A restoration business plan exists for one reason: to convince a third party (banker, TPA program manager, investor, partner) that you understand the economics of the business you’re building. Most plans fail not because the writing is bad, but because the numbers don’t reflect how restoration actually operates.
The 8 sections that have to be in it
Eight sections that have to be in the plan.
Executive summary. One page. Who you are, what you do, where you operate, the funding ask, and the headline financial outlook.
Company overview. Legal structure, ownership, location, service area, founding team backgrounds.
Market analysis. The U.S. damage restoration market is roughly $7.1 billion with ~60,000 companies. Identify your local market size, top 5 competitors, and your differentiation.
Marketing and sales plan. How you’ll generate work — referral channels, TPA enrollments, digital, fleet visibility.
This is where most restoration business plans collapse under scrutiny. Bake in real numbers:
Revenue per truck per month: $30,000 – $50,000 is realistic for a mature crew on consistent water/mold work. Don’t model $80,000/truck unless you can show how.
Gross margin: 40-55% on mitigation, 25-35% on reconstruction. Blended typically 35-45%.
Labor as % of revenue: 28-35% for production technicians.
Equipment depreciation: 5-7 years straight line on dehus and air movers.
Marketing spend: 5-10% of revenue is realistic for growth-mode restoration companies.
DSO (days sales outstanding): Plan for 60-90 days on insurance work, 30 on cash work. This is the cash flow killer.
What TPA program managers look for
What TPA program managers look for.
If your business plan exists to support a TPA enrollment application (Contractor Connection, Alacrity, Code Blue), they care about:
Service area definition and response time commitments.
Insurance coverage levels meeting program minimums.
IICRC certifications across the team.
Production capacity (number of technicians, trucks, equipment cache).
Quality systems — photo documentation, scope adherence, customer satisfaction tracking.
Financial stability evidence.
What bankers look for
SBA 7(a) lenders and restoration-friendly community banks want different things than TPAs:
Owner cash injection: 10-20% of total project cost.
Personal guarantee. Non-negotiable.
Industry experience. 2+ years in restoration is the soft minimum.
DSCR (debt service coverage ratio) above 1.25.
Realistic AR aging assumptions. Bankers know insurance pays slow.
The revenue model you should actually run
The revenue model you should actually run.
Most failed restoration business plans assume linear revenue growth. Real restoration revenue is lumpy, seasonal, and event-driven (CAT events, freeze events, hurricane events). Build your model with a base run rate plus a CAT event uplift assumption — and keep enough working capital for a slow quarter.
FAQs about restoration business plans
How long should a restoration business plan be?
20-30 pages for a bank or investor plan. 5-10 pages for a TPA enrollment package. Anything over 40 pages signals padding.
What revenue should I project for year 1?
A 1-truck water-only operation typically lands $250,000 – $500,000 in year 1. A 2-truck operation with fire capability and active TPA enrollments can hit $750,000 – $1.2M. Don’t project $2M in year 1 unless you have signed referral agreements to back it up.
Do I need a business plan if I’m self-funding?
Yes. Even without a banker, the business plan forces you to confront equipment costs, insurance levels, marketing budget, and the math of when you can hire your first employee. Self-funded operators who skip the plan tend to run out of cash in month 9.
What is the typical EBITDA margin for a restoration company?
Mature, well-run restoration companies operate at 12-18% EBITDA margins. Owner-operator shops often run 5-10% because the owner is undercompensated. Multi-location regional players in good markets can push 18-22%.
Should I include reconstruction in my year-1 plan?
Most operators add reconstruction in year 2 or 3, not year 1. Reconstruction adds licensing complexity, longer DSO, lower gross margin, and dramatically more capital requirements. Lead with mitigation, build cash, then layer reconstruction.
Equipment is the line item that surprises new restoration operators the most. The catalog photos look cheap. The package quotes from suppliers look expensive. The truth is somewhere in between, and the right answer depends on whether you’re outfitting one truck or three.
