs site information

Fence companies have bought estimating apps, satellite tracers and CAD. Half the jobs still come in on a sketch somebody has to redraw.

  • Your CAD and quoting software

    Needs checked site inputs

    Fence design and estimating tools can link drawings, material takeoffs and proposals. LaunchAI converts site sketches into CAD fence layouts and prepares the material and estimate information using your configured products and pricing rules.

  • Generic AI and OCR models

    Needs source checks

    Paste the sketch into a chat model and it will hand back a confident total: it reads 62'6 as 626, drops the X that marked a gate, ignores the slope arrow and invents a post count. Nothing tells you which numbers it made up.

  • Image-to-CAD converters

    Needs layout meaning

    Image-to-CAD converters trace the lines on the graph paper. You get a wobbly outline in a DXF with no posts, no gates, no grade and no idea the box at the top was the house.

  • Measuring apps and configurators

    Needs a complete survey

    Satellite tracing and on-site drawing apps work when your salesperson uses them in the yard. Then a customer emails a plat, a GC sends a civil set, and you're back to redrawing.

Written on the paperGeneric OCR / AI modelLaunchAI agent
62'6 626 62' 6" left side run The foot mark is a tick on graph paper; drop it and a side yard becomes a tenth of a mile.
X 10' dbl X 10 Double drive gate, 10' 0" opening, low confidence The X is the gate. A text reader keeps the letter and loses the meaning.
↘ ~3' (ignored) Grade falls 3' over the back right run: stepped panels, longer posts Arrows and "~" change the material list; generic tools drop them.

How the agent does it

From fence sketches to CAD layouts and estimate drafts

The agent reads the sketch and trusted site documents, prepares the layout in your existing tools, and uses your material and pricing rules. Your estimator confirms the flagged details before the quote is released.

ArcSiteHollis backyard · fence estimate Agent working · your login · this PC
GeneralDetailsPricingNotes
  • 6' white vinyl privacy ← Sketch, center note
  • 62' 6" ← Sketch, wheel reading
  • 96' 0" ← Sketch + plat
  • 22' 0" ← Sketch, house corner
  • 4' 0" · swing in ← Sketch, left return
  • Double · 10' 0" opening ← Sketch, back run
  • -3' back right · stepped ← Sketch arrow + photos
  • 8' panels · 5" posts ← Your vinyl defaults
Saved as draft. Nothing is sent until you approve.Send to review

  1. Reads what came in

    Sketches, plats, texts and civil sheets, each value with a confidence score.

  2. Applies your rules

    Your panel widths, post spacing, gate hardware, slope method and pricing.

  3. Draws and prices it

    Opens ArcSite or your estimating tool and builds the job the way your best estimator would.

  4. Asks only what it must

    Gate opening unclear? It drafts the text to the salesperson instead of guessing.

  5. You approve and send

    Check the flagged gate, adjust if you want, and the estimate goes out.

Caught at the desk

Check fence runs, gates and grade before quoting

Today the order bounces when someone hits save. The agent runs the same checks first, fills what it can from a trusted source, and brings you only the one thing that needs a person.

Today

Convert to order · quote #10482Failed rules 5

Estimate incomplete · cannot price or send

  • Gate opening not confirmed
  • Slope method not chosen (step or rack)
  • Post count not calculated
  • Utility locate not requested
  • HOA drawing not attached

Verify the following

  • Setback from property line?

With the agent

Agent checks · before review4/5 passed

  • Runs match the plat

    Left side, back and returns agree with the plat within your tolerance.

    Pass

  • Drive gate opening unclear

    Written "10' dbl gate?". Priced as a 10' 0" opening post to post; confirm before ordering leaves.

    Needs you

  • Posts counted

    Line posts at 8' panels, a terminal at every end, corner and gate, extra posts at each step.

    Pass

  • Slope handled

    3' of fall on the back right run: stepped panels, longer posts, line item on the estimate.

    Pass

  • Locate and HOA

    Utility locate request drafted; HOA layout drawing attached with the setback shown.

    Pass

Human review

You approve the drawing, not the typing

The paperwork on one side, the agent's drawing on the other, and every value it read in between, with the one it's unsure of called out.

LaunchAI Portal · Reviews

Approval you asked for

Approve the Hollis fence estimate Pending

The agent drew the layout from Rick's sketch and the plat, counted posts and panels, and priced the job. The drive gate opening needs confirmation.

Medium risk 1 of 43 in your queue Sketch to CAD · step 02.4 · Review fence layout

Agent suggests: Approve after Rick confirms the 10' 0" is the opening between posts. Runs, walk gate, slope and material list match the sketch and plat.

Source sketchhollis_sketch_sat.jpg
62'696'22' house 4' gate 6' white vinyl privacy 8' panels drops ~3' 10' dbl gate?
Backyard fence · layout planOpen in ArcSite
62' 6"96' 0"22' 0" EXIST. HOUSE 4' WALK GATE 6' WHITE VINYL PRIVACY 8' PANELS · 5" POSTS GRADE -3' · STEPPED DBL DRIVE GATE 10' 0" Backyard fence · plan · Rev A ● Preview synced just now

Dimensions read from sketch

  • Left side“62'6” 62' 6"
  • Back“96'” 96' 0"
  • Right return“22'” 22' 0"
  • Walk gate“4' gate” 4' 0"
  • Grade“drops ~3'” -3' · stepped
  • Drive gateLooks like “10' dbl gate?” 10' 0" opening
Every value links back to where it was read on the sketch. Request changes Approve CAD

Inputs and outputs

Fence sketches in. Reviewed layouts and estimates out.

