If you’ve been in the fencing business for more than a few years, you know how the conversation usually goes. A homeowner calls, you quote the job, they wince at the number, and the negotiation begins. Margins are tight, competition is real, and the only lever most contractors reach for is price.
There’s a better lever.
A growing number of fencing contractors across the West Coast are quietly adding WaterFence™ to their service offerings — and walking away from jobs with significantly higher ticket totals, happier clients, and a reason for those clients to call them again. It’s not complicated. It’s just a smarter fence.
What You’re Actually Installing
The WaterFence™ 240 is a patented rainwater harvesting system that installs exactly like a standard wood privacy fence — same footprint, same post spacing, same crew. The difference is what’s inside the panels. Each one holds 240 gallons of harvested rainwater, and panels connect in series so capacity scales with the property. A homeowner with 60 feet of fence line could be sitting on 1,200 gallons of stored water — collected from their roof, ready for irrigation, fire suppression, or emergency use — without excavating a single square foot of their yard.
The panels are 6 feet tall and 14 inches wide, wind-rated, earthquake-rated, and backed by a 30-year warranty. They’re available in multiple base colors with optional faux stacked stone facades. In a lot of installations, frankly, it’s the best-looking fence on the block.
Why This Works as a Contractor Upsell
The pitch is simple: you’re already here, you’re already building a fence, and for a fraction of what an underground cistern would cost — and none of the excavation — the homeowner gets a water storage system built right into their property line.
That framing matters. Homeowners are increasingly water-conscious, particularly in drought-prone regions. Many have looked into rainwater harvesting and been put off by the cost and disruption of underground systems. Rain barrels are an option, but nobody loves how they look, and a few hundred gallons disappears fast during a dry summer. WaterFence sits in a completely different category — and you’re the one introducing it to them.
The upsell conversation doesn’t require you to become a water systems expert. You’re a fence expert who happens to offer a fence that does more. That’s it.
The Business Case
A standard residential fencing job has a ceiling. Adding WaterFence panels to the scope raises that ceiling meaningfully — and because the system is modular, clients can start with a section and expand later, which keeps them coming back. Contractors who get certified as WaterFence installers also gain something more valuable than a single job: a differentiator in a crowded market.
When a homeowner is getting three bids for a fence, the contractors all start to look the same. “We install WaterFence” ends that problem immediately. It’s a conversation no one else in your market is having — yet.
How to Get Started
WaterFence is expanding its certified installer network nationally. If you’re a fencing contractor interested in adding this to your service offering, reach out through the contact form on waterfence.com. There’s no obligation, and the conversation is worth having.
The fence business is competitive. The contractors who thrive long-term aren’t necessarily the ones who cut the deepest — they’re the ones who give clients a reason to pay more, refer others, and call back when it’s time to expand.
This is one of those reasons.
Ready to Put Rain to Work?
Whether you’re sizing a system, exploring your options, or just getting started — here’s where to go next.
