Maximize your time and minimize marketing expense by locating free construction leads to grow your business. Although you will undoubtedly have stiff competition in the construction industry, the less money you spend obtaining leads, the higher your bottom line. Numerous sites offer quality leads for a fee, but your creativity and resourcefulness in locating free leads will ultimately pay off.

Join the free version of Blue Book. Blue Book is a national registry for the construction industry. General Contractors are able to showcase their companies and are easily located by potential customers and industry professionals. The free version offers you a limited profile but allows potential customers and contractors to send you projects up for bid via e-mail.

Register with local county and state offices as a vendor. When projects are posted, they will alert you of the upcoming bid via e-mail or fax. As a preferred vendor, some state offices offer free classes to teach you how to do business with the state. Call your local city, county and state purchasing offices for information on how to register.

Develop your own website. There are web hosts that offer free versions, and instructions on how to create one. Once you create your site, you can put the website address on business cards and fliers to promote your company. Leaving your cards in local businesses like hair salons and gas stations can bring leads to your company.

Ask your customers to refer you to potential clients. Once you finish a job, make a referral request a part of your sales pitch. If the customer is happy with your work, they should have no problem telling family and friends about your company. Word of mouth is an effective lead tool. Your customer might even let you post a yard sign advertising your business, particularly if your finished project is something that passersby see, such as a shed, a roof or an asphalt driveway.

Talk to your local library or community center about hosting a business networking event. Work with the facility to contact local businesses to invite them to attend the event. Libraries and community centers are free to the public. They will likely require you to volunteer your time to help host the event. Networking is a valuable tool for getting free construction leads.