TPA Programs Compared - Tygart Media

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Category: TPA Programs Compared

  • The 2025 RIA TPA Scorecard Results: Who Rose, Who Fell, and What It Means for Your Program Strategy

    The 2025 RIA TPA Scorecard Results: Who Rose, Who Fell, and What It Means for Your Program Strategy

    If you work insurance program work, this is the one report you should actually read. Every year, the Restoration Industry Association’s Advocacy and Governmental Affairs committee surveys contractors who have worked with TPAs in the past 12 months. No vendor marketing. No TPA spin. Just anonymous contractor ratings across 8 categories that actually matter: value, claims process, contractor support, scoring clarity, guidelines, credentialing, claim volume, and geographic coverage.

    The 2025 results are in. 379 contractors rated 13 TPAs. The industry average sits at 2.7 out of 5 — a 54% satisfaction rate. That’s not a ringing endorsement of the TPA model, but it tells you something more useful: the spread between programs is significant, and knowing who’s at the top and who’s at the bottom changes your program strategy.

    Here’s the breakdown, with the data that matters.

    The Leaderboard: Who Contractors Actually Trust

    ONCORE Claims Network: 3.1 stars — #1 for the third consecutive year. This is the benchmark. ONCORE (formerly CORE) outperforms everyone across nearly every category: 3.4 on credentialing (the highest of any TPA), 3.3 on guidelines, 3.2 on value, and 3.0 on contractor support — the only TPA to crack 3.0 in that category. Claim volume is their soft spot at 2.7, which contractors consistently flag: the program is good, but there aren’t enough jobs to go around. If you can get in and get volume, this is the cleanest program to run.

    Lionsbridge: 3.0 stars. Tied with Sedgwick for second and rising. Lionsbridge improved 3% since 2022 and scores well on guidelines (3.1) and claims process (3.1). It operates as a CCA Global Partners cooperative — meaning members get access to significant group buying power on equipment, credit card processing, and supplies in addition to leads. The program is selective and built for established contractors. Their claim volume score of 2.4 is the weak link, but the jobs they do send tend to be cleaner to close.

    Sedgwick: 3.0 stars. The highest geographic coverage of any TPA at 3.2, tied with Alacrity and Contractor Connection. Sedgwick is a large TPA that manages claims for major commercial carriers. Their value score improved from 2022 and holds at 3.2. Contractor support fell slightly to 2.8, which is still above average. Sedgwick’s biggest contractor complaint: they want better advocacy with carriers when scope disputes arise (34% of contractors flagged this as their top improvement priority).

    The Middle of the Pack

    Westhill Global: 2.9 stars (+27% from 2022). The biggest mover in the 2025 report. Westhill climbed from 2.3 to 2.9, the largest percentage gain of any TPA. They earned the highest credentialing score in that category at 3.2, and their value rating jumped from 2.0 to 3.0. What drove it? Contractors report that Westhill made meaningful process improvements and the program became easier to actually manage. Watch this one — if the trajectory continues, they’ll be in the top tier in 2027.

    Preferred Repair Network (PRN) / Hancock Group: 2.9 stars (down from 3.5 in 2022). The biggest drop in the report. PRN was the top-rated TPA in 2022. Two years later they’ve fallen 17% across all categories — contractor support cratered from 3.5 to 2.7. The program score fell sharply (from 3.5 to 3.0), guidelines dropped, and claim volume expectations are down 23%. Contractors aren’t abandoning the program — the claim volume and geographic scores are still reasonable — but something changed in how the program is managed. If you’re heavily weighted in PRN, the trend line warrants attention.

    Direct Claims Management Group (DCMG): 2.8 stars (+12% from 2022). DCMG improved across the board and earned the highest scoring clarity rating (3.1) and tied for the top value rating. Their communication scores are better than average, and they’re rated best-in-class for not requiring contractors to take estimate-only projects. Smaller program footprint, but if you’re in their coverage area, worth evaluating.