Mold: Negative air machines ($800 – $1,500), additional HEPA scrubbers, containment poly and zipper doors, full PPE program. Plan on $5,000 – $10,000 added.
Contents: Pack-out boxes, content cleaning station, ultrasonic cleaner ($2,000 – $8,000), storage racks. Plan on $5,000 – $20,000 added.
Vehicle costs (2026)
Used cargo van + basic shelving: $35,000 – $50,000.
New cargo van + custom buildout: $60,000 – $90,000.
Industry models for fully-equipped multi-truck launches put the initial fleet investment at ~$80,000 for two service vans, with total capital expenditures including specialized equipment around $172,000.
Three realistic startup tiers
Three realistic startup tiers — no sticky dollar stickers.
Tier 1: Lean Owner-Operator ($80K – $150K total cash)
1 used van
Water mitigation only
16 air movers, 2 small dehus, 1 LGR, 1 HEPA
Owner-only crew
Tier 2: Mid-Tier Multi-Service ($250K – $450K total cash)
Tier 3: Multi-Truck Production Shop ($500K – $1M+ total cash)
3-5 vans + 1 box truck
Water + fire + mold + contents + light reconstruction
80+ air movers, 12+ dehus, 8+ HEPA, full negative air kit, content cleaning station
5-8 technicians + dispatcher
Equipment pitfalls to avoid
Buying everything new at launch. Used dehumidifiers and air movers from auctions or other restorers can cut equipment cost 40-60%.
Underbuying air movers. 16 is the practical floor — large losses eat 30+ on day one.
Skipping the thermal camera. It pays for itself in scope defensibility on the first 3 jobs.
Cheap moisture meters. Insurance adjusters notice. Buy Delmhorst or Tramex.
Ignoring asset tracking. By job 50 you’ll lose track of where your equipment is. Plan tracking from day one.
FAQs about restoration equipment costs
How many air movers do I need to start?
Minimum 16. A typical Cat 1 water loss in a 2,000 sq ft home requires 12-20 air movers running 3-5 days. Underbuying means you can only run one job at a time, which kills revenue per truck.
Should I buy used or new restoration equipment?
Air movers and small dehus: used is fine if you can verify hours and condition. Large LGR dehumidifiers: buy new — refurb risk on compressor failure isn’t worth the savings. Trucks: used with a real PPI is the budget winner.
What is the cheapest way to start a restoration company?
Lean owner-operator with $80K cash: used van, 16 air movers, 2 dehus, 1 HEPA, water mitigation only, owner does all production for the first 6 months. Add capability as cash flow allows.
Do I need a truck-mount extractor?
For pure water mitigation, a portable extractor ($3,500 – $5,000) is enough for the first year. Truck-mounts ($15,000 – $25,000) become worth it when you’re running 5+ jobs/week or doing significant carpet cleaning.
What software should I budget for?
Xactimate ($150-200/month base + per-estimate fees), Encircle or Magicplan ($50-150/month), DASH or Restoration Manager ($200-500/month), QuickBooks ($30-90/month). Plan on $400-800/month in software once you’re operational.
Most restoration companies plateau at one truck and one owner-operator burning out at 70-hour weeks. The jump to two trucks is harder than it looks — and the jump from two to five is what separates a job from a real business. This is the operator’s version of how that scaling actually happens.
Why most restoration companies stay stuck at one truck
Why most restoration companies stay stuck at one truck.
The 1-truck plateau isn’t a marketing problem — it’s a structural one. The owner is the estimator, the dispatcher, the lead tech, the QA reviewer, the AR clerk, and the salesperson. Every additional job adds load to all six roles simultaneously. There is no room to grow until at least one role gets unloaded.
The hiring sequence that actually scales
The hiring sequence that actually scales.
Hire #1: Lead Technician (~$40K monthly revenue trigger). Frees the owner from production. Pay $22-32/hr depending on market and certifications.
Hire #2: Helper / Apprentice (~$60K monthly revenue trigger). Fills out a 2-person production crew. Pay $17-22/hr.
