How to find work as a new contractor: where your first customers come from (free plan)

Published November 4, 2026 · Owner threads, BNI fee pages, Nextdoor's business page and two state statutes read November 2 to 4, 2026 · Pest, septic, lawn and irrigation owners added November 8, 2026 · Pool owners added November 9, 2026

Free. The first customers plan comes by email as a PDF, a Word file and a Google Doc.
Deepsel is our product: free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for contractors (scheduling, quotes, invoicing, card payments). It won't find you customers; the section before the FAQ says what it does once the phone rings.
Owner quotes are from Reddit threads read November 2 to 4, 2026. I checked each author against our list of vendors and seeded accounts and say which trade each one works in where they say so.
Not legal advice. The license-number rules come from the Minnesota and Massachusetts statutes as I read them on November 4, 2026.

Your first customers come from people who already trust you, roughly in this order: friends, family and past customers; your old boss and other trades; realtors, property managers and home inspectors; the counter at your supply house or lumber yard; then the neighbors around every job you do. Paid leads come last, once you know what a customer is worth to you. Expect months: a Northeast roofer saw word-of-mouth appointments start to climb "after about 6-7 months", and a contractor who left a 10-year job needed "6 months or so" before he could pay himself a steady salary.^{1, 2}

The plan is three pages. Page 1 is the 25 people and businesses to tell, with a column for whether you asked each one for a name. Page 2 is referral partners by type (why they send work, who to ask for, what to bring) and five short scripts: the first call, a missed call, asking your old boss, asking a realtor, and what to say after every job. Page 3 is a lead-source log and a month-end table that shows which source pays. Get it three ways: make your own copy in Google Docs, download the Word version (.docx), or download the PDF. Pick a format, enter your email and I'll send the links.

Why this page. Once the paperwork is done, the phone is the first problem new contractors write about. "I have everything to make it legal squared away. Now I'm needing more customers," an electrician posted last Christmas.³ We counted about 300 Reddit threads asking how to get the first customers, across nine trades, and in 1,162 threads from contractors in their first year, other people brought up word of mouth in 25% of them and other trades or realtors in 22%.⁴ A survey of more than 600 plumbing and heating pros, paid for by an exam-prep company, points the same way: 69% named word of mouth and customer referrals as their main source of new business, and 58% named relationships with general contractors.⁵ Search "how to find work as a contractor" and you get job boards, software blogs and a couple of Reddit threads. So here's what owners say works, in the order a new owner can use it, with short notes for each trade at the end.

1. Start with the people who already know your work

Write down 25 names before you spend a dollar: family, friends, people you've done side work for, your church or team, the neighbors. Tell each one the same three things: you're licensed now, the three jobs you want most, and your number. Then ask for one name they'd pass it to. A contractor 35 years in, answering a new GC who asked how to get his first jobs: "How many old customers do have from before you got your license? Have them spread the info you’re legit now. Word of mouth is all I’ve ever done, going in 35+ years now!"⁶ An electrician a year out on his own credits saying yes to everything social, a bowling league and church included: "The thing is that you need a wide network of people who like you and know what you do."³

Customers you served on your old boss's payroll are a different matter. Read anything you signed before you call them.

What to charge friends and family

Your normal price, in writing. Owners who started with discounts wish they hadn't: "I gave a lot of discounts when I started out and really regretted it. Looking back I see myself giving amazing deals to friends and family that were already better off, when I was the one starting out and struggling."⁷ A remodeler priced a friend's bathroom at $14,500 against what he puts the local market at, $15,000, and heard they "were thinking more like 8k." The top reply in that thread: "Having a contracting business is a lot like owning a pickup. Lots of people want to use it for free."⁸

What most owners in those threads settle on:

Small favors are your call. An electrician's rule: "If I’m sweating, I’m charging."⁹ Hanging a fan for a beer is a gift. Rewiring half a house isn't.
Anything bigger gets your normal quote, contract and deposit. If you want to give something back, do it after the job. A carpenter: "I charge them exactly what I would any other customer, I might give a discount if the job goes according to plan".⁷ Put it on the invoice as its own line so they see the full price.
Write it up anyway. A Michigan builder "just starting my own business" reroofed his mother-in-law's house after hail without a contract and ended up "personally out of pocket about $13,800 (most of which is on my credit cards)."¹⁰ Another new contractor: "I worked with my friend he owes me like 4k but I just pretend like it doesn’t matter."¹¹ Your markup and margin don't change because you know the customer.
Ask for names instead of a discount. A friend who pays full price and tells three people is worth more than the job.

2. Your old boss, other trades and general contractors

The next ring is people in the trades. In that plumbing and heating survey, relationships with general contractors were the second-biggest source of new work, at 58%.⁵

Your old boss. Shops turn down jobs that are too small, too far or not their kind. The electrician from that Christmas thread: "My former employer has helped me out quite a bit. He let me take over for a couple of small contractors who do remodeling. Also he sends me work that he doesn’t want."³ The plan has a script for asking: you're not after his customers, you'll take what he turns down, and you'll send back what's too big for you.

Other trades. Electricians, plumbers and HVAC techs cut holes they don't patch and find problems outside their license. A handyman's tip: "Call electrician's, plumber, and HVAC guys and tell them youll do drywall patches after they do their stuff. Works best for solo guys and small companies."¹² It works the other way too. A one-man electrical shop in the Pacific Northwest started subbing for an HVAC company at his own hourly rate, then agreed flat labor prices once they were a big share of his work: "Each new 240v circuit I run I make $300, each new 120v is $200." He says he's "averaging more than $120/hr", and he knows his work two weeks out.¹³ Send work to the trades you meet, and tell them you did. That's how it comes back.

Subbing for general contractors. To become a subcontractor for a GC, expect to hand over a certificate of insurance, a W-9 and your license number before the first job. Two things to settle before you say yes:

When you get paid. A plumber 30 years in stopped subbing because the "GC wants to be billed 30 - 90 days."¹⁴ An electrician on why he stays residential: "Residential you get paid the day of the margins are high and I’m not a damn bank."¹⁵
Your rate. An electrician a year out subbed for a one-man shop at "$80/hr my truck, tools, labor." That shop's owner bills $180 an hour for himself, and the electrician charges $150 on his own jobs.¹⁶ Another owner's warning about low sub rates: "You’ll always have work as the cheapest guy, but is it the work you want."¹⁶ And a reply to someone who left a GC's payroll after eight years: "So you got $10 more an hour to pay your own insurance and taxes and to tear up your own tools instead of his?"¹⁷ Work out your floor first: electricians, plumbers, HVAC, roofers, handymen.