    Alacrity Solutions/Alacrity Nexxus: 2.7 stars (down 4%). The largest program by claim volume alongside Contractor Connection — and that volume score (2.7) is their strongest asset. Contractors use Alacrity for the jobs, not the relationship. The program scored 2.3 on contractor support, the second lowest of any TPA. Key contractor complaints: 38% want better advocacy with carriers, 34% want overhead and profit addressed, 33% want more flexibility in guidelines. Alacrity knows this and has invested in contractor relations improvements (rebranding from the original Altimeter structure), but the needle hasn’t moved enough to show in the scores yet.

    The Programs That Are Losing Contractor Confidence

    Brightserv: 2.6 stars (flat). No change from 2022. Contractors score timely payment as a weak point (29% flag it), and contractor support (2.3) needs work. The program hasn’t gotten worse, but in a field where others are improving, flat is a problem.

    HOMEE: 2.6 stars (new to 2025 survey). Debuted slightly below average with a concerning claim volume score of 1.8 — the lowest of any TPA. Contractor support is at 2.6, and 46% of contractors rate “improve partnership with TPA” as their top request. As a tech-forward TPA operating in the gig-economy model, HOMEE is a different kind of program — useful for certain contractors but not a primary revenue source for established restoration companies.

    Contractor Connection (Crawford): 2.6 stars. The most widely used TPA in the restoration industry — 289 contractor responses, the largest sample in the survey. Geographic coverage ties for highest (3.2), claim volume ties for highest (2.7), and they’re among the best for timely payment (only 8% of contractors flag slow payment, one of the lowest rates). The problem is everything else. Contractor support sits at 2.2 — second lowest. Contractor advocacy with carriers is the top complaint at 42%. Guidelines flexibility is flagged by 39% of contractors. They send the most work. They’re also the most frustrating to work with. The calculation you have to make: is the volume worth the margin compression and administrative friction?

    Accuserve (formerly CodeBlue): 2.1 stars — last place. The lowest-rated TPA in the 2025 report, and it’s not close. Accuserve scores below 2.0 on value (1.9), scoring clarity (1.9), claims process (1.9), and contractor support (1.9). The only category where they score above 2.5 is credentialing (2.6). Fifty percent of contractors working with Accuserve say providing pricing consistent with market value is their top requested improvement — double the industry average. This program has structural problems that go beyond management tweaks.

    What the Numbers Actually Tell You

    The overall industry average of 2.7 out of 5 means most contractors are running TPA work that’s tolerated, not preferred. The five most important things contractors want from TPAs — in order of importance they rated themselves: claims process efficiency (4.4/5 importance), contractor support/advocacy (4.2), claim volume (4.2), value/ROI (4.2), and guidelines flexibility (4.1). On every single one of those, TPAs are delivering somewhere between 2.3 and 2.9. There’s a consistent gap between what contractors need and what they’re getting.

    The other number worth noting: 53% of restoration firms now report zero TPA revenue, up from 45% the prior year. That’s not a blip — it’s a structural shift. Contractors who built their own lead channels through Google LSA, direct plumber and agent referrals, and organic SEO are generating work at better margins without the administrative overhead. The TPA model still works, but fewer operators are treating it as their primary revenue strategy.

    How to Build Your TPA Program Intelligently

    The operators who do TPA work profitably aren’t in every program — they’re in two or three that fit their capacity, their geographic footprint, and their operational model. Here’s the framework:

    Use the RIA scorecard as a filter, not a verdict. A 3.1 from ONCORE doesn’t mean the program works in your market — claim volume (2.7) is the constraint. A 2.6 from Contractor Connection doesn’t mean you walk away from the largest volume source in the country. But it does mean you know where the friction is going to come from before you budget for it.

    Cap TPA revenue at 40-50% of total revenue. The moment more than half your revenue runs through a program, the TPA controls your business. They can change pricing, add administrative requirements, or reduce your zip code coverage — and you have no leverage. Keep direct work as your floor, TPA work as your upside.

    Track margin per TPA, not aggregate TPA margin. The programs that send the most work aren’t always the ones generating the most gross profit. A company doing $800K in Contractor Connection work at 28% gross margin is generating less than a company doing $300K in ONCORE work at 44% gross margin. Build a simple spreadsheet that tracks average gross margin per job by program. You’ll know within 90 days which programs deserve more of your capacity.