Hire #4: Second Lead Tech (~$120K monthly revenue trigger). Enables a second crew, second truck.
Hire #5: Estimator (~$150K monthly revenue trigger). Owns Xactimate sketch, scope, and supplements.
Hire #6: Project Manager / Operations Manager (~$200K+ monthly revenue trigger). Owns daily production oversight across multiple crews.
The dispatch problem
One truck is easy — you go where you go. Two trucks is the hardest dispatch challenge in the company because the owner is still mentally dispatching from the field. Three+ trucks demands a real dispatcher and a real software system. Restoration Manager, DASH, Encircle, or Job Nimbus are all viable. The wrong answer is a whiteboard in the office past truck #2.
Equipment cache scaling
The naive math is “double the trucks, double the equipment.” The real math accounts for utilization:
1 truck: 16-20 air movers, 2-3 dehus, 2 HEPA.
2 trucks: 40-50 air movers, 5-7 dehus, 4 HEPA. (Not 32-40 air movers — concurrent jobs eat more.)
3 trucks: 70-90 air movers, 10-12 dehus, 6+ HEPA, asset tracking system non-negotiable.
5 trucks: 120+ air movers, 18+ dehus, dedicated equipment tech who handles cleaning/maintenance.
Working capital as you scale
Insurance work pays in 60-90 days. Payroll runs every 2 weeks. The faster you grow, the more cash you have tied up in AR. A useful rule:
Cash on hand should equal 60 days of operating expenses + 30 days of net AR.
Operators who scale without honoring this rule end up factoring receivables at painful discount rates (often 2-5% per invoice) just to make payroll. Build a line of credit before you need it.
The org chart that supports 5 trucks
The org chart that supports five trucks.
Once you’re past 3 trucks, the org chart is the company. A typical 5-truck shop has:
Equipment Tech (part-time at 3 trucks, full-time at 5)
That’s 12-18 people running ~$2-4M in revenue.
FAQs about scaling a restoration company
How much revenue do I need before hiring my first employee?
$30,000 – $40,000 in monthly revenue, sustained for 60+ days. Hiring before that level usually means the owner is still on the truck and the new hire is an idle expense.
How many trucks can one dispatcher handle?
A trained dispatcher comfortably handles 4-6 trucks. Beyond 6, you need either a second dispatcher or a project manager / dispatcher hybrid model with crews assigned to specific PMs.
What’s the right truck-to-technician ratio?
2 technicians per truck is the working standard for water mitigation. Fire and contents work often pushes to 3 per truck because of pack-out labor. Mold remediation runs 2-3 per truck depending on containment scope.
When should I add reconstruction services?
Most operators add reconstruction in year 2-3, after mitigation revenue is stable at $1M+ annual. Earlier addition spreads capital and management attention too thin. Reconstruction also extends DSO from 60 days to 90-120 days, which strains cash flow.
Should I open a second location to scale?
Not until your primary location runs 4+ trucks profitably and you have a proven Operations Manager who can be promoted to run location #1 when you focus on launching #2. Premature multi-location expansion is the most common reason 7-figure restoration companies blow up.
The single biggest reason restoration companies stall at 5-10 employees isn’t sales, marketing, or capital — it’s role confusion. When everyone owns everything, nobody owns anything. This is the org chart and role definitions that scale.
The four functional buckets
Four functional buckets on the org chart.
Every restoration company, no matter the size, operates through four functional buckets. The org chart is just how those buckets get assigned to humans.
Sales / Estimating: Get the work, scope the work, price the work.
Production: Do the work to scope, on time, with documentation.
Operations / Dispatch: Schedule the work, deploy people and equipment, monitor progress.
Admin / Finance: Bill the work, collect the money, run AR/AP, payroll, compliance.
In a 1-truck shop, the owner does all four. In a 50-employee shop, each bucket has 3-5 people. The transition between is where companies break.
Role definitions that hold up
Role definitions that hold up.
Owner / President
Strategy, banking, major TPA relationships, key insurance carrier relationships, hiring, culture, financial oversight. Past 5 trucks, the owner should not be on jobs unless it’s a CAT event or a VIP customer.