3. Realtors, property managers and home inspectors

Realtors need small jobs done fast, twice: before a house lists, and after the buyer's inspection. A Seattle-area handyman: "I have 4 realtor groups that give me a 2-6 houses a month. Each one is 1-5 full days of work of minor repairs, painting, and knocking out tasks on an inspection report."¹⁸ Another, connected with about a dozen: "Helps to be licensed and insured for the second as they often ask for it in the contract."¹⁸ Keep it two-way. A remodeler who gets most projects from "half a dozen realtors" gives them "an occasional realistic bid that's to help a deal close," and adds: "I'd have a clear conversation with them if it's looking like a one way street".¹⁹ Not everyone likes it: "They want everything dirt cheap preferably free and they think they are doing you a favor by giving you work."¹⁹

Property managers, HOAs and landlords mean repeat repair calls. A plumber's answer to a new license holder: "Cold call property management and HOA maintenance/management companies and realtors."²⁰ An electrician: "My most consistent customers have been a small property management company. I can count on them for $500-$800."²¹ An HVAC owner seven years in: "Reach out to local property managers they usually don't like to pay a lot but it can be steady work."²² Don't let one account carry you, though. A one-man plumbing company a year in got "1-2 repair calls from them per week, most weeks," then: "Honestly, I am a bit desperate, because my schedule has dried up, and not just because of them."²⁰

Home inspectors hand buyers a list. One inspector, answering a new HVAC owner: "We are taught that we ought not recommend one particular company, but to show a list of a few companies that we trust and personally recommend."²³ Get on a few of those lists. Electricians see where it leads: "IME realtor calls are from home inspections requiring a licensed electrician to correct the issue the buyer has."²⁴

4. The supply house counter, lumber yard and paint store

Homeowners ask the counter who to call. A window and door contractor: "an excellent source of referrals are large local hardware stores and lumberyards. They are constantly being asked for service providers. We just got a referral last week from the local lumberyard with a customer who needs windows replaced." His method, from another thread: "We keep them supplied in coffee and donuts and they keep us supplied in customers."²⁵ A contractor: "Talk to your suppliers if you’re looking for work. My local lumber yard sends me tons of jobs."²⁵ The 35-year contractor from the new-GC thread made friends at the big-box pro desk: "when a customer comes in needing something done they refer me."⁶ An electrician: "Build a good relationship with the people that work the supply houses. They can give good referrals."²⁵

Homeowners use it on purpose. One described how his father, a retired contractor, hired trades for a remodel: go to the local supply house "and ask them for references. They will generally referral the companies doing a fair bit of business and not being shady with how they pay up."²⁵ So pay your account on time. That's part of the referral.

The limit: in our research this shows up for remodelers, handymen, window and door work and electricians. No plumber in the plumbing threads described the counter as a lead source, and HVAC owners write about supply houses as accounts and dealer prices, not referrals.²⁶ Leave cards anyway; it costs a box of donuts. A handyman did the same at a hardware store: "All the cashiers at my local ace known me and when customers ask for a rec they point out my card out of all the ones next to the register."¹²

5. The neighbors: door hangers around a job, Nextdoor and local Facebook groups

Door hangers around every job

The cheapest marketing you have is the job you're on. The neighbors watch your truck all week. The handyman with the drywall tip: "Put them on the 10 houses around any house you work on. Have it say something like 'I was just working on your neighbors house and wanted to introduce myself. I do the following.'"¹² An older owner's version: "Every job you go to, go early and hit the 20 houses or so nearest to the job."²⁷ Cold hangers in streets where nobody knows you do much less. A first-year HVAC owner: "I did a few hundred door hangers and got 2 leads that don't seem to be going anywhere in the near future. I probably walked close to 20 miles to hang all those door hangers."²⁸

Two checks before you print:

Your license or registration number. Minnesota: "The license number of a licensee must appear in any advertising by that licensee including but not limited to signs, vehicles, business cards, published display ads, flyers, brochures, websites, and Internet ads."²⁹ Massachusetts: "Every contract, building permit and advertisement shall display the contractor's or subcontractor's certificate of registration number."³⁰ Your state's page covers its rule: Minnesota, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Idaho.
Your town's door-to-door rules. One owner found that in his state and county "every company employee who leaves door hangers has to get a peddler's license from the state, which is not expensive but is a hassle."²⁷ Ask the town clerk before a canvass.

Nextdoor and local Facebook groups

Nextdoor's business page is free, posts from it are free, and neighbors can recommend you on it.³¹ It's where neighbors ask "anyone know a good electrician?", and owners get first jobs there. An electrician: "When I went out on my own, I got my first job from there and from that first person, I got 3 more people from that one job."³² A general contractor asked every client to recommend him there for years: "76-80% of my business comes from there." It also took him "5 years before I started to get really busy."³² Another electrician in year three puts it at "maybe 10% of our business."³² Facebook groups work the same way. A handyman: "I posted once in a neighborhood facebook group last summer and now I’ve got enough work that I turn down clients who don’t seem like a good fit."³² The catch is price. An electrician seven months in: "People on face book are wanting the lowest of the low price."³² Answer posts as yourself, ask happy customers to recommend you there, and quote your normal price.

6. Networking groups: what BNI costs

BNI chapters meet every week to pass each other referrals, and each chapter takes one member per profession: the regional pages invite you to apply "to lock out your competitors."³³ Here's the first year, application fee plus a one-year membership, from four regional pages covering states on our list:

BNI region	Application fee	One-year membership	First year
Iowa	$199	$699	$898
Central Virginia	$199	$675	$874
Northern New Jersey	$200	$760	$960
Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts	One price	One price	$1,348

Chapters can add a fee for the meeting room on top. BNI Virginia says those "are separate, and in addition to the investment to join BNI."³³ What owners say they got back:

A first-year HVAC owner: "It cost me about $900 for the first year but I made that back and more within the first month. I joined in September and went heavy on trying to get maintenance customers and that worked great."³⁴ That's one voice.
An HVAC owner seven years in, in 2023: "It cost about $1000 ‐3000 a year to be a member of a chapter depending on things like meal and venue costs. I get a minimum of 20x that back every year."²²
A contractor in his first month: "BNI chapters are a little expensive at over $1000 a year, but if you network with real estate agents, a lot of them are in networking groups that are not larger organization affiliated."³⁴

Do the arithmetic before you join. If a typical job leaves you $450 after materials and labor, a $900 first year needs two jobs from the chapter to break even. Visit two chapters first and look at who's in the room: a realtor, a property manager or a remodeler can send you more than ten other members can. And count the weekly breakfast as time off the tools.

