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The Referral Partner Vetting Checklist

Reference Checklists Updated Jul 29, 2026

Why this matters

A referral partner is a related trade you send work to and who sends work to you, and once you make the introduction they are an extension of your name. When they do good work, you look good. When they no-show or overcharge your customer, the customer blames you for the introduction. This checklist is what you run before you put your reputation behind anyone. The miss it prevents: handing a trusted customer to a partner who burns them and taints you by association.

Phase 1: Credentials and coverage (verify, do not trust)

  • Confirm an active license for their trade in your area, checked against the licensing authority, not their word.
  • Verify current liability insurance, and workers' compensation if they have employees. Get a certificate; do not accept a claim.
  • Confirm the business is real and established: how long operating, a physical presence, a working number.
  • Search their public review history and any licensing-board disciplinary record.

Phase 2: Test the work before you refer wide

  • Send one or two low-stakes referrals first, then follow up with those customers directly.
  • Ask the test customers what actually matters: on time, clean, honest pricing, respectful of the home.
  • If you can, see a piece of their finished work in person once.

Phase 3: Set the terms in the open

  • Agree how referrals flow both ways and whether any fee or reciprocity applies. Put it in writing to avoid a sour surprise.
  • Confirm they will respect your customer relationship: no poaching your other services, no bad-mouthing.
  • Agree on response time. A partner who takes a week to call your referral makes you look slow.

Phase 4: Monitor after you open the tap

  • Follow up with every referred customer at least once. A partner's worst behavior shows on the jobs you do not watch.
  • Track referrals sent and their outcomes. A pattern of complaints ends the relationship before it costs you a customer.
  • Reciprocate honestly, and drop any partner who stops meeting the bar.

The rule to keep

You own every introduction you make. Vet a referral partner as hard as you would vet a new hire, because to your customer, on that job, they are you.

References

  • State or local licensing authority, license and disciplinary verification
  • Trade-standard practice for cross-trade referral networks
  • See related: Building a Referral Network, The New Account Setup Checklist

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