Operations Manager
Owns production across all crews. Responsible for safety, equipment, training, technician performance, and quality control. KPI: jobs completed on schedule and to scope.
Estimator
Owns scope and pricing. Sketches in Xactimate, builds estimates, writes supplements, interfaces with adjusters. KPI: scope accuracy, supplement approval rate, estimate cycle time.
Project Manager (PM)
Owns 8-15 active jobs end-to-end. Customer communication, photo documentation, scope adherence, schedule, billing readiness. KPI: customer NPS, days to invoice ready, scope-vs-actuals variance.
Runs a 2-3 person crew on the truck. Owns documentation in the field, daily moisture readings, safety, customer experience on site. KPI: drying days, photo completeness, customer feedback.
Office Manager / Bookkeeper
Owns AR, AP, payroll prep, compliance filings, vendor management, certificate of insurance management. KPI: DSO, AR aging, on-time payroll.
How the chart evolves by employee count
How the chart evolves by employee count.
Size
Org Structure
1-3 employees
Owner does sales/estimating/dispatch/AR. Lead Tech + Helper run production.
4-7 employees
Add Office Manager (AR/AP/intake). Owner still estimates and dispatches.
8-12 employees
Add Estimator and Dispatcher. Owner moves to sales relationships and oversight.
13-20 employees
Add Operations Manager and PM(s). Owner exits production decisions entirely.
20+ employees
Multiple PMs, dedicated equipment tech, marketing role, possibly second estimator.
RACI for the most common breakdowns
The biggest role conflicts in restoration org charts are around: scope changes mid-job, supplement responsibility, customer complaints, and equipment loss. Document RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) for each:
Scope change mid-job: Lead Tech responsible for surfacing it, PM accountable for approving and updating estimate, Estimator consulted, Customer informed.
Supplements: Estimator responsible and accountable, PM consulted, Adjuster the recipient.
Equipment loss: Lead Tech responsible for reporting, Operations Manager accountable for resolution, Office Manager informed for asset register update.
FAQs about restoration org charts
When should I hire an Operations Manager?
When you have 3+ active production crews running daily. Below that, the owner can still maintain quality oversight personally. Above that, things slip without a dedicated ops role.
Should the estimator and PM be the same person?
In small shops (under 8 employees), yes — one person handles both. Past 10 employees, separate them. The skillsets diverge: estimating is a pricing-and-defense role, PM is a customer-and-schedule role.
Do I need a dedicated dispatcher or can the office manager dispatch?
Office Manager can dispatch up to 2-3 trucks. Past that, dispatch demands too much real-time attention to combine with billing/AR work. Split the roles.
What’s the right pay band for an Operations Manager?
$70K – $110K base + 5-15% performance bonus is the typical 2026 range for restoration Operations Managers, depending on market and revenue size. Multi-location regional ops managers push $130K-$160K.
How do I avoid hiring my way into bloat?
Tie every role to a revenue trigger and a documented KPI. If a role can’t be tied to a measurable output, it’s not yet a role — it’s the owner offloading anxiety.
The restoration M&A market is the busiest it’s ever been. Private equity has deployed $6 billion+ across 50+ platforms since 2018, with notable exits like HighGround (13 acquisitions in 5 years to Knox Lane) and American Restoration (an 8-brand roll-up to Morgan Stanley) proving the playbook. If you own a restoration company, understanding the exit math is no longer optional.
Current 2026 valuation multiples
How buyers frame valuation — without sticky multiples on the graphic.
Restoration company values vary widely by size, mix, and quality of operations:
$3M – $10M revenue shops: 4x – 7x EBITDA range, with quality operators commanding the high end.
$10M+ regional platforms: 7x – 10x EBITDA on PE platform deals.
Industry average: Average EBITDA multiples across restoration companies range 3.24x – 4.31x; the broader observable range is 3-8x.
What PE buyers actually want
What PE buyers actually want from a restoration platform.