7. How long it takes

Longer than it feels like it should. What owners report:

A roofer in the Northeast: "after about 6-7 months the number of organic/word of mouth appts started to increase."¹
A contractor who left a 10-year job: "it took me 6 months or so before I could consistently pay myself a steady salary."²
A Tennessee handyman two years in: "It took me about a year to stay busy."³⁵
A general contractor 16 years in: "After 3-5 years in the business you’ll likely have enough word of mouth to keep you busy."³⁵

So plan the cash for the gap. An electrician's advice before going out: "Be ready to not take a paycheck for a year."³⁶ Keep side work or part-time hours going if you can, and log where every call comes from (page 3 of the plan). After three months you'll know which source to put your time into.

8. What to say on the first call

Plenty of first jobs are lost on the phone before price ever comes up. A homeowner who needed a flat roof replaced: "I contacted six local roofers for some work as needed a flat roof replaced, I had to leave a phone message for all of them."³⁷ The GC 16 years in names three things that build a business, and one is "answer your phone and follow through."³⁵ The plan's script, in order:

Answer, or call back within the hour.
Ask what's going on, the address, when it started, and for a photo by text.
Ask "How did you hear about us?" and write it in the log.
Say the money before you go: your service call or minimum and what it covers, or that the estimate is free. A homeowner's thread about a plumber's $90 dispatch fee drew 55 comments, and one line summed it up: "It should have been stated in advance though."³⁸ Some owners credit the fee to the job: "Our diagnostic fee is $129 and we waive it if the customer proceeds with our recommended repairs."³⁹
Give a time window, then confirm it in writing the same day with your license number.
Not your work? Send them to a trade you trust, and tell that trade you did.

9. What not to spend on yet

Marketing before revenue. One owner's blunt version: "You Don't need to spend a dollar on marketing until you have some revenue first."⁴⁰
A new truck. "Don't get yourself into debt. You DO NOT need a new truck until you have no other choice or it will pay for itself."¹¹
Google ads and SEO agencies before your price works. An HVAC owner: "I personally lost money with trying google way too soon and never made up that loss." Another, 11 years in: "SEO drained me and my business."⁴¹
Lead sellers. A roofing owner: "I’ve now been burned by two different lead gen companies and I’m into this for over $11,000."⁴¹ Paid lead sites such as Angi and Thumbtack can wait until you know your close rate and what a job is worth; that's its own article.
The Google profile is free, so set it up now with your real service area and license number, and ask each happy customer for a review. That's its own article too.

Expect calls this month from lead sellers and marketing agencies. License lists are public. That's also how our email found you, if that's how you got here.

What owners in each trade found

General contractors, remodelers and handymen: how to get handyman jobs and remodel work

People who ran jobs for someone else, project managers and superintendents, hit leads first. "I just recently got my GC license a few weeks ago and do not really know where to begin to get leads. I've been a Superintendent on hospitality projects."⁴² One answer from the new-GC thread: "I started with nothing by handymanning. It was valuable for a few reasons. I got paid to learn on the job."⁶ Friends-and-family pricing comes up more among handymen and remodelers than builders, so section 1 matters most here.⁴² Realtors' pre-listing and inspection lists suit handymen; lumber yards and paint stores suit remodelers and window and door work. Price lists: handyman price list and contractor markup once you're hiring subs.

Electricians

Owners steer new shops to residential service: "Bidding new construction is a race to the bottom. Residential service work is incredibly lucrative."⁴³ Builders still come, sometimes from a first job priced to show your work: an electrician seven months in picked up two builders "from posting on face book and giving them a lower price on the first job so they could see my work."³² Subbing for HVAC companies and remodelers is the other early route (section 2), and so is your old employer. Realtors and inspection reports bring panel work: "I get most of my panel swaps from realtors."²⁴ Property manager accounts can be enough to go solo on: "Lucky I have 7-8 accounts that have really been the driving force for me to go solo."²¹ Set your rate first: how much an electrician should charge per hour.

Plumbers: how to get plumbing jobs

Every "just got my license" post we found in plumbing asks where the first clients come from. "Ive been a plumber for 10 years and I’m ready to start going out on my own I’m really struggling to find clients."²⁰ Owners point at property managers, HOAs and realtors, and at "new construction, property management companies, emergency restoration companies, and other folks who have institutional money."⁴⁴ A realtor added one niche: a plumber who "only does Sewer inspections, get in tight with realtors, charged 250 bucks for it."⁴⁴ Home warranty companies fill a slow week at a price: "them telling you they’ll only cover like $300 of a repair, and then being on a net 60 after all that."⁴⁴ More in you got your master plumber license, now what, and your rate in how much a plumber should charge per hour.

HVAC contractors: how to get HVAC customers

Of 156 threads from new and nearly new HVAC owners we read, 15 were about first customers, often a set-up business with a quiet phone: "But I haven’t gotten a single call yet."²⁸ What owners say works:

BNI and maintenance customers, together in the $900 story in section 6.³⁴
Tune-ups to get in the door, with a fight over price. "Run maintenance specials. It’s boring and doesn’t pay great but it’s better than no work and can sometimes lead to more work." Against that: "even a one man show with little overhead can not drive to your house for $59 and stay in businesses."²⁸
Home warranty companies, with eyes open. A new owner on the rate sheet he got: "I just got their rate sheet today and LOL." Another lost the work for charging more: "they have pulled work away from me for being too expensive."²⁸
Builders, carefully. "Unless you find custom builders you are competitive with companies buying 5+ million per year in equipment just for their new construction jobs."²⁸
Property managers: "Small company in Polk county we charge $120/hr we stay busy year round with property management companies."²²

Your rates are in the HVAC pricing guide, and the one reminder that fills a slow month is in your first slow season.

Roofers: roofing leads without buying them

Roofing has its own tools: door knocking and the free inspection. Leads and first customers were the top ask in 70 threads from new roofing owners.⁴⁵ An installer 8 years in, a month into his own company: "I’ve only roof one house so far I’m trying door knocking and Facebook post daily."⁴⁵

The free inspection. 15 of the 18 roofing firms from our license list whose websites we could read lead with a free inspection, estimate or quote.⁴⁵ A roofer who has tracked his leads for 8 years: "free inspections are still better than most other lead generators besides word of mouth."⁴⁶ Charge when the report gives someone an edge in a deal. One roofer charges only then, and those customers are "property buyers/sellers and realtors primarily."⁴⁵
Realtors and small repairs. "Most of my work is retail, but a few are storm claims. I get my business from realtors and referrals."⁴⁵ Another roofer: "The property manager was a referral from a small $500 repair my first couple months on my own."⁴⁶
Lead sellers burn cash first. The roofing owner from section 9 paid "$6,000 for 42 residential leads and 5 commercial leads," and "18 were no-shows."⁴¹
Word of mouth alone runs dry. A roofer a year in: "I have done around 400,000 in sales but now it’s getting slow for me because all my work that I do is mainly word-of-mouth."⁴⁵ Keep a few channels going.
Knocking after a storm? Read your state's claim rules first: Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Colorado.

Price the work from roofing price per square.

Pest control: a cheap first visit, Google and Thumbtack

Pest owners use the first visit as the door opener. One who started in 2020: "When I first started I passed out flyers that gave good discounts on the initial service. Really helped get my company out there and helped me grow." He still services about 20 of those first customers, and adds a warning: "Just make sure you don't under bid your reoccurring services." In another thread he counted where new customers came from: "around 40% from referrals, around 45% from Yelp and the last 15% is fliers, google, or seeing my truck."⁴⁷ (His account has since been deleted; both comments are still up.) Asked by a new owner in Georgia what marketing actually worked, another owner answered in two words, "Google LSA," and then: "The acquisition cost for everything else is just too high and ultimately not worth it for the size of my business." His insurance agent was his first customer.⁴⁸ A third gets most of his work from Thumbtack, "but organic leads are starting to compete."⁴⁹ Referrals work better with a number on them: "I offer a referral credit. If you tell someone about us and they sign up you get $x amount credit added to your account."⁵⁰ What Google's ads and Thumbtack cost per job is in Angi vs Thumbtack. Price the recurring visit before the first flyer goes out: pest control pricing.

Septic: your plumbing customers, realtors, and advertising early

A lot of new septic businesses are plumbing shops adding a truck, and the plumbing customers are the first septic customers. A Michigan plumber bought a used pump truck because "I was always being told by my plumbing customers that local pumpers were too busy to fit them in." In 2026 he told Pumper, "We might already be close to 40% of our business," and "The septic work also brings in more plumbing work because our name's getting out there."⁵¹ Realtors need septic inspections for home sales, but cold outreach to them is slow. A pumper who started in Kentucky in 2025: "I sent out like 3000 emails and only gave 4 free inspections and have only gotten a handful of paid inspections in 6 months of business."⁵² An owner who began with pumping, inspections and maintenance spent on ads up front and then stopped: "I did heavy advertising in the first 2 years and haven't spent a penny since. My reputation has been all that's needed."⁵³ Price the pump-out before the phone rings: how to price septic pumping.

Lawn care and landscaping: Nextdoor, then the second year

Section 5's Nextdoor advice is where lawn owners start. A part-time landscaper: "nearly all of my customers were from Nextdoor OR referrals from customers that I had originally connected with on Nextdoor." His tip is to answer each post yourself: "take the time to respond to people individually and the accounts will start coming."⁵⁴ A gardener: "I have gotten damn near 100% of my clients by posting there and I haven't even paid to promote the ads."⁵⁵ Referrals take a season. An owner who grew from solo to a five-person crew says the first year went into building the client list, "and the second year they started recommending me to their friends and family."⁵⁶ Price the season first: lawn care pricing.

Pool service: new pools, and buying a route

Pool owners say less about first customers than any other trade here, so this is short. New pools are one way in. A builder starts up the new finish and moves on, and the owner then goes looking for weekly service. A Southwest Florida owner describes exactly that customer, the one who "hires us" after a builder's quick start-up. He won't take the start-ups themselves at a builder's price, though: "Had a few builders offer startups to us at like 500 a pool. And we just laughed at them. We get so much more work from word of mouth vs potentially picking up the customer after startup."⁵⁸

The other way in is buying pools. A Manatee County owner who has bought through a broker and privately: "Most brokers are going to price the sale @ 12 times monthly service and take 10% broker fee. I have seen private sales on FB and at distributors for anywhere from 6-11 times monthly service." An owner who has bought several routes puts the going rate at "around 8 to 10 months monthly revenue," and says to "ask for a 90 day holdback in case customers decide not to continue with you and a non-compete period with the seller." The warnings are blunt. A North Florida owner: "I know a guy who bought 50 pools last summer. Now he's down to 28 and he's singing the blues." And a reply to a new pool tech in Texas, about a local operator: "He routinely takes contracts for the less profitable ones, bundles them up, and sells them to an unsuspecting newbie."⁵⁹ Work out what a stop is worth to you before you pay for anyone else's: pool service pricing. Then sign every new customer, bought or found, to the pool service agreement template.

Irrigation: the supply house branch

Section 4's supply counter matters even more in irrigation, where homeowners ask the branch who installs. In a thread of questions for people who'd started irrigation businesses, one contractor wrote: "My branch recommends me for anyone who ask. I've got a bunch of work because of them."⁵⁷ Spring start-ups and fall blowouts bring the same customers back twice a year, so the first season's customers are next year's route: sprinkler blowout and start-up checklist. Your rates are in irrigation pricing.

More for new contractors

Angi vs Thumbtack: should you pay for leads yet, with a free lead cost calculator.
Google Business Profile for contractors: setup, verification and your first reviews, with a free checklist.
How much to set aside for taxes: self-employment tax, quarterly payments and your state, with a free calculator.
Hiring your first employee: W-2 or 1099, workers comp and what a helper really costs, with a free checklist.
Contractor insurance: what you need from day one, what it costs and what can wait, with a free checklist.
Change order template and hidden damage clause: rot behind the wall, charge more or eat it.
Punch list template: stop a small list holding your final payment.
Should you pull a permit for someone else? The asks you will get, and the answers.
When a customer won't pay, the lien deadlines and a demand letter, by state: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Utah, Virginia.

Where Deepsel fits

Deepsel won't find you customers. It doesn't sell leads, and texting your customers is part of Max. It helps once someone calls. You get a request form at your own web address (you set it in Settings), so the link can go on your Google profile, a door hanger or a text to a realtor. The customer types what they need, their address and good times; it lands as a new request and you get an email, while the customer gets no confirmation, so call them back. Every request has a source (phone, web form, email, walk-in, referral, online booking or other) and the request list filters by it. There's no field for which realtor or plumber sent it and no report of money by source, so keep page 3 of the plan for that. Quotes go out by email as a link: you see when the customer opened it, and they approve on screen with a signature and, if you ask for one, a card deposit that's credited on the final invoice. No email address? Mark the quote sent and text them the link yourself. You can import your old customers from a spreadsheet, and customers get emails when a visit is scheduled, when you're on your way and when it's done (each can be turned off). Booking reminders by email are on Pro, in the service plans module, and text reminders are on Max. Pro also has online booking: a page of your own where the customer picks a service and a free time, and the job lands on your schedule. Its link can go on your Google profile too, and you can make a tracking link for each place you share it, so every job booked through one carries that tag. Pro also emails every customer a Google review request once the job is finished, with one reminder if they don't open it. The Free plan covers 30 estimates and 30 invoices a month for your whole team; Pro is $29 a month for unlimited estimates and invoices. Details are on the pricing page.

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Frequently asked questions

How do contractors find work when they're just starting out?

Mostly through people who already know their work. In a survey of more than 600 plumbing and heating pros, 69% named word of mouth and customer referrals as their main source of new business and 58% named relationships with general contractors. For a new owner that means, in order: friends, family and past customers; your old boss and other trades; realtors, property managers and home inspectors; the counter at your supply house or lumber yard; and door hangers on the houses around every job. Paid leads come last, once you know what a customer is worth to you.

How do I get my first clients as a contractor?

Write down 25 people and businesses who know you or your trade, tell each one you're licensed, the three jobs you want and your number, and ask each for one name to pass it to. Then call your old boss and two or three other trades, introduce yourself to realtors and property managers with a one-page price sheet, and leave cards at the supply house counter. Answer every call, say your fee up front, and write down where each caller came from so you know what to keep doing.

What should I charge friends and family?

Your normal price, in writing, with the same contract and deposit as any customer. Small favors you'd do for a beer are your call; anything you'd need insurance or a permit for gets a real quote. If you want to give a discount, give it after the job and put it on the invoice as its own line, so they see what the work is worth. Owners who discounted heavily when they started say they regretted it.

How much does BNI cost?

The first year, application plus a one-year membership, ran $874 to $1,348 on the four regional BNI pages I read on November 4, 2026: $898 in Iowa, $874 in Central Virginia, $960 in Northern New Jersey and $1,348 in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Chapters can add a fee for the meeting room or meals on top. Each chapter takes one member per profession. One HVAC owner says his roughly $900 first year paid for itself in the first month; another says it runs $1,000 to $3,000 a year with meals and venue.

Do I need my license number on flyers and door hangers?

In some states, yes. Minnesota requires a licensee's number in any advertising, including signs, vehicles, business cards, flyers, websites and internet ads. Massachusetts requires a home improvement contractor's registration number on every contract, building permit and advertisement. Check your own state's rule before you print anything, and put the number on the truck lettering too.

How long does it take to get steady work as a new contractor?

Months, and for some, years. A Northeast roofer saw word-of-mouth appointments pick up after about 6 to 7 months. A contractor who left a 10-year job needed about six months before he could pay himself a steady salary, and a Tennessee handyman took about a year to stay busy. A general contractor 16 years in puts enough word of mouth to stay busy at 3 to 5 years. Keep enough cash or side work to cover the gap.

How do electricians find clients?

The same way other trades do, plus a few electrical routes: subbing for HVAC companies and remodelers, panel and service work that realtors and home inspection reports send, and property managers. A one-man shop subbing for an HVAC company agreed flat labor prices of $300 for each new 240-volt circuit and $200 for each 120-volt circuit, with the HVAC company supplying the material, and says he averages more than his $120 hourly rate. Owners warn that new construction bidding is a race to the bottom and that residential service pays faster.

Is $50 an hour reasonable for a contractor?

For the person paying, maybe. For you as the owner it's usually too low, because the same $50 has to cover insurance, the truck, tools, the unpaid hours spent quoting and driving, and self-employment tax before it pays you. A reply to someone who left a general contractor's payroll put it plainly: you got $10 more an hour to pay your own insurance and taxes and wear out your own tools. Work out your floor on the pricing page for your trade before you quote friends, subs or anyone else.

Sources

r/Roofing, a Northeast roofing owner ten months in, in the thread "Low overhead roofing company" (February 11, 2026): "after about 6-7 months the number of organic/word of mouth appts started to increase" (o4u6cz4). Read November 4, 2026.
r/Contractor (December 20, 2024): "I spent 10 years working for someone else, decided I was ready and started my own business." and "it took me 6 months or so before I could consistently pay myself a steady salary." (m2wtt9k). Read November 4, 2026.
r/electricians, a new owner's post (December 25, 2025): "I have everything to make it legal squared away. Now I'm needing more customers." (1pv3b9k). Reply from an electrician about a year out on his own: "My former employer has helped me out quite a bit. He let me take over for a couple of small contractors who do remodeling. Also he sends me work that he doesn’t want." and "The thing is that you need a wide network of people who like you and know what you do." (nvvd4oj). Read November 4, 2026.
Deepsel research, "Common topics for newly licensed contractors" (doc 8.3): about 300 genuine owner threads asking how to get the first customers, confirmed in 9 trades outside HVAC, in a corpus of 1,101,032 posts from 47 subreddits, mostly August 2024 to August 2026; in 1,162 threads from contractors in their first year (16,811 comments), someone other than the poster raised word of mouth in 25% and other trades or realtors in 22%. Counted November 2, 2026.
Patrick Hayes (general manager, Contractor Training Center, an online licensing and exam-prep company owned by Colibri Group), "What Contractors Say They Need for Tomorrow’s Plumbing Business," phcppros, February 2, 2026: "The center surveyed more than 600 plumbing and heating professionals this past August and September." and 69% "said word-of-mouth and customer referrals are their primary source of new business. Building relationships with general contractors came in second at 58 percent." The article doesn't publish the questions or who answered. phcppros.com, read November 4, 2026.
r/GeneralContractor, "New GC, How do I get my first jobs?" (July 17, 2026, 1uzekrb). Replies: a contractor 35 years in, "How many old customers do have from before you got your license?..." (oy74w9s) and "I have made friends at the pro desk, and when a customer comes in needing something done they refer me." (oygwpwb); "I started with nothing by handymanning..." (oyd43hr). Read November 4, 2026.
r/Carpentry, "What do you guys charge on friends and family jobs?" (May 16, 2025; the post was later deleted by its author, the replies are still up, 1knsmsy): "I gave a lot of discounts when I started out and really regretted it..." (mskrewg); "I charge them exactly what I would any other customer, I might give a discount if the job goes according to plan and they didn't act like assholes during the work" (mslqqnk). Read November 4, 2026.
r/Contractor, "Friends and Family Jobs" (April 2, 2026): "a friend wants a new bathroom, the market on that is 15k, I offer to do it for 14.5k. They were thinking more like 8k." (1sajbmy); top reply, "Having a contracting business is a lot like owning a pickup. Lots of people want to use it for free." (odw56om). Read November 4, 2026.
r/electricians, "How do y'all 'price' stuff for friends and family?" (February 13, 2026): "If I’m sweating, I’m charging." (o581shk). Read November 4, 2026.
r/Roofing, a licensed Michigan builder (September 2, 2025, post since removed, read in an archived copy): "I'm a licensed builder in MI, and I'm just starting my own business." and "The roof job is done and I'm personally out of pocket about $13,800 (most of which is on my credit cards)." (mother-in-law's hail roof, no contract) (1n6yuzn). From Deepsel research docs 8.3 and 8.7, checked November 2, 2026.
r/Contractor, "New contractor" (March 5, 2025): the poster, "Where do I go from here? I have no guidance." (1j46phg), and later "I worked with my friend he owes me like 4k but I just pretend like it doesn’t matter." (mg9e683); a reply, "Don't get yourself into debt. You DO NOT need a new truck until you have no other choice or it will pay for itself." (mg7y3wh). Read November 4, 2026.
r/handyman, a handyman's list of free and cheap ways to get work (May 24, 2026): other trades and drywall patches, door hangers on "the 10 houses around any house you work on", and business cards at the hardware store (onldafo). Read November 4, 2026.
r/electricians, a one-man shop in the Pacific Northwest on subbing for an HVAC company (April 17, 2026): "Each new 240v circuit I run I make $300, each new 120v is $200." and "I’m averaging more than $120/hr and because I know what work I have with them 2 weeks in advance..." (ogt54vw). Read November 4, 2026.
r/Contractor, a plumber 30 years in who stopped subbing (November 15, 2025): "GC wants to be billed 30 - 90 days" (1oy1wbo). From Deepsel research doc 8.6, checked November 2, 2026.
r/electricians (November 4, 2024): "Why should I finance a portion of the project for low margins and a chance to not get paid at all. Residential you get paid the day of the margins are high and I’m not a damn bank." (lvdge91). From Deepsel research doc 8.5, checked November 2, 2026.
r/electricians, an electrician a year out on his own, upper Midwest (April 17, 2026): "I gave him in my mind a good deal… $80/hr my truck, tools, labor. ... He charges $180 for himself… when I do my own jobs I charge $150." [partial] (1snlh3q); r/electricians (January 24, 2026): "They under bid the job and you dance around on their puppet strings. You’ll always have work as the cheapest guy, but is it the work you want." (o1d9w41). From Deepsel research doc 8.5, checked November 2, 2026.
r/GeneralContractor (March 6, 2026), top reply to someone who quit a general contractor after 8 years (post body since deleted): "So you got $10 more an hour to pay your own insurance and taxes and to tear up your own tools instead of his?" (1rmro73). From Deepsel research doc 8.3, checked November 2, 2026.
r/handyman, Seattle metro (July 16, 2026): "I have 4 realtor groups that give me a 2-6 houses a month..." (oxu8rr1); r/handyman (June 26, 2026): "I’ve slowly been connected with about a dozen realtors. They are always looking for someone to fix a few things before listing or fix the post inspection list. Helps to be licensed and insured for the second as they often ask for it in the contract" (oty1te9). Read November 4, 2026.
r/GeneralContractor, an interior remodeler (July 9, 2024): "most of my projects come from half a dozen realtors..." (lcfehg0); r/Contractor (May 1, 2024): "Realtors are the fucking worst. They want everything dirt cheap preferably free and they think they are doing you a favor by giving you work." (l225ewd). Read November 4, 2026.
r/Plumbing, "Just got my license, how did you land your first..." (March 11, 2026): "Ive been a plumber for 10 years and I’m ready to start going out on my own I’m really struggling to find clients." (1rr7w0o); reply, "Cold call property management and HOA maintenance/management companies and realtors." (oa09h9s); r/Contractor, a one-man plumbing company about a year in (October 15, 2026): "I usually get 1-2 repair calls from them per week, most weeks." and "Honestly, I am a bit desperate, because my schedule has dried up, and not just because of them." (1x6ok2b). From Deepsel research doc 8.6, checked November 2 and 3, 2026.
r/electricians (December 28, 2024): "My most consistent customers have been a small property management company. I can count on them for $500-$800." (m456z4s); r/electricians (November 30, 2024): "Lucky I have 7-8 accounts that have really been the driving force for me to go solo." (lzs661d). From Deepsel research doc 8.5, checked November 2, 2026.
r/HVAC, "Starting my own company." (December 25, 2023), an HVAC owner seven years in: "Reach out to local property managers they usually don't like to pay a lot but it can be steady work. I have one that gives me about 70k a month in work." and on BNI, "It cost about $1000 ‐3000 a year to be a member of a chapter depending on things like meal and venue costs. I get a minimum of 20x that back every year." (ketbgka); r/HVAC (September 17, 2025): "Small company in Polk county we charge $120/hr we stay busy year round with property management companies" (nep1xrz). Read November 3 and 4, 2026.
r/ProHVACR, a home inspector answering a new HVAC owner (September 12, 2025): "We are taught that we ought not recommend one particular company, but to show a list of a few companies that we trust and personally recommend." (ndq9ka0). Read November 4, 2026.
r/electricians (April 4, 2025): "IME realtor calls are from home inspections requiring a licensed electrician to correct the issue the buyer has" (mlg84fr); (October 12, 2026): "I get most of my panel swaps from realtors." (pfdk66p). From Deepsel research doc 8.5, checked November 2, 2026.
A contractor who does window, door and rot work, r/Contractor (July 30, 2026): "an excellent source of referrals are large local hardware stores and lumberyards..." (p0kqigk), and r/HandymanBusiness (August 8, 2026): "We keep them supplied in coffee and donuts and they keep us supplied in customers." (p2dzj0f); r/Contractor (June 1, 2024): "Talk to your suppliers if you’re looking for work. My local lumber yard sends me tons of jobs." (l6muqxa); r/electricians (January 13, 2025): "Build a good relationship with the people that work the supply houses. They can give good referrals." (m6uvq4g); a homeowner, r/Contractor (September 23, 2024): "his algorithm was to go to the local plumbing/roofing/etc supply house (not Home Depot) and ask them for references. They will generally referral the companies doing a fair bit of business and not being shady with how they pay up." (lojj8v6). Read November 4, 2026.
Deepsel research, "Plumbing: what new plumbing business owners ask" (doc 8.6): supply-house accounts and "the counter guy" as a lead source "barely appear", with no first-hand counter referral in the plumbing subs; "HVAC: what new HVAC business owners ask" (doc 8.8): 10 of 156 new-owner threads were about the supply house, all on accounts, dealer prices and territory. November 2, 2026. A search of 13 trade and business subreddits on November 4, 2026 found counter referrals described by remodelers, handymen, a window and door contractor and electricians.
r/Contractor, a former business owner (July 16, 2024): "Every job you go to, go early and hit the 20 houses or so nearest to the job." (ldfgenq); r/Contractor (May 15, 2025): "every company employee who leaves door hangers has to get a peddler's license from the state, which is not expensive but is a hassle." (msi1ovt). Read November 4, 2026.
Deepsel research, "HVAC: what new HVAC business owners ask" (doc 8.8): 15 of 156 hand-read threads from new and nearly new HVAC owners were about first customers. Quotes: "But I haven’t gotten a single call yet." (r/smallbusiness, April 15, 2026, 1smlf1z); "I did a few hundred door hangers and got 2 leads..." (r/ProHVACR, September 13, 2026, 1wfgda4); "Run maintenance specials..." (r/HVAC, October 22, 2024, lt3swym); "even a one man show with little overhead can not drive to your house for $59 and stay in businesses" (r/hvacadvice, October 3, 2025, nhkvzjz); "I just got their rate sheet today and LOL" (r/HVAC, May 13, 2025, 1klxjv3); "I mainly was doing good part-time with Home Warranty work. However, they have pulled work away from me for being too expensive." (r/ProHVACR, December 16, 2025, nuewqjk); "Unless you find custom builders..." (r/ProHVACR, May 15, 2025, msd5lnd). Checked November 2, 2026.
Minnesota Statutes 326B.87, subd. 2, Advertising: "The license number of a licensee must appear in any advertising by that licensee including but not limited to signs, vehicles, business cards, published display ads, flyers, brochures, websites, and Internet ads." revisor.mn.gov, read November 4, 2026.
Massachusetts General Laws c. 142A, section 13(c): "Every contract, building permit and advertisement shall display the contractor's or subcontractor's certificate of registration number." malegislature.gov, read November 4, 2026.
Nextdoor for Business, small business page: "Create an online presence with a free Business Page", "Engage nearby neighbors with free posts", "Get recommendations from customers and grow your reputation". business.nextdoor.com, read November 4, 2026.
r/electricians (November 18, 2024): "When I went out on my own, I got my first job from there and from that first person, I got 3 more people from that one job, plus more work from the first person." (lxp7nz4); r/Contractor, a general contractor (March 26, 2024): "It took me 5 years before I started to get really busy..." and "76-80% of my business comes from there." (kwl2a5q); r/electricians, year three (April 19, 2026): "We got maybe 10% of our business from an active Nextdoor presence" (oh5iji4); r/handyman (May 21, 2026): "I posted once in a neighborhood facebook group last summer..." (omz4ht0); r/electricians, seven months in (April 3, 2025): "People on face book are wanting the lowest of the low price." and "Then I picked up the two builders from posting on face book and giving them a lower price on the first job so they could see my work." (ml6x2je). Read November 4, 2026.
BNI regional pages, read November 4, 2026. BNI Iowa: "Application Fee: $199", "$699 for a one year membership", "the initial investment to join BNI is $898 for one year" (bniiowa.com). BNI Central Virginia: "Application Fee: $199 Participation Fees: $675 for a one year membership", "$874 for one year" (bniva.com), and "Individual chapters may also charge an additional fee to pay for the space in which their meetings take place. These charges are separate, and in addition to the investment to join BNI" (bniva.com). BNI Northern New Jersey: "Application Fee: $200", "$760 for a one year membership", "$960 for one year"; "to lock out your competitors, upon your acceptance in the chapter" (bninewjersey.com). BNI RI/SE MA: "1 Year New Member 1 Term(Year) Membership New Member $1348.00" (bniri.com).
r/ProHVACR, a first-year HVAC owner who joined BNI (September 13, 2026, comment-only account, so one voice): "It cost me about $900 for the first year but I made that back and more within the first month. I joined in September and went heavy on trying to get maintenance customers and that worked great." (p9mm22p); r/Contractor (August 16, 2025): "BNI chapters are a little expensive at over $1000 a year, but if you network with real estate agents..." (n8zpvr2). Read November 4, 2026.
r/handyman, a Tennessee handyman two years in (February 22, 2025): "It took me about a year to stay busy." (me31gr2); r/Contractor, a GC 16 years in (June 24, 2025): "After 3-5 years in the business you’ll likely have enough word of mouth to keep you busy. Three things will help you build:1-know what you’re talking about, 2:know your costs and charge appropriately, 3:answer your phone and follow through." (mzksh3o). Read November 4, 2026.
r/electricians (September 28, 2026): "Be ready to not take a paycheck for a year." (pcmqeoz). From Deepsel research doc 8.5, checked November 2, 2026.
r/Roofing, a homeowner (March 23, 2026, post since removed, read in an archived copy): "A couple of months ago I contacted six local roofers for some work as needed a flat roof replaced, I had to leave a phone message for all of them." (1s1flsn). From Deepsel research doc 8.7, checked November 2, 2026.
r/Contractor, "Was the plumber right to charge me dispatch fee" (October 23, 2026, 55 comments on a $90 fee): "It should have been stated in advance though." (reply). From Deepsel research doc 8.6, checked November 2, 2026.
r/HVAC (May 19, 2026): "Our diagnostic fee is $129 and we waive it if the customer proceeds with our recommended repairs." (omqvfwr). From Deepsel research doc 8.8, checked November 2, 2026.
r/HandymanBusiness (March 24, 2026): "You Don't need to spend a dollar on marketing until you have some revenue first." (1s2cknw). From Deepsel research doc 8.3, checked November 2, 2026.
