Top Reasons to Become an Associate Member
For many NAHB Associate members, visibility and networking are keys to a successful business. Joining a community such as NAHB opens the doors to make those connections and increases business opportunities that service and trade professionals would otherwise not have, especially when working with home builders.
In honor of Associate Member Appreciation Month, we asked last year's Society of Honored Associate inductees to share their top reasons for joining the Federation as an Associate member.
Be A Part of a Larger Mission
NAHB comprises more than 140,000 members who work hard every day to make the home building industry the best that it can be. This community allows you to be a part of that mission and have your voice heard on issues that matter most.
"A unified voice through NAHB has a far greater impact than individual or smaller trades efforts," said 23-year Associate member Byron Anderson of Valley Glass & Windows, Inc. "The beauty of the tri-level Associate membership is the ability for state and local associations to tap into NAHB's knowledge and assets when facing new regulations on the state and local levels."
Shine a Spotlight on Your Business
You are your biggest promoter. With NAHB, there are many ways to bring recognition to your business through the people you meet and the events you attend. Judy Dinelle, 2020 Associates Member Committee chair and building ambassador for 84 Lumber, credits her membership and NAHB involvement for allowing her to expand her business connections.
"The top reason to join the Federation has to be networking with fellow professionals, customers and suppliers, while also spotlighting the products and services you offer," Dinelle said.
Getting others to know your name, what you do and what you can offer them, is only going to help your business grow.
Gain Personal Relationships Lead That to Professional Ones
Being an Associate member exposes you to different people from not only your own field, but others from the home building community. Rich Robinson, 2020 Membership Committee chair and vice president of the Member Rebate Program, explained that joining the Federation not only benefits you professionally, but personally.
"By getting involved at my Builders Association immediately, I was able to form wonderful relationships that alone would have been worth joining, but some even led to fantastic business opportunities," he said.
Anderson, Dinelle and Robinson were nominated for the 2019 Associate of the Year award. As finalists, they were all inducted into NAHB's prestigious Society of Honored Associates. Applications for the 2020 Associate of the Year award are now open at awards.nahb.org.
Latest from NAHBNow
Dec 15, 2025
Builder Sentiment Inches Higher but Ends the Year in Negative TerritoryBuilder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes rose one point to 39 in December, according to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. Sentiment levels were below the breakeven point of 50 every month in 2025 and ranged in the high 30s in the final quarter of the year.
Dec 12, 2025
Judge Determines FEMA’s Termination of BRIC Program UnlawfulA federal judge ruled that the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s termination of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program was unlawful and issued a permanent injunction restoring the program. This action is of note to the housing community because NAHB has been pushing Congress to pass the Promoting Resilient Buildings Act, which would allow jurisdictions to qualify for BRIC funds if they have adopted one of the latest two code cycles.
Latest Economic News
Dec 15, 2025
Builder Sentiment Inches Higher but Ends the Year in Negative TerritoryBuilder confidence inched higher to end the year but still remains well into negative territory as builders continue to grapple with rising construction costs, tariff and economic uncertainty, and many potential buyers remaining on the sidelines due to affordability concerns.
Dec 11, 2025
Homeownership Rate Inches Up to 65.3%The latest homeownership rate rose to 65.3% in the third quarter of 2025, according to the Census’s Housing Vacancy Survey (HVS).
Dec 10, 2025
No Risk-Free Path: Fed Eases Monetary PolicyThe central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) cut rates a third and final time in 2025, reducing the target range for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a 3.5% to 3.75% range. This reduction will help reduce financing costs of builder and developer loans.