The typical PE acquisition strategy is to pay 3.0x – 3.5x SDE for a $2M – $5M revenue shop, bolt it onto a platform, and exit in 3-5 years at 4.5x – 5.5x to a larger PE platform or strategic. To be the kind of shop they’ll pay for, you need:
Clean books. 3+ years of clean P&Ls, balance sheet, and tax returns. No commingled personal expenses.
Diversified revenue. No single TPA, carrier, or referral source over 30% of revenue.
Contracts and relationships (commercial property management portfolios).
Trained workforce (especially in tight labor markets).
The 24-month exit prep checklist
The 24-month exit prep checklist.
Months 1-6: Engage a CPA to clean books. Recast personal expenses to show true SDE/EBITDA. Build a 3-year P&L deck.
Months 6-12: Document SOPs, formalize org chart, name an Operations Manager who can run it without you. Diversify referral sources to cap any single source under 30%.
Months 12-18: Engage an M&A advisor (industry-specific is much better than generalist). Build CIM (Confidential Information Memorandum). Stress-test working capital.
Months 18-24: Run buyer process. Multiple LOIs preferred. Negotiate structure (cash at close, earn-out, rollover equity).
Deal structure: what’s actually offered
Most restoration deals are not 100% cash at close. Typical structures:
60-80% cash at close.
10-25% earn-out tied to revenue or EBITDA targets over 1-3 years.
5-15% rollover equity in the acquiring platform — often the highest-return component if the platform exits well.
Owner consulting/employment agreement for 1-3 years to support transition.
FAQs about restoration acquisitions and exits
What multiple will I get for my restoration company?
Realistic 2026 ranges: under-$1M revenue 1-2x SDE; $1M-$3M revenue 2.5x-3.5x SDE; $3M-$10M revenue 4x-7x EBITDA; $10M+ revenue 7x-10x EBITDA on PE platform deals. Quality of books and management depth move you within those ranges.
What’s the difference between SDE and EBITDA in restoration deals?
SDE (seller’s discretionary earnings) adds back the owner’s salary, benefits, and one-time/personal expenses — used for owner-operator businesses. EBITDA is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization — used for businesses where the owner doesn’t run daily operations. Most sub-$3M restoration shops trade on SDE; most over-$5M trade on EBITDA.
How long does it take to sell a restoration company?
From engaging an M&A advisor to closing, plan on 9-15 months. Including the 12-24 months of pre-sale prep work, the full timeline is often 2-3 years.
Should I sell to PE or to a strategic?
PE typically pays slightly higher multiples but expects more rigor (clean books, management depth, growth story). Strategics may pay less in cash but offer faster close and less due diligence intensity. The right answer depends on your goals — maximum dollars vs. maximum simplicity.
What kills restoration company sale value?
Customer concentration over 30%, owner-as-rainmaker dependency, sloppy books, expired insurance, lapsed TPA enrollments, pending litigation, missing equipment records, and undisclosed family employees. Address all of these in the 24-month prep window.
Contractor Connection is the largest TPA in restoration. It’s also one of the most misunderstood — half the operators love it, half tolerate it, and a small but vocal minority leave it. This is what enrollment actually requires, what the program scoring really measures, and what the math looks like.
What Contractor Connection actually is
What Contractor Connection actually is.
Contractor Connection is a managed-repair network that contracts with insurance carriers to dispatch claims to a vetted contractor pool. When a policyholder reports a covered loss, Contractor Connection’s call center routes the assignment to a network contractor based on geography, capacity, performance scores, and program rules. Documentation, scope, and pricing flow through the Contractor Connection platform (DASH integration is common).
Who they’re vetting against
Contractor Connection vets contractors against strict requirements including insurance, background checks, and certifications. The contractor pool is filtered through:
Financial stability (often verified with current financials).
Customer service track record.
Proper business insurance at program-required limits.
IICRC certifications across the production team.
Standardized software systems for documentation and pricing.
Equipment and crew capacity for the service area.
Enrollment realities
Enrollment realities — capacity and compliance.
