Why Your Dealer Network Needs Its Own Pergola Configurator

Selling custom pergolas through dealers is a proven strategy. But only if your dealers are equipped to guide buyers through the complexity of the product. Customers expect to see exactly what they’re getting, compare options, and receive a quote without delays. Most dealers don’t have the tools to deliver that experience, and it shows in lost momentum, missed opportunities, and inconsistent results.

A dealer-ready pergola configurator changes that. By combining real-time visualization, product rules, and instant pricing in one place, it helps your network sell smarter and faster. Whether your dealers operate online or in-store, a well-designed 3D pergola configurator gives them everything they need to close deals confidently.

Why Dealers Struggle to Sell Custom Pergolas

Whether they’re selling to private homeowners or commercial buyers like hotels, resorts, restaurants, and golf clubs, your dealers need to adapt quickly to different spaces and expectations. 

Put yourself in your dealer’s shoes. A customer is asking, “Can we add privacy walls?” or “What would it look like if we changed the layout?” The dealer wants to help — but they don’t have a fast or visual way to show what’s possible. They’re left explaining things verbally, flipping through brochures, or promising to follow up later with pricing.

They Can’t Easily Show What They’re Selling:

Customers expect to visualize options, compare finishes, and see how everything fits together. But most dealers are stuck with static brochures or generic product images. There’s no way to tailor the presentation to a customer’s unique needs or space, and that makes the buying experience feel generic, even when the product isn’t.

They Rely on Back-and-Forth With Your Team:

Pergola systems are complex and highly customizable. Different roof types, dimensions, colors, side panels, weather sensors, lighting, custom accessories — and each model has its own constraints and rules.   Dealers either call to check, dig through spec sheets, or email your team to confirm what’s possible. It slows things down and adds friction right when the buyer’s ready to move.

Quoting Is Slow, Error-Prone, and Risky:

In many cases, once a customer selects what they want, the dealer has to email the manufacturer to confirm it’s possible, request a price, and wait for a response. This can take days, kill the sale’s momentum, and it leaves too much room for mistakes. A misquote or invalid configuration can lead to costly errors and unhappy customers, damaging both your reputation and your dealer’s.

What Dealers Actually Need to Sell Your Pergolas

Your dealers don’t need more printed catalogs, generic marketing materials, or product training. They need tools that help them guide customers through complex decisions clearly and confidently. If you're struggling to activate your dealer network or onboard new partners, it's usually because your sales process isn’t built for how dealers actually sell today.

An Interactive Way to Configure on the Spot:

Instead of talking through measurements and materials, dealers need a tool that lets them build the pergola for the customer — updating visuals instantly as they choose dimensions, styles, and add-ons.

Quoting That Matches the Pace of the Sale:

Once the customer is ready, pricing shouldn’t be a separate process. Dealers need accurate quotes immediately, without having to send requests, wait for responses, or risk quoting the wrong thing. Fast, reliable pricing helps them close deals while interest is high.

Built-in Product Logic:

Every pergola system comes with rules. Certain combinations won’t work or require special parts. Dealers need a tool that keeps them within the boundaries automatically, so they can focus on the sale without worrying about making a mistake.

A Sales Process That Feels Professional:

Your pergolas might be premium. But if the buying experience is clunky, it won’t feel that way. Dealers need to deliver polished proposals, accurate details, and a smooth process from first conversation to quote. The easier and more professional the experience, the more likely they are to win the sale — and keep pushing your brand.

The Solution: A Pergola Configurator

Everything your dealers need — fast quoting, visual configuration, built-in product logic — can be delivered through a single pergola configurator. It streamlines the sales process from end to end, helping dealers configure products based on customer needs and deliver accurate quotes without delays or back-and-forth.

With a pergola configurator, dealers configure the pergola in real-time based on the customer’s preferences — size, roof type, materials, and add-ons. Once done, they can share a 3D preview the customer can explore on their own: zoom in, rotate, and see all the details, without needing to use the configurator themselves.

Thanks to a built-in visual CPQ engine, dealers can generate quotes instantly, with pricing that updates as changes are made. At the same time, the pergola configurator ensures accuracy by applying all product rules in the background — preventing invalid combinations, adding required components, and eliminating errors.

The configurator also supports modular product logic. Many pergolas are built from configurable components and modular sections. The tool makes it easy to select compatible components, adapt layouts, and combine elements without needing to know every technical constraint.

Given their role in the sales process, dealers need a configurator tailored to their needs — not a simplified version built only for end customers. That means access to:

• More advanced product options
• Technical specifications and documentation like BOMs (Bills of Materials)
• Dealer-specific pricing
• Tools to manage quotes, approvals, or order tracking

This level of control is possible thanks to user management, which allows different users to access different features within the same configurator. Read more about how it works.

Real-life Example: A Pergola Configurator That Works for Dealers

One pergola manufacturer we worked with came to us with a familiar problem: their existing quoting tool was not visual, clunky, and required users to understand and manually input dozens of values with no validation. Adding new product options required developer support, the interface frustrated users, and generating quotes involved too many manual steps. It was slowing down their sales process and adding unnecessary pressure to their internal team.

They now have a 3D pergola configurator that supports modular products with parametric models, allowing dealers to build and adjust configurations based on customer needs. Integrated visual CPQ enables real-time pricing and quote generation, while built-in logic ensures only valid combinations are selectable.

Behind the scenes, the pergola configurator generates accurate bills of materials, connects to their CRM, and includes an order management dashboard to track quotes, approvals, and dealer activity. They can also change pricing instantly. And the buyer gets a view only link that allows them to see the pergola in 3D, including animations, without having access to edit it. Dealers can work independently, while internal teams spend far less time on routine tasks.

Get Your Pergola Configurator Within 3 Months

Salsita 3D Pergola Configurator is designed to support complex sales workflows — whether you're selling through dealers, internal sales teams, or directly to end customers. It brings everything into one tool: fewer errors, faster quotes, and a smoother buying experience.

• Visual CPQ: Generate quotes instantly, without delays or manual steps
• 3D Visualization: Help customers understand their pergola with clear, interactive visuals
• Parametric Models: Handle custom sizes and dynamic dimensions with ease
• Modular Configuration: Combine modules and options without risking invalid setups
• Manufacturing Outputs: Automatically generate BOMs, tech specs, or CAD files
• Order Dashboard: Track quotes, approvals, and user activity from one place
• User Management: Tailor features by role (dealers, end customers, internal staff)

Want to see how a custom pergola configurator could work for your business?

Book a personalized 1:1 demo now: