How Top Contractors Turn 1 Job into 5 Referrals

You delivered a flawless kitchen remodel. The homeowner posts before-and-after photos on Facebook. Three neighbors comment about planning renovations.

But you never hear from them.

Meanwhile, a contractor across town wraps up similar projects and walks away with five, sometimes seven new leads per job. Same quality work. Completely different results.

Nearly 49% of builders rely on referrals for more than half their sales. These referrals convert at staggering rates: Builders typically need only 1-3 referrals to close a contract, compared to 1-50 paid leads. Yet most contractors treat referrals like afterthoughts instead of engineered outcomes.

Tiffany Quillan, owner of Nover Marketing, specializes in helping contractors build referral-driven businesses. Her strategies focus on creating systematic approaches rather than hoping referrals happen organically.

1. Know who to ask (and who not to)

Don’t ask your entire client base. Start with your top 10-15 clients—those who’ve been with you longest, booked multiple projects, or explicitly praised your work.

Pull your list:

• Clients who’ve left 5-star reviews
• Repeat customers
• Anyone who’s sent an unsolicited compliment (text, email, or in person)
• Projects where you solved a major problem

These are your advocates. They’re already telling people about you. You just need to give them a systematic way to do it.

2. Time your ask strategically

Most contractors wait until project completion to request referrals. By then, the homeowner is thinking about the invoice, not your marketing needs.

When to ask instead:

• Right after completing a major milestone (cabinets installed, inspection passed, dramatic transformation visible)
• When the client texts an enthusiastic compliment
• During walk-through when they’re visibly excited
• Before the job even starts (after consultations or estimates)

Quillan’s clients often request reviews before paid work begins. “There’s a lot of work that has to be done before they actually sell and build their project,” she explains. “They’re going out for a free estimate. They’re going out for a site visit to assess the land.”

Your script: “Hey Bob, thank you so much for letting us come out for a site assessment. We’d really love your feedback. How did our rep do? Did you feel like they listened to your questions and concerns and provided a thorough analysis? We’d love a review.”

3. Use a script to avoid awkwardness

The fear of sounding pushy keeps too many contractors from asking at all. Reframe it: You’re not begging. You’re giving satisfied clients a way to help friends avoid bad contractors.

Your script: “I’m so glad you love how the kitchen is coming together. We really pride ourselves on this kind of transformation. If you know anyone planning a remodel, we’d love the opportunity to give them the same experience. Here’s my card—feel free to pass it along.”

For crew members: Quillan recommends having workers request reviews as job performance metrics. “A lot of times we’ll print out on business cards a QR code for that worker,” she says. “And before they leave the site, the worker will say, ‘Hey, thank you so much. We are rated at our company based on performance reviews. No pressure, but if you feel like I did a good job, I would love a review.'”

This works because it positions the request as helping the worker, not begging for business.

4. Remove friction with pre-written reviews

People want to help. They’re just busy. Writing from scratch feels like homework.

Nearly 1 out of 3 of consumers would write more local business reviews but businesses aren’t asking them to, and 51% mean to write more local business reviews but simply forget. By pre-writing reviews for clients to use, you’re removing fiction and making it easy and top-of-mind for them. 

Quillan’s clients pre-write reviews based on the project and how it went. “Interestingly, clients love this,” Quillan says. “They respond all the time with like, ‘Thank you for doing the hard work for me.’ And they copy and paste that exact review and they put it on Google Business.”

Your template: “Working with [Your Company] on our [project type] was excellent from start to finish. [Contractor name] was professional, communicated clearly, and delivered exactly what was promised. The crew kept the area clean and completed our [specific feature] ahead of schedule. We’d highly recommend them to anyone in [neighborhood].”

5. Use two-way incentives (with smart timing)

Don’t offer cash bonuses immediately after completion. Wait 30-60 days, so the client has had time to show off your work. Then reach out with a two-way bonus—one for the client, one for their friend—to show your thanks.

“The added bonus is the person has had people come to their home and see the product that you’ve created,” Quillan explains. “So, they’ve already had the conversations like, ‘Wow, this is beautiful. That’s so cool.'”

Your text message (30-60 days after completion): “Hi [Client Name], thanks again for letting us work on your [project]. We hope you’re loving it! If any friends or family have mentioned interest in a similar project, we’d love to work with them—and we’re offering a referral bonus right now. You’d get [$$ amount] cash, and your friend would get [$$ amount] off their project when they sign. Just have them mention your name when they reach out!”

Bonus structure:

• Referrer receives: $500-$5,000 cash (adjust based on your average project size)
• Referred friend receives: $500-$2,000 off their project
• Payment timing: When referred customer signs contract

6. Turn clients into content creators

Ask clients to post in local Facebook groups or Nextdoor about their project. 

The opportunity is huge: According to Nextdoor’s recent Renovations Insights Report, 73% of Nextdoor users are planning to make home improvements in the next year, and 69% are using the site to find trusted professionals.

“A lot of contractors that come to us, they’ve grown their business via word of mouth and referrals,” Quillan says. “I have one client where they’ve built their business entirely from posting in local mommy Facebook groups.”

Quillian suggests giving clients ready-to-post content. Then, all they have to do is share it.

Your script: “Hey [Client Name], we’re so proud of how your [project] turned out! Would you mind sharing it in your local Facebook group or Next Door? I’ve attached a few photos and a quick write-up you can post as-is or edit however you’d like. And as a thank you, if anyone reaches out through your post and submits a quote request, I’ll send you a $100 gift card for each one.”

What to provide:

• 2-3 before-and-after photos
• Ready-to-post caption: “Just wrapped up our [project type] with [Your Company] and couldn’t be happier with the results! They were professional, on time, and the quality is incredible. If anyone’s looking for a reliable contractor in [area], I’d highly recommend reaching out.”

Your 30-day referral system

Week 1: Identify your top 15 clients who are most likely to refer. Create pre-written review templates and design QR code business cards for crew members.

Week 2: Train your team on the review request script. Practice the in-person ask until it feels natural, not scripted.

Week 3: Ask 5 clients for referrals using the timing and scripts above. Track what works.

Week 4: Set up your referral bonus structure and automate 30-day and 60-day follow-up reminders.

The bottom line

Top contractors don’t wait for referrals to happen. They create a strategic referral system to generate word-of-mouth.

Start with one client this week. Use the script. Make the ask. Then build from there.

Your next five referrals are in the phone contacts of your last satisfied client. You just need to ask.

Ready to close more referred leads?

When your satisfied clients refer friends, budget is often the biggest objection. That’s where financing changes the conversation. 

With Acorn Finance, you can offer customers multiple financing options without taking on credit risk. Your clients can tell their friends: “They offer financing, so you don’t need $40,000 saved up—you can spread payments out.”

See how contractor financing helps you close more referrals →