  • Salesperson sketches on graph paper or the estimate pad
  • Plats and surveys with the fence line drawn in
  • Customer texts and photos of the yard and the old fence
  • Civil site plans and spec sections for commercial bids
  • Style, height, color and gate notes from email and voicemail
  • The layout drawn in ArcSite, AutoCAD or your estimating tool
  • Posts, panels, gates, hardware and concrete counted from your rules
  • A priced estimate with slope, gates and removal as their own lines
  • A layout drawing for the customer, the HOA and the permit
  • Gate and elevation shop drawings for commercial submittals

Your workflow

Build a fence estimate from the checked layout

Fence estimating software needs more than total footage. Gate openings change the runs, corners change the post types, and a slope can change the installation method and material list.

LaunchAI prepares the layout and estimate draft using your configured products and pricing rules. Your estimator checks the quantities, assumptions, labor and selling price before approving the quote.

Draw the scope
Confirm runs, fence height, style, gates, corners and the grade treatment.
Check the takeoff
Review panels or rails, line and terminal posts, gate hardware, concrete and job-specific extras.
Review the quote
Apply your current material rates, labor allowances and margin rules, then approve before sending.

Your workflow

Choose fence estimating software around your actual jobs

Use a completed job to evaluate the workflow: the salesperson sketch, the measured runs, the chosen fence system, the final material list and the quote your estimator approved.

Check how each tool handles gates, corners, grade, your product catalog and price rules. Then confirm how revisions and approvals reach the office and crew. LaunchAI addresses the preparation of sketch and site information in your existing tools; a sample job shows whether that is the work slowing your team down.

Input fit
Can your team work from the sketches, plats and site notes it actually receives?
Estimate fit
Do the material catalog, quantities, labor allowances and selling-price rules match your jobs?
Team fit
Can the estimator review assumptions and release the right drawing and quote revision?

Your numbers

What it gives back to your team

Change the numbers to match your shop.

Example values. Put in your own.

23hours back per week
1,167hours back per year (50 weeks)
0.6full-time people's worth of typing

today with the agent: review only

Your software

Works with your fence design and estimating software

The example shows ArcSite. Bring your drawing tool, material catalog, pricing setup and a sample fence sketch so we can confirm the workflow in your software.

  • ArcSite
  • Visual Fence Pro
  • FenceTracer
  • AutoCAD
  • Builder Prime
  • QuickBooks
  • Excel bid sheets

FAQ

Fence drawings and estimating: common questions

Can it read my salespeople's hand sketches?

Yes. Graph-paper sketches, estimate pads, plats with highlighter and phone photos. It reads every run, gate, slope arrow and note, and scores how sure it is of each value.

We already use ArcSite (or Visual Fence Pro). Why would we need this?

For every job that didn't start in the app: the plat a customer emailed, the sketch from the salesperson who won't use the tablet, the GC's civil set. The agent draws those in your tool through the screen, with your logins, so there's no integration to set up.

What happens when a gate width or a run is missing?

It never guesses a dimension. It flags the gap, drafts the text to the salesperson or the customer, and can price on your default with the assumption written on the estimate, if you allow that.

How does it know our post spacing and pricing?

You set your rules once: panel widths by style, post sizes, gate hardware, slope method, concrete per post, removal and per-foot pricing. They live in a rules table you can change, and every estimate shows which rule it used.

Can it do commercial shop drawings?

Yes. From the civil sheet and the spec section, it drafts the layout, gate elevations and post details in AutoCAD for your detailer to check before the submittal goes out.

Who approves before the customer sees a price?

You do. The agent prepares the drawing and the estimate and highlights what it couldn't confirm; nothing is sent until someone on your team approves it.

Can the fence estimate include labor and site allowances?

Your estimator defines the rates and allowances used by the shop: installation labor, removal, access restrictions, slope work and other extras. The estimate draft should show those assumptions alongside the material takeoff so your team can check them before sending a price.

Can the estimate use our product catalog and customer pricing?

The workflow should use the products, material prices and customer pricing rules your company has approved. Bring a sample catalog and estimate to the demo so we can confirm how your software represents panels, posts, gates, hardware, labor and any pricing tiers. Your estimator approves the resulting quote.

What happens when a gate or fence run changes after the estimate?

Treat the change as a new drawing and estimate revision. Recheck the affected runs, posts, gate hardware, installation assumptions and price in your existing software. Your estimator should approve the revised drawing and quote before it is sent or used for ordering.

What should we bring to a fence estimating demo?

Bring a real sketch or plat, the run measurements and units, fence style and height, gate details, slope notes and the estimate your team produced. Include your material catalog and pricing setup so we can check the proposed drawing, takeoff and review process against a job you know.

Can the estimate establish the property line from a sketch or photo?

The layout needs a trusted survey, plat or field-verified boundary information supplied by your team. A sketch or aerial image alone does not confirm the legal boundary. Your estimator should check run lengths, units, setbacks and gate locations before approving the layout and takeoff.

Other industries

The same agent, other trades

Pools & outdoor living

Metal & fabrication

Kitchens, interiors & glass

Building products & structures

Signs, covers & soft goods

How the Sketch-to-CAD agent works

Send us last Saturday's sketches.

See your fence sketches converted into CAD layouts.

Get demo