← All categories

Tile & Stone Contractor: Best Referral Sources

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

Your top referral sources
  1. 01 Interior Designer 72
  2. 02 Remodeling Contractor 71
  3. 03 Window & Door Installer 70
  4. 04 Cabinetry & Countertops 68
  5. 05 Electrician 68
See why, and what to say to each ↓

Get the networking events worth showing up to

Tell us where you are. We will send you the best rooms for tile and stone contractors 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 tile and stone contractors, who else gets a call that same week?

Tile and stone contractors 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
  • Water damage / leakwhen a pipe bursts or a roof starts leaking
  • Home purchasewhen somebody buys a house
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
    72

    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
    71

    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

    Window & Door Installer

    They send you work
    70

    Trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

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

  4. 04

    Cabinetry & Countertops

    They send you work
    68

    Trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

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

  5. 05

    Electrician

    They send you work
    68

    Trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

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

  6. 06

    General Contractor

    They send you work
    68

    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.

  7. 07

    Community Association Manager (HOA / Condo)

    They send you work
    67

    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.

  8. 08

    Plumber

    They send you work
    66

    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.

  9. 09

    Impact Window & Door Contractor

    They send you work
    61

    Trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

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

  10. 10

    Smart Home & AV Integrator

    Two-way
    60

    Trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

    You and smart home and AV integrators both get the call when a homeowner decides to remodel, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.

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

Distributor & showroom trade nights

Your partners are in this room: interior designers, remodeling contractors, and window and door installers.

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.

Vendor & supply chain Quarterly Free ~2 hrs/month

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

  1. 01

    Distributor & showroom trade nights

    Vendor & supply chain

    Your partners are in this room: interior designers, remodeling contractors, and window and door installers.

    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
  2. 02

    Local home builders association (NAHB affiliate)

    Your partners' association

    Your partners are in this room: interior designers, general contractors, and cabinet and countertop 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 →
  3. 03

    Commercial contractors association (AGC / ABC)

    Your partners' association

    Your partners are in this room: general contractors, electricians, 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 →
  4. 04

    Nextdoor

    Online community

    Your partners are in this room: remodeling contractors, window and door installers, and plumbers.

    Neighbors asking each other who to hire. Answer questions without selling and the recommendations pile up on their own.

    Always on Free ~2 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  5. 05

    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 →
  6. 06

    AIA (American Institute of Architects) chapter

    Your partners' association

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

    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 →
  7. 07

    Local Facebook & community groups

    Online community

    Your partners are in this room: remodeling contractors, window and door installers, and electricians.

    City groups, condo and HOA groups, and parent groups. For home services this is often the biggest free source on this list. Most competitors post ads instead of answers.

    Always on Free ~3 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  8. 08

    Manufacturer training & certification days

    Vendor & supply chain

    Your partners are in this room: plumbers, impact window contractors, and smart home and AV integrators.

    Training you need anyway, in a room with the rep who decides which contractor gets the warranty calls in your area.

    Quarterly Free ~3 hrs/month

Let us be straight with you. For tile and stone contractors, 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 tile & stone contractor 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 tile and stone contractors, 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: Tile & Stone Contractor

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. Window & Door Installer (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel
  4. Cabinetry & Countertops (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel
  5. Electrician (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: a homeowner decides to remodel

The three rooms to be in

  1. Distributor & showroom trade nights: Your partners are in this room: interior designers, remodeling contractors, and window and door installers.
  2. Local home builders association (NAHB affiliate): Your partners are in this room: interior designers, general contractors, and cabinet and countertop companies.
  3. Commercial contractors association (AGC / ABC): Your partners are in this room: general contractors, electricians, and plumbers.