    Document your TPA scorecard complaints. The RIA survey directly affects how TPA programs are managed — TPA executives receive this data and respond to it. If you’re running program work and experiencing consistent friction with a specific TPA, log it and participate in the next RIA survey. That’s not altruism. That’s how contractors collectively move the needle on program terms.

    The Bottom Line

    If you’re choosing between TPA programs in 2025, the data is clear: ONCORE leads, Lionsbridge and Sedgwick are solid programs for contractors who qualify, and Westhill Global is the most improved. Contractor Connection sends the most work but has the worst contractor support score. Accuserve has structural problems that pricing alone won’t fix.

    Don’t build your business on programs. Build your business on direct marketing, strong referral relationships, and operational capability — then let TPA work be the fill you take when capacity allows. The contractors who get that order right keep their margins. The ones who get it backwards spend their careers negotiating scope with adjusters they’ll never win against.

    Source: RIA 2025 TPA Scorecard Report, Restoration Industry Association Advocacy and Government Affairs Committee. Survey conducted anonymously among 379 restoration contractors.

  • TPA Programs Compared: Contractor Connection, Alacrity/Altimeter, and Code Blue for Restoration Operators in 2026

    TPA Programs Compared: Contractor Connection, Alacrity/Altimeter, and Code Blue for Restoration Operators in 2026

    If you run a restoration company doing more than $2M a year, you’ve had the conversation. A friend in the business tells you their Contractor Connection volume just doubled. Your phone hasn’t rung in three days. You wonder if you should finally sign the paperwork.

    Before you do, sit with the math. TPA programs are not free leads — they are the most expensive leads in restoration, paid with margin instead of marketing dollars. The question isn’t whether TPAs are good or bad. The question is whether your business model can survive what they cost.

    Here is an honest look at the four programs restoration owners actually compare in 2026: Contractor Connection, Alacrity (now Altimeter Solutions Group on the managed repair side), Code Blue, and the smaller program work most operators don’t talk about openly.

    How TPA Economics Actually Work

    Industry-reported referral fees on TPA work generally fall in a 5% to 20% range, with most managed-repair networks landing somewhere around 8% of the invoice. That fee comes off the top before you pay materials, labor, equipment, or overhead.

    The hidden cost is bigger than the fee. TPA work typically settles on extended payment terms — often 30 to 90 days — while your crews need to be paid weekly and your subs every other week. You finance the carrier’s cash conversion cycle out of your operating account. On a $5M operation running 25% gross margin, sitting on $300K of receivables longer than your direct-bill book costs you real money in line-of-credit interest, opportunity cost on equipment purchases, and the slow erosion of payroll-week stress.

    Industry consultants who work with restoration operators routinely advise keeping no single referral source above roughly 20% of revenue, and ideally under 10%. Once a TPA crosses that threshold, you are no longer a contractor — you are a subcontractor with a logo.

    Contractor Connection

    The largest network in the space and the one most operators encounter first. Owned by Crawford & Company, it positions itself with a “pay as you grow” structure: an application fee up front, then fees tied to the work you actually receive. Carrier relationships are deep, with most of the major property insurers routing some volume through Crawford’s managed-repair channel.

    Entry requirements published on Contractor Connection’s potential-contractor portal are not soft: a minimum of one year of financial statements demonstrating stability, $1M general liability, $1M auto, workers’ comp, all required state and local licensing, a clean credit background, criminal background checks on field employees, current estimating-software and digital documentation capability, twelve quality references, and a commercial or industrial-zoned facility. No home-based operations.

    Bottom line: Best fit for operators who already have crews, capacity, and the working capital to ride 60-to-90-day pay cycles. Worst fit for a $1M operator trying to use the program as growth capital — the volume will outrun your cash before margin catches up.

    Alacrity Solutions / Altimeter Solutions Group

    Alacrity announced the strategic sale of its Managed Repair Division, which now operates as an independent company under the Altimeter Solutions Group name with its existing leadership and team. Alacrity itself continues to run a broad TPA services book — claims handling, field adjusting, network solutions — but the contractor network specifically sits under the spun-off entity now.

