Trade account, starter kit or dealer program: which route suits a contractor

There are four ways in. If you already install other surfaces, start with a trade account. If you want to learn the process first, take training. If you want equipment and branding without a territory, look at a starter kit. If you want a protected 50-mile territory and local leads, apply for the dealer program.

This post compares what each includes. For prices, use the linked pages. Prices there can change, and a figure copied into a blog post would go out of date.

1. Trade account

The lightest route. Sign up as a contractor, and the team reviews new accounts within 24 to 48 business hours. Once approved you get trade pricing on granules, binder and tools, the material calculator, the job pricing calculator and the contractor portal. Sign-up asks what your business does now, years in business and what you are interested in. Start at contractor sign-up.

Best for: contractors who already know the process or have learned it elsewhere and want to buy direct.

2. Installer training

Two courses, both hands-on with a certificate.

• Bronze is for 2 people and covers EPDM granules, binders and color options, mix ratios, working times and curing, hands-on installation, troweling and finishing, and basic repairs.
• Silver is for 4 people and adds advanced preparation and base repair, multi-color designs, fall height and ADA, estimating and sales.

The Contractor Edition frames it this way: the 2-day course certifies an installer, and the business packages add the equipment, marketing and systems that turn certification into a working business. Details are in what installer training covers and on the training page. Training does not make a system suitable for a particular site. The base and the specification still decide that.

Best for: crews adding poured rubber to what they already quote.

3. Starter kit

Starter kits are non-exclusive routes with equipment and marketing included: mixers, hand trowels and lutes, a color display stand, sample booklets, a branded website and CRM, and unlimited installer training seats. A second version adds opening stock of rubber and aliphatic top coat. You buy product at a discount as jobs come in. Discounts on product differ by route and are listed in the Contractor Edition 2026 and on the dealer page, so check them there before deciding.

Best for: contractors who want equipment, samples and a website without taking on a territory.

4. Dealer program

Two programs, for existing installers (12 or more months installing) and for open entry with no experience required. Both include:

• a protected 50-mile territory, one dealer per radius;
• leads generated for your area, delivered to your contractor CRM;
• three pallets of rubber, six pails of aliphatic top coat, a mixer and tool kit, sample booklets and a branded website;
• two days of sales and marketing training at headquarters;
• a master installer on site for your first job;
• ongoing support after launch.

A separate Dealer Supplier route is a stocking dealership that can supply other installers in the area. See become a dealer and the Contractor Edition 2026.

Best for: people who want a defined area, a lead flow and a full launch.

Which to choose

If you…	Look at
Already install and just want to buy direct	Trade account
Want to learn the process first	Bronze or Silver training
Want equipment and samples, no territory	Starter kit
Want an exclusive area and leads	Dealer program
Want to hold stock and supply other installers	Dealer Supplier

You can move up. The dealer page says the buy-in on the starter routes is credited toward an upgrade later. Confirm the terms with the team before relying on that.

The tools that come with an account

The Contractor Edition lists the digital tools behind the portal login:

• Contractor portal: technical documents, installation references and ordering behind one secure login.
• Material calculator: granule and binder quantities for the area and depth you specify.
• Job pricing calculator: enter the project dimensions to generate material costs and suggested pricing for a quote.
• Dealer portal: for dealers, ordering materials, managing a territory and dealer pricing.
• Find an installer: homeowner and commercial requests are matched to an installer and answered in 24 to 48 business hours.
• Business funding: options for contractors building out their operation, including finance on territory packages.

Funding

Financing is available on the programs. The site also has a business funding page, which describes Resin Rubber’s partnership with a third-party lender, QualiFi, that arranges credit lines. Resin Rubber does not lend. Read the lender’s terms yourself.

What you need for the first job

Granules, binder, a forced-action mixer, spare buckets and trowel cleaner. See adding poured rubber to your contracting business.

Next step

Sign up as a contractor to open a trade account, or apply for a territory. If you are not sure, choose “Not sure yet” on the sign-up form and the team will talk it through.