r/HVAC (November 14, 2024): "I personally lost money with trying google way too soon and never made up that loss." (lx4dohz); r/ProHVACR, an owner who "used 4 different companies in 11 years" (February 18, 2026): "SEO drained me and my business." (o62ml9d); r/RoofingSales (April 24, 2026): "I’ve now been burned by two different lead gen companies and I’m into this for over $11,000.", "We paid $6,000 for 42 residential leads and 5 commercial leads." and "18 were no-shows" (1sur11j). Read November 4, 2026; roofing quotes from Deepsel research doc 8.7.
Deepsel research, "General contractors and remodelers" (doc 8.4): project managers and superintendents who go out on their own hit leads, sales and estimating first; friends-and-family threads are 2.3% of handyman threads, 1.5% of remodeler threads and 0.6% of builder threads. Quote: "I just recently got my GC license a few weeks ago and do not really know where to begin to get leads. I've been a Superintendent on hospitality projects" (r/GeneralContractor, August 17, 2026, 1vqe63d). November 2, 2026.
r/electricians (April 19, 2025): "Bidding new construction is a race to the bottom. Residential service work is incredibly lucrative." (mnwde53). From Deepsel research doc 8.5, checked November 2, 2026.
r/smallbusiness reply to a one-man plumbing LLC (August 12, 2026): "I would suggest that individual customers are not the right direction. You'll want to connect with new construction, property management companies, emergency restoration companies, and other folks who have institutional money." (p3c8t6f); r/askaplumber, a realtor (June 26, 2026): "I’m not a plumber, but I am a realtor and I know one guy who only does Sewer inspections, get in tight with realtors, charged 250 bucks for it..." (otx5oro); r/Contractor on home warranty work (March 29, 2026): "Jumping through hoops to get paid, having to go to the place, diagnose, submit a diagnosis, them telling you they'll only cover like $300 of a repair, and then being on a net 60 after all that." (od5h9ec). Read November 2 to 4, 2026.
Deepsel research, "Roofing and exteriors" (doc 8.7): leads and first customers were the top ask in 70 hand-tagged threads from new roofing owners (14); 15 of 18 list firms' websites read on November 2, 2026 lead with a free inspection, estimate or quote. Quotes: "I’ve only roof one house so far I’m trying door knocking and Facebook post daily." (r/Roofing, September 2, 2026, 1w5fd5l, re-read November 4, 2026); on when he charges for an inspection, "property buyers/sellers and realtors primarily." (r/Roofing, November 17, 2025, npc2z47); "Most of my work is retail, but a few are storm claims. I get my business from realtors and referrals." (r/Roofing, June 11, 2025, an Arkansas roofer, 1l8esop); "I’m 23 so I’m new to this but I started a roofing company around this time in 2025 and I have done around 400,000 in sales but now it’s getting slow..." (r/Roofing, August 24, 2026, 1vwomqg).
r/Roofing (June 20, 2026): "After tracking leads for 8 years, free inspections are still better than most other lead generators besides word of mouth." (osptk8g); r/Roofing (December 22, 2025): "I have a couple realtors and some property managers we do alot of work for. The property manager was a referral from a small $500 repair my first couple months on my own." (nvey4wz). Read November 4, 2026.
r/PestControlIndustry, an owner who started in 2020 (account since deleted): "When I first started I passed out flyers that gave good discounts on the initial service. Really helped get my company out there and helped me grow. I still have about 20 clients that I service on a regular basis since I started in 2020. Just make sure you don't under bid your reoccurring services." (July 7, 2025, n1q83ki); "I've been tracking how new clients hear about us and I'm at around 40% from referrals, around 45% from Yelp and the last 15% is fliers, google, or seeing my truck." (April 12, 2025, mmrsf4j). Both read November 8, 2026.
r/pestcontrol, reply in "Starting my own pest control company in Georgia" (February 23, 2026): "Marketing that actually worked (not just theory) -Google LSA. The acquisition cost for everything else is just too high and ultimately not worth it for the size of my business"; "My insurance guy was my first customer." (o71by1w). Read November 8, 2026.
r/pestcontrol (April 30, 2025): "I started at the beginning of last year on google with like $10/day to see how it would go and it's been bringing in business pretty consistently so I doubled the budget this year. Most of my business comes from thumbtack, but organic leads are starting to compete." (mpr9far). Read November 8, 2026.
r/pestcontrol (September 25, 2024): "Google reviews are big, what helped my company was word of mouth, I offer a referral credit." (loxo1wi). Read November 8, 2026.
Peter Kenter, "Michigan Plumber Adds Pumping to Broaden Services," Pumper, August 2026 - Do-It-All Septic, Dowagiac, Michigan: a used 2014 Freightliner with a 3,000-gallon tank, pumping from March 2025; "I was always being told by my plumbing customers that local pumpers were too busy to fit them in"; "We might already be close to 40% of our business"; "The septic work also brings in more plumbing work because our name's getting out there." pumper.com, read November 8, 2026.
r/septictanks, an owner who started a septic business in Kentucky (December 8, 2025): "I joined the largest local realtor group and sent out emails basically offering the first inspection free. I sent out like 3000 emails and only gave 4 free inspections and have only gotten a handful of paid inspections in 6 months of business." (nsyxui9). Read November 8, 2026.
r/septictanks (June 25, 2026): "I focused on pumping, inspections and maintenance in the beginning and now offer new installations and repairs ... I did heavy advertising in the first 2 years and haven't spent a penny since. My reputation has been all that's needed." (ott9tcx). Read November 8, 2026.
r/LawnCarePros, a part-time landscaper (February 27, 2025): "nearly all of my customers were from Nextdoor OR referrals from customers that I had originally connected with on Nextdoor"; "take the time to respond to people individually and the accounts will start coming." (mezwnko). Read November 8, 2026.
r/landscaping (November 27, 2024): "I have gotten damn near 100% of my clients by posting there and I haven't even paid to promote the ads." (lz9edzf). Read November 8, 2026.
r/landscaping, the owner of a five-person crew who started solo (August 31, 2025): "The first year is worked my ass off for my client list and the second year they started recommending me to their friends and family." (nboke8s). Read November 8, 2026.
r/Irrigation, reply in "Question(s) to people who have started an irrigation business" (February 23, 2026): "My branch recommends me for anyone who ask. I've got a bunch of work because of them." (o71kvna). Read November 8, 2026.
r/PoolPros, "Does anyone actually follow the plasters association startup guide..." (August 25, 2026), a Southwest Florida owner: the post, "the customer hires us and we have no idea at the startup wasn't done right and the Builder tries to blame us for curing problems" (1vy2iy7), and his reply, "Had a few builders offer startups to us at like 500 a pool. And we just laughed at them. We get so much more work from word of mouth vs potentially picking up the customer after startup" (p5tnrv6). Read November 9, 2026.
r/PoolPros, route buying, read November 9, 2026: a Manatee County owner, "We have bought pools through a broker and private sale in Manatee County. It happens. Most brokers are going to price the sale @ 12 times monthly service and take 10% broker fee. I have seen private sales on FB and at distributors for anywhere from 6-11 times monthly service." (January 7, 2026, ny4v6b8); "Buying pool route" (May 6, 2026), an owner who has "bought several" (okavk2k) and a North Florida owner (okbi63d); "Things you wish you knew" (December 21, 2025), a reply to a new pool pro in Fort Worth, Texas (nv6s5tx).