Top Reasons to Become an Associate Member

Membership
Published

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.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Trends

Jan 21, 2026

Single-Family Home Size Continues to Decline

The market could see a leveling off of home size trends in 2026 as mortgage interest rates approach 6% on a sustained basis.

Workforce Development

Jan 20, 2026

Plan Early for Summer Internship Season with NAHB Resources

The most effective internship programs don’t come together at the last minute. To help, NAHB offers the Internship Program Development Guide and Appendices to the Internship Program Development Guide.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Jan 21, 2026

Private Residential Construction Spending Edges Higher in October on Home Improvements

Private residential construction spending was up 1.3% in October, rebounding from a 1.4% decline in September 2025. This modest gain was primarily driven by increased spending on home improvements.

Economics

Jan 21, 2026

Single-Family Permits Cooled in the Fall

In October, single-family building permits weakened, reflecting continued caution among builders amid affordability constraints and financing challenges. In contrast, multifamily permit activity remained steady and continued to perform relatively well.

Economics

Jan 20, 2026

New Single-Family Home Size Trends: Third Quarter 2025

New single-family home size has been generally falling since 2015 as a response to declining affordability conditions. An exception occurred when new home size increased in 2021 as interest rates reached historic lows. However, as interest rates increased in 2022 and 2023, and housing affordability worsened, the demand for home size has trended lower.