The Restoration Industry's Silent Majority
There's a conflict happening in the restoration industry.
On one side, you've got the Rebels. The true independents. The ones who want to be left alone to do good work, finish jobs, collect checks, and run their business without carrier interference.
On the other side, you've got the Activists. The ones actively pushing the industry to work with carriers, get on programs, and bow the knee to carrier demands. They believe cooperation and standardization are the path forward.
And then there's the third group.
The middle.
They're trying to do good work. They want to serve their customers well. But they're following the playbook they were given—the one written by carriers and the industry majority.
So they end up in an endless loop. Appeasing unjust demands. Absorbing their clients' financial burdens while carriers play the "delay, deny, defend" game. Always cash poor. Always stuck.
Nobody's talking to them.
Why This Matters
If you're in that middle group, you're stuck.
The industry conversation is dominated by the extremes. Rebels vs Activists. Independence vs Cooperation.
And while everyone's fighting about which path the industry should take, you're trying to figure out how to finish jobs, collect checks, and keep your team paid.
But you're doing it while getting crushed.
You're absorbing financial burdens that aren't yours. You're acting as a liaison between policyholder and carrier—even though you're not on a program or with a TPA. You're taking on emotional and financial weight that was never yours to carry.
The problem isn't that you don't care. The problem is that your empathy is unchecked.
And that's costing you everything.
Why Most Owners Fail
Most restoration owners in the middle are doing exactly what they were told to do.
They built their business on information from carriers and industry associations. They followed the playbook. They did what the majority said was the right path.
And for the first few years, it seems to work.
But then the cracks start showing. The delays get longer. The denials get more frequent. The demands get more unreasonable.
And you start asking questions.
Is this really how it has to be? Is there another way?
Here's the truth: You're not in the middle because you're weak. You're in the middle because that's where most of the industry told you to be.
The carriers provided the training. The associations reinforced the message. The majority said this was the path.
And you followed it.
But 3-5 years in, you're starting to see the cost. The cash flow issues. The AR aging. The constant appeasement that never seems to end.
Most restoration owners in the middle fail because they think being nice will eventually work.
They believe if they just appease the carriers one more time, things will get better.
If they just absorb one more cost, the adjuster will approve the next one.
If they just play along, the system will reward them.
It won't.
The carriers aren't playing fair. They're playing a game. And the rules are designed for them to win and you to lose.
The problem isn't that you don't care. The problem is that you won't take a stand.
And taking a stand requires something most restorers don't realize they need: the intestinal fortitude to hold the interested parties accountable to their roles.
The Truth
Here's what nobody's saying:
It all comes down to accountability.
You need to be accountable to your family, your business, and your community.
Not to the carrier. Not to the policyholder's expectations. Not to the playbook you were handed.
Taking on the financial burdens of the carrier—believing this is good stewardship of your community—is believing a lie.
In the long run, your unchecked empathy is hurting your family, killing your business, and ultimately damaging your community.
You don't own the property. You didn't agree to the terms of the policy. You didn't sign the dotted line. You don't have a contract with the carrier. And you certainly didn't cause the damage.
So why are you carrying burdens that aren't yours?
You can build a business that operates independently. A business that doesn't depend on carrier approval or cooperation.
A business built on structure, systems, and leadership. A business that serves customers well, pays your team fairly, and gives you margin.
But it requires you to stand up for your business more than you stand up for the policyholder.
Independence beats appeasement every time.
What You Need to Know
Here's the breakdown:
The Three Camps:
The True Independents:
Those who want to be left alone to do good work, finish jobs, and collect checks without carrier interference. They value autonomy and fair payment. Many more are in this camp than publicly admit—fear of adjuster and carrier retaliation keeps them quiet.
The Middle (Following the Playbook):
Trying to do good work but following the carrier-approved playbook. Stuck in an endless loop of appeasing unjust carrier demands. Always cash poor because their unchecked empathy makes them absorb financial and emotional burdens that aren't theirs. Acting as liaisons without being on programs or with TPAs. Not taking a stand, just surviving (barely).
The Carrier Cooperation Advocates:
Actively pushing the industry to work with carriers, get on programs, and standardize processes. They believe that if the industry just plays nice and cooperates, everyone will win. They're advocating for the industry to bow the knee to carrier demands.
What the Middle Actually Needs:
You don't need to work harder. You need different information.
You don't need to appease carriers better. You need to see there's another path.
You don't need to hope the system gets better. You need to realize the system was never designed for you to win.
And you need to stand up for your business more than you stand up for the policyholder.
The Accountability Framework:
Here's what accountability actually looks like:
Your accountability is to:
Your family (providing stability and margin)
Your business (protecting cash flow and profitability)
Your community (building a sustainable business that serves well)
Your accountability is NOT to:
Carrier timelines and demands
Policyholder expectations beyond the scope of restoration
Financial burdens you didn't create and don't control
The interested parties need to be held accountable to their roles:
The policyholder owns the property and signed the policy
The carrier agreed to the terms and owes payment
You restore the property and deserve fair, timely payment
You're not a liaison. You're not a mediator. You're not a financial backstop.
You're a restoration contractor.
How to Build Business Independence:
Focus on what you control:
Your leadership. Are you building leaders or dependence?
Your systems. Do you have structure that creates predictability?
Your cash flow. Are you managing AR and collections actively, or are you financing carrier delays?
Your boundaries. Are you clear about what burdens are yours and what aren't?
Your team. Are they capable of running jobs without you?
The Cost of Staying in the Middle:
When you build your business around unchecked empathy and appeasement, you make your business fragile.
You're always one delayed check away from a cash crisis. You're always one unjust demand away from losing margin. You're always one carrier game away from being stuck.
Your family suffers. Your business bleeds. Your community loses a sustainable restoration partner.
But if you build your business on solid leadership, clear systems, strong cash flow management, and proper accountability, you're stable.
You're not dependent on carrier approval. You're not stuck in their game.
You're independent.
What to Focus On Instead:
Stop absorbing burdens that aren't yours.
Start holding the interested parties accountable to their roles.
Stand up for your business more than you stand up for the policyholder.
Lead better. Work less. Live more.
That's not a slogan. That's a strategy.
Here's the Bottom Line
The restoration industry is polarized.
The Rebels want independence. The Activists want cooperation. And the middle is getting crushed following a playbook that was never designed for them to win.
But your business doesn't have to stay stuck.
You can build a business that operates independently. A business that serves customers well, pays your team fairly, and gives you your life back.
It starts with accountability. To your family. To your business. To your community.
Not to carriers. Not to unchecked empathy. Not to burdens that aren't yours.
You don't need to join the Activists and bow the knee. You don't need to publicly join the Rebels and risk retaliation.
You just need to build a business that's a life asset, not a liability.
That's the third option.
And it's the one that actually works.
Reply and tell us: Which camp are you in? Or are you ready to stop carrying burdens that aren't yours?