    Entry requirements emphasize the same screening contractors see across the major networks: criminal background checks, current licensure and certifications, demonstrated financial stability, and proof of insurance. Their ACCESS program layers in affinity discounts, supplier programs, and growth resources for network members — useful at the margin if you’re already in, less of a reason to join.

    Bottom line: The leadership-continuity story on Altimeter is the thing to watch over the next twelve months. Spin-offs from larger TPA parents often go one of two ways: leaner and contractor-friendlier, or starved of resources and slower to pay. Talk to three current network contractors before signing — specifically about cycle time on payment since the transition.

    Code Blue

    An independent TPA serving casualty and property insurance carriers with end-to-end outsourcing. Smaller than Contractor Connection by volume, but contractors who run Code Blue work generally describe a more direct relationship with claim handlers and fewer layers of escalation. The trade-off is that Code Blue volume is lumpier — when a carrier surge hits, you get the work; when carriers route elsewhere, your queue thins.

    Requirements track industry standard: financial stability, customer service track record, business insurance, equipment, training, standardized estimating software. No home-based operations. Background checks and certification documentation required for field staff.

    Bottom line: Reasonable second or third program for an operator already in Contractor Connection who needs incremental volume without doubling down on a single source. Not a first-program choice unless your local market has a Code Blue–heavy carrier mix.

    What “Worth It” Actually Looks Like

    Run the math on your own P&L before you sign anything. A direct-bill water-mit job at a healthy restoration shop targets gross margin in the 35% range after labor and materials. The same job under a TPA at an 8% referral fee, with the typical scope-and-pricing concessions and the 60-to-90-day pay cycle, often lands closer to 18-22% gross margin once you’ve fully loaded the cost of carrying the receivable.

    That gap is not a reason to refuse program work. It is a reason to know exactly what it’s paying for. Program work pays for crew utilization in slow weeks. It pays for keeping equipment off the shelf. It pays for the operational discipline of running standardized scopes and tight documentation. What it does not pay for is replacing your direct-to-consumer marketing — because the second you let your local lead engine atrophy, you’re locked in at whatever margin the network decides to give you next year.

    The Exit Question

    Operators who successfully unwind from heavy TPA dependency rarely do it all at once. The pattern that works: cap program volume at a hard percentage (10-20% of revenue), reinvest the margin gap from non-program work into local SEO, LSA campaigns, and adjuster relationships, and use the program work as a deliberate utilization buffer rather than a primary revenue stream.

    Operators who get stuck in the trap share the same profile: 60%+ of revenue from one or two networks, no direct marketing investment, no adjuster-direct relationships in their territory, and a fleet and crew count sized to the program’s volume rather than their own sales engine. When the program cuts your assignments — and it will, at some point, for reasons that have nothing to do with your performance — you have no Plan B.

    Bottom Line

    TPA programs are a tool, not a strategy. Contractor Connection is the most established and the highest-volume option for operators with the capital structure to absorb extended payment cycles. Altimeter (formerly Alacrity Managed Repair) is in transition and worth diligence before joining. Code Blue makes sense as a secondary source, not a primary one. Whatever you sign, build the business to survive without it — because every restoration operator who has run a TPA-heavy book for more than five years will tell you the same thing: the program does not love you back.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What percentage do TPAs typically charge restoration contractors?

    Referral fees in restoration TPA programs generally fall between 5% and 20% of the invoice, with most managed-repair networks landing near 8%. The fee comes off the top before you pay labor, materials, or overhead.

    How long do TPA programs take to pay restoration contractors?

    Payment cycles on TPA work commonly run 30 to 90 days, which means you finance the carrier’s cash conversion cycle out of your operating account. Plan working capital accordingly before signing any program agreement.

    Should I rely on a single TPA for most of my revenue?

    No. Industry consultants advise keeping any single referral source under 20% of revenue, ideally under 10%. Above that threshold, you lose pricing power and become structurally dependent on a relationship you don’t control.

    Is Contractor Connection or Alacrity better for new contractors?

    Contractor Connection has deeper carrier relationships and higher volume, making it the more common first program. Alacrity’s contractor network sits under the spun-off Altimeter Solutions Group as of the recent transition, which adds diligence risk for new entrants — talk to current network contractors about payment timing before joining.

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