When a homeowner gets three fence quotes, the prices may be close. The contractors may all seem competent on the phone. What tips the decision?
Reviews. Almost always, reviews.
The fence contractor with 150 Google reviews and a 4.8 rating wins the bid over the one with 12 reviews and a 4.2 — even if their quote is slightly higher.
When Homeowners Search for Fencing
- Seasonal: Spring and summer are peak fence inquiry seasons
- Event-driven: New pet, new baby, privacy dispute with neighbor, old fence failing
- Project-driven: Landscaping project, pool installation, property line establishment
They’re not just price-shopping — they’re imagining who’s going to be on their property for 2-3 days and whether they’ll show up, do quality work, and clean up after themselves.
When to Ask for the Review
Day the job is complete: Walk the fence line with the homeowner at completion. If they’re happy:
“Glad you’re pleased with how it came out! If you have a minute, a Google review would mean a lot to our business. I’ll text you the link right now.”
Next-day follow-up text:
“Thanks again for choosing [Company] for your fence project! If everything looks good, we’d really appreciate a quick Google review: [link]. Takes about 2 minutes.”
One-week follow-up (if no review yet):
“Hey [Name] — checking in to make sure you’re happy with your new fence! If so, we’d still love a review when you get a chance: [link]“
What a Strong Fence Contractor Review Looks Like
“Got three quotes for our backyard privacy fence. [Company] wasn’t the cheapest but they were the most thorough in their estimate — actually came out to measure and explained why certain posts needed to be set differently given our terrain. Work started on time, crew was professional and courteous, they cleaned up completely every day. The fence looks exactly like the pictures. Neighbors have already asked for their info.”
Key elements: comparison to competitors (they won the bid for a reason), measurement and planning detail, on-time start, professionalism, cleanup, quality, and neighbor referral.
The Gate and the Post: Ask About Details
Fence reviews that mention specific details (“the gate hangs perfectly and latches smoothly,” “all posts are perfectly plumb”) are more credible than generic praise. When asking for a review, prompt specifics:
“Anything that stood out — how the crew worked, how the gate turned out, anything like that — is really helpful for other homeowners to hear.”
Before-and-After Photos
Fencing is highly visual. With homeowner permission, use before-and-after photos alongside their review on your website. A ramshackle old split-rail fence replaced by a beautiful cedar privacy fence is a compelling story that sells itself.
Use SocialProof to display photo + testimonial combos on your service pages for each fence type (privacy, picket, chain link, vinyl, wood, aluminum).
Segment by Fence Type
Use SocialProof to tag reviews by:
- Wood privacy fence
- Vinyl / PVC fence
- Chain link
- Aluminum / ornamental iron
- Picket fence
- Commercial / industrial
- Pool fence
- Farm / agricultural
A homeowner looking for vinyl fencing should see vinyl testimonials, not chain-link.
Where to Collect Reviews
- Google Business Profile — Primary; drives all local search
- Yelp — Strong in some markets for home services
- HomeAdvisor / Angi — Active lead-gen platforms with their own review system
- Houzz — Homeowners use this for outdoor projects
- Nextdoor — Word of mouth gold for neighborhood-based contractors
- Your website — Live testimonial display via SocialProof
The fence contractor who systemizes asking for reviews after every job builds an unstoppable local presence. Start this week and watch your bid-win rate climb. Start collecting fence contractor reviews →