Marin Builders Association

What Marin Builders Association does

Marin Builders Association (MBA) is a private nonprofit trade association founded in 1958 and headquartered in San Rafael, California, serving the construction industry in Marin County. The association provides advocacy representation through its Builders Association Political Action Committee (BAPAC), runs the Permit Improvement Program (PIP) launched in 2017 to streamline local permitting, and offers member services including workers' compensation and health insurance through partner carriers (George Petersen Insurance Agency, Venbrook Group), the ToolKit vendor discount program, and the Member Information Center and Online Plan Room (GSPS) digital resources. It also publishes the Marin Home Resource Guide (10th edition) and operates Marin Construction Training along with a scholarship program that awarded $25,500 to twelve students in 2026.

MBA's core technology is the GrowthZone association management platform, which powers the member portal, directory, event registration, job board, and tool-kit offerings. The product portfolio spans standard and Cornerstone Partnership membership tiers, signature events (Golf Classic, Crab Fest, Holiday Celebration), community groups (Building Women, Marin Remodelers Forum), and workforce-development initiatives. Revenue is generated through annual membership dues (Standard and Cornerstone tiers), event fees, Toolkit/affiliate referral income, advertising in the Marin Home Resource Guide, and commissions from managed insurance programs. The customer base is segmented horizontally across general contractors, specialty trades, building materials suppliers, professional services firms, and homeowners, with 25+ Cornerstone Partners including Ghilotti Construction, Golden State Lumber, PG&E, and Bank of Marin anchoring the premium tier.

Name

Marin Builders Association

Legal name

Marin Builders Association

Website

https://marinbuilders.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Marin Builders Association is a private nonprofit trade association founded in 1958 that serves Marin County's construction industry through advocacy, member services, insurance programs, workforce training, and signature events including the Marin Home Resource Guide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Industry Trade Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

New Construction & Builder Sales (BPAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Construction trade association
• Contractor advocacy services
• Building industry networking
• Construction workforce training
• Permit improvement services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for construction industry professionals, contractors, suppliers, and service providers. Tiered membership including Cornerstone Partnership premium tier with enhanced benefits and visibility.
2. Event Fees: Revenue from signature events including Golf Classic, Crab Fest, Holiday Celebration, and Building Women meetings. Events serve as both revenue source and member engagement platform.
3. Toolkit Program / Member Discounts: Discounts and special offers from vendor partners (Toolkit Offers) providing negotiated savings for members. Partners pay for visibility and access to member base.
4. Marin Home Resource Guide: Revenue from advertising partnerships with construction professionals featured in the annual resource guide for homeowners.
5. Insurance Programs: Workers compensation and health insurance programs offered through partner carriers, providing group rates for members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Marin Builders Association is a membership-based trade association that sells annual memberships to construction industry professionals (contractors, suppliers, specialty trades, professional services) in Marin County, California. Members receive advocacy representation through BAPAC political action committee, networking events, workforce training, member discounts via the ToolKit program, insurance program access, permit assistance through the Permit Improvement Program, and visibility through the Marin Home Resource Guide.

Product overview

Marin Builders Association is a membership-based trade organization serving the construction industry in Marin County, California. The organization offers a portfolio of services including membership programs (standard, Cornerstone Partnership premium tier), advocacy through its BAPAC political action committee, workforce development via Marin Construction Training and scholarship programs, and member benefits such as the ToolKit discount program and insurance services. Additional offerings include the annual Marin Home Resource Guide publication, events programming (Golf Classic, Crab Fest, Holiday Celebration), community groups (Building Women, Marin Remodelers Forum), digital resources (Online Plan Room, Member Information Center), and the Permit Improvement Program designed to streamline regulatory processes for builders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program Annual membership program connecting construction industry professionals including contractors, suppliers, and specialty trade providers with benefits including networking, advocacy representation, education, member discounts, and business referrals.
• Cornerstone Partnership

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fire Safe MarincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with world-renowned wildfire scientist Dr. Steve Quarles, Marin Wildfire, and Marin Community Foundation to create free online contractor training for wildfire resilience. Fire Safe Marin provides education resources for MBA members on fire-resistant construction, defensible space, and home hardening.
• Smith Currie OlescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal services firm providing lien protection checklists for both subcontractors and general contractors. Daniel McLennon serves as MBA Board member and provides ongoing legal guidance on construction law matters.
• Sonoma Clean PowerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic power authority creating lists of contractors interested in performing public works projects. MBA members receive priority access to contracting opportunities with Sonoma Clean Power Authority.
• George Petersen Insurance AgencycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorkers compensation insurance specialist providing dedicated office consultations for MBA members. Offers group rates and specialized coverage for construction industry risks.
• Venbrook Group, LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred benefits partner providing wellbeing resources and social wellbeing awareness programs for MBA members. Contact for health insurance and employee benefits programs.
• HammerLoopminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConstruction staffing platform connecting employers with workers. MBA members have access to job posting and worker recruitment services through the platform.
• Marin County Community Development AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty agency providing permit information and building department coordination. MBA works closely with CDA on Permit Improvement Program and regulatory advocacy.
• Marin County Office of EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for scholarship program selection committee. Jesse Madsen, Director, participates in scholarship award selection process for MBA scholarship program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• North Coast Builders Exchange: Regional construction trade association serving Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino counties with similar services: advocacy, plan rooms, member directory, and education. Most directly comparable peer to MBA based on geographic proximity, scope, and target segments (contractors and suppliers in Northern California).
• Associated General Contractors (AGC) of California: Statewide construction industry trade association providing advocacy, training, networking, and member benefits for general and specialty contractors. Comparable to MBA in mission (industry advocacy + member services) but operates at a California state level rather than a single county.
• Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Northern California Chapter: Northern California chapter of a national merit-shop construction trade association offering advocacy, training, insurance, and networking. Competes with MBA for the same Marin/Bay Area contractors on a similar value proposition.
• Building Industry Association of the San Fernando Valley / BIA Bay Area councils: Regional chapters of the California Building Industry Association serving home builders and affiliated trades. Comparable in that they provide advocacy, marketing, and consumer-facing "Find a Contractor" resources for residential builders — directly mirroring MBA's Marin Home Resource Guide model.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Home Builders (NAHB): National umbrella trade association for the residential construction industry. Comparable in mission and member services but operates at a federal scale with state and local chapters; relevant as the parent-tier organization many MBA members also belong to.
• California Building Industry Association (CBIA): Statewide federation representing the building industry in California, including local BIA chapters. Comparable in advocacy and member services but at statewide scale, with parallel programs to MBA's Permit Improvement and workforce training.

Emerging players

• American Subcontractors Association (ASA): National trade association focused on subcontractors in the construction industry. Comparable in advocating for specialty trade contractors (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) — a segment MBA explicitly serves — though narrower in scope to subcontractor-only firms.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/marinbuilders
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MarinBuildersAssoc
• Facebookfacebook.com/marinbuilders
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marin-builders-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/marinbuildersassoc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marin Builders Association