Silver Ponies Web Inc.
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Case Studies
Engineering decisions that hold up in production.
Detailed write-ups on how we approach the problems that matter — custom products, platform migrations, feature builds, and engineering that stays maintainable after launch.
How we built Exterior Scout for faster exterior contractor prospecting
Exterior Scout is a Silver Ponies product that helps roofing, fencing, and decking contractors qualify opportunities before committing to a site visit or detailed report. Search a supported property across Surrey, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Vancouver, or the City of North Vancouver, trace the project over aerial imagery, and generate an instant preliminary takeoff for early-stage sales work.
ProductExterior Scout
PlatformCustom Web App
UsersExterior Contractors
Focus AreasGIS, takeoffs, and lead qualification
Live Productexteriorscout.com
Product snapshot
The public product experience makes the value proposition immediate: find a property, trace a roof, fence line, or deck, and turn the result into a clear preliminary takeoff.
The problem
Detailed reports and site visits are valuable once an opportunity is qualified. They are expensive and slow when a contractor is still screening a canvassed street, a purchased lead list, or a new inbound enquiry.
The missing middle
01A street address alone does not tell a sales team enough about the likely size of an exterior project.
02Sending someone onsite for every possible lead consumes time that should go to the strongest opportunities.
03Certified or production-ready reports are more detail than early prospecting and budget conversations require.
04Contractors needed a useful visual they could download and discuss without presenting it as a final measurement.
The product boundary
Exterior Scout is deliberately positioned between prospecting and the site visit. It gives contractors a fast, preliminary read on a property so they can decide what deserves the next step.
The output is not a certified report and is not intended for ordering materials. Clear field-verification language is part of the interface and every generated image.
What we built
We turned public parcel and aerial imagery into a purpose-built sales workflow for exterior contractors, then packaged the result as a self-serve subscription product.
Core product scope
AAddress search across five Metro Vancouver cities that resolves supported properties to parcel boundaries and available aerial imagery from each municipality.
BTrade-specific tracing for roof outlines and pitch, fence edges, and deck area and perimeter.
CDownloadable PNG takeoffs with measurements, scale, north arrow, property details, imagery attribution, and a clear verification disclaimer.
DFree and Pro account experiences, including saved history, unlimited Pro use, and custom business branding.
Designed around a real job
The app does not ask contractors to learn general-purpose GIS software. Every interaction is oriented around one question: is this property worth pursuing?
That focus shaped the workflow, the three supported trade modes, the single-image export, the pricing model, and the decision to keep limitations visible instead of hiding them in fine print.
From address to takeoff
The complete workflow is intentionally short enough to use while reviewing a lead list or speaking with a homeowner.
Step 1
Search the property
Select Surrey, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Vancouver, or the City of North Vancouver, then enter a supported address to load the matched parcel boundary with aerial imagery.
Step 2
Trace the project
Choose roofing, fencing, or decking and trace the relevant outline or edges directly on the property image.
Step 3
Review and download
Generate a branded, shareable preliminary measurement image to support qualification and an early budget conversation.
The launch
Exterior Scout launched as a focused, usable product—not a demo. It now covers five Metro Vancouver cities. Contractors can sign in, measure five properties per month for free, and upgrade when preliminary takeoffs become part of their regular prospecting workflow.
3 TradesRoofing, fencing, and decking
One address-search workflow supports the most common exterior project shapes and measurements.
5 FreeMeasurements every month
Contractors can test the complete workflow without a credit card before deciding whether to upgrade.
1 ExportA clear, downloadable takeoff
Each generation packages the map, measurements, project stats, attribution, and limitations into one PNG.
Have an industry workflow that should be a product?
Exterior Scout is what happens when a narrow operational problem gets the product treatment: a focused workflow, the right data, transparent limitations, and a path from first use to recurring value.