← All categories

Cabinetry & Countertops: Best Referral Sources

Who should be sending you clients, and the rooms they are already sitting in.

Get the networking events worth showing up to

Tell us where you are. We will send you the best rooms for cabinet and countertop companies and the next meeting dates. Add a ZIP and this page will also show your local chapters and which seats are open.

Most business owners network where their competitors are, not where their referral partners are.

Your own trade group is for learning. Your partners' groups are where the work comes from. Everything below starts with one question. When something happens that makes people need cabinet and countertop companies, who else gets a call that same week?

Cabinet and countertop companies sell to both individuals and businesses, and most of the work starts when a homeowner decides to remodel. People take their time deciding, so a recommendation carries most of the weight. Most clients buy once, so the flow of new names is the whole business.

What starts the work
  • Renovation projectwhen a homeowner decides to remodel
  • Home purchasewhen somebody buys a house
  • Water damage / leakwhen a pipe bursts or a roof starts leaking
Block one

Who should be sending you clients

Ranked by what starts the job, not by who sounds close to your trade.

  1. 01

    Interior Designer

    They send you work
    79

    Trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

    Interior designers hear about it when a homeowner decides to remodel, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  2. 02

    Remodeling Contractor

    They send you work
    78

    Trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

    Remodeling contractors hear about it when a homeowner decides to remodel, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  3. 03

    General Contractor

    They send you work
    74

    Trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

    General contractors hear about it when a homeowner decides to remodel, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  4. 04

    Community Association Manager (HOA / Condo)

    They send you work
    73

    Trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

    Community association managers hear about it when a homeowner decides to remodel, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  5. 05

    Flooring Contractor

    Two-way
    68

    Trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

    You and flooring companies both get the call when a homeowner decides to remodel, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.

  6. 06

    Window & Door Installer

    Two-way
    66

    Trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

    You and window and door installers both get the call when a homeowner decides to remodel, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.

  7. 07

    Plumber

    They send you work
    64

    Trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

    Plumbers hear about it when a homeowner decides to remodel, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  8. 08

    Structural Engineer

    They send you work
    63

    Trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

    Structural engineers hear about it when a homeowner decides to remodel, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  9. 09

    Architect

    They send you work
    63

    Trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

    Architects hear about it when a homeowner decides to remodel, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  10. 10

    Tile & Stone Contractor

    You send them work
    62

    Trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

    You hear about it when a homeowner decides to remodel, before tile and stone contractors do. Expect to give more than you get back here.

Block two

Where those people actually are

Ranked by how many of your best partners are in the room, and how much work each one can send you.

Start here

Local home builders association (NAHB affiliate)

Your partners are in this room: interior designers, general contractors, and flooring companies.

Builders plus every trade that works for them. This one is mixed. The builders are buyers for the trades, so it is an exception.

Your partners' association Monthly $500–$2,000/yr ~4 hrs/month
Find your local chapter →

Give someone nine choices and they pick none. If you do one thing from this page, do this.

  1. 01

    Local home builders association (NAHB affiliate)

    Your partners' association

    Your partners are in this room: interior designers, general contractors, and flooring companies.

    Builders plus every trade that works for them. This one is mixed. The builders are buyers for the trades, so it is an exception.

    Monthly $500–$2,000/yr ~4 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  2. 02

    Distributor & showroom trade nights

    Vendor & supply chain

    Your partners are in this room: interior designers, remodeling contractors, and flooring companies.

    Showrooms and suppliers hold mixers that pull in designers, builders, and the people who write specs. Nobody calls it networking, so nobody is fighting for attention.

    Quarterly Free ~2 hrs/month
  3. 03

    AIA (American Institute of Architects) chapter

    Your partners' association

    Your partners are in this room: interior designers, general contractors, and architects.

    Architects and the plans they draw. For trades, this is where your product gets named in the drawings before bidding starts.

    Monthly $500–$2,000/yr ~3 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  4. 04

    NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry)

    Your partners' association

    Your partners are in this room: remodeling contractors and general contractors.

    Good for certification and finding subs. One exception: remodelers and specialty trades here really do hire each other.

    Monthly $500–$2,000/yr ~3 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  5. 05

    CAI (Community Associations Institute)

    Your partners' association

    Your partners are in this room: community association managers and structural engineers.

    Condo and HOA managers, board members, and management companies. One manager here can control hundreds of homes. They have a membership just for vendors, so you can join.

    Monthly Under $500/yr ~4 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  6. 06

    Commercial contractors association (AGC / ABC)

    Your partners' association

    Your partners are in this room: general contractors and plumbers.

    General contractors and the subs around them. Real value if you sub on commercial jobs.

    Monthly $2,000+/yr ~4 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  7. 07

    BNI

    Structured referral group

    One seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.

    The biggest referral group in the world. You meet every week. Only one person per job. They expect you to show up.

    Weekly $500–$2,000/yr ~8 hrs/month One seat per category
    Chapter finder →
  8. 08

    LeTip International

    Structured referral group

    One seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.

    Weekly referral chapters. One person per job. Strong with trades and home services.

    Weekly $500–$2,000/yr ~7 hrs/month One seat per category
    Chapter finder →

Let us be straight with you. For cabinet and countertop companies, a weekly referral group is not the best pick. Your partners gather in professional groups instead, so spend your time there. We would rather say that than sell you a seat you do not need.

Block three

Is your seat open?

Prime Time takes one cabinetry & countertops per chapter. Put in a South Florida ZIP above and we will show you which seats are open.

Add a ZIP code at the top of the page to see which seats are open.

Get the dates

Have the next meetings sent to you

The rooms above are the answer. This is when they meet. Tell us where to send it and we will email you the next dates for cabinet and countertop companies, with the one page plan.

We already know your trade and your area from this page, so there is nothing else to fill in. We do not ask for a phone number. Every email we send has an unsubscribe link.

Take this with you

Your one-page action plan

Five partners, five things to say, three rooms. Print it and keep it in the car.

Networking plan: Cabinetry & Countertops

The five people who should be sending you clients

  1. Interior Designer (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel
  2. Remodeling Contractor (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel
  3. General Contractor (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel
  4. Community Association Manager (HOA / Condo) (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel
  5. Flooring Contractor (Two-way)
    Shared trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

The three rooms to be in

  1. Local home builders association (NAHB affiliate): Your partners are in this room: interior designers, general contractors, and flooring companies.
  2. Distributor & showroom trade nights: Your partners are in this room: interior designers, remodeling contractors, and flooring companies.
  3. AIA (American Institute of Architects) chapter: Your partners are in this room: interior designers, general contractors, and architects.