The single most common reason restoration contractors fail Contractor Connection enrollment is incomplete or inconsistent paperwork — not lack of qualification. Specifically:
Failing to complete the application in full.
Answering questions incorrectly or inconsistently across forms.
Misunderstanding what’s being asked (especially around insurance limits and certifications).
Missing or outdated company financial statements.
The other failure mode is more painful: passing all the vetting, paying the enrollment fee, and then never getting activated or assigned work because the program already has saturation in your geography.
How Contractor Connection scores you once you’re in
Once active, contractors are scored on a continuous basis. The KPIs typically include:
Cycle time — days from assignment to completion.
Customer satisfaction — survey scores from policyholders.
Scope adherence — variance between authorized scope and actuals.
Re-open rate — claims that need rework or supplemental visits.
Higher scores get more assignments. Lower scores get assignments throttled. Sustained low scores get contractors deactivated.
The economic math
The economic math once you are inside the network.
Contractor Connection pricing is typically Xactimate at carrier-approved settings, sometimes with a program discount applied (varies by carrier). Real-world margin on Contractor Connection water mitigation work in 2026 typically lands at 30-42% gross margin — solid but not exceptional. The trade-off is consistent volume and predictable AR.
Should you enroll?
Contractor Connection is a strong fit if:
You have spare capacity and want a steady fill of mitigation work.
Your team is disciplined about documentation and cycle time.
You can absorb the program fees and still hit margin targets.
You don’t already have direct carrier relationships in your market that would be cannibalized.
It’s a poor fit if you’re already capacity-constrained on higher-margin direct or cash work, or if your shop struggles with rapid scope and photo documentation.
FAQs about Contractor Connection
How long does Contractor Connection enrollment take?
Plan on 60-120 days from initial application to activation, sometimes longer if your service area is saturated. The vetting includes financial review, insurance verification, certification audits, and reference checks.
Does Contractor Connection charge enrollment fees?
Yes — initial enrollment fees and annual renewal fees apply, and they vary by program tier and number of locations. Confirm current fees directly with Contractor Connection during application.
What insurance limits does Contractor Connection require?
Typical program minimums are $1M / $2M general liability with mold endorsement, $1M commercial auto, and state-required workers comp. Some carrier programs within Contractor Connection require higher limits — confirm during enrollment.
Can I be in Contractor Connection and other TPAs simultaneously?
Yes. Most multi-program restoration contractors run Contractor Connection alongside Alacrity (now Altimeter), Accuserve (formerly CodeBlue), and various direct carrier programs. The key is capacity management — overcommitting kills your scores in all of them.
What’s the typical revenue contribution from Contractor Connection?
For active contractors, Contractor Connection often represents 15-35% of total revenue. Operators above 40% from a single TPA become uncomfortably concentrated and lose negotiating leverage.
Alacrity has been one of the most established TPA networks in restoration for over two decades — but in 2026 the program structure changed materially. Alacrity announced the strategic sale of its Managed Repair Division, which now operates as an independent company under the name Altimeter Solutions Group with its existing leadership and team. For restoration contractors, that means understanding both what Alacrity Solutions still does and what Altimeter now owns.
The 2026 split: what changed
The 2026 Alacrity / Altimeter split — what changed.
Alacrity Solutions (parent): Continues to operate insurance claims, repair, and recovery solutions, including TPA services for property and casualty carriers.
Altimeter Solutions Group (new independent entity): Houses the former Managed Repair Division — the contractor network arm — with its existing leadership and team.
Working relationship: Alacrity is working closely with Altimeter to ensure seamless collaboration across long-standing shared clients.
For contractors, the practical question is: which entity now owns your enrollment, your scoring, and your carrier relationships? In most cases, contractors enrolled in the Managed Repair Program now interface with Altimeter operationally, even though existing carrier relationships may still flow through Alacrity at the program level.
Contractor network enrollment requirements
Enrollment requirements before you chase volume.
Independent contractors entering the network must pass rigorous screening:
Criminal background checks for owners and key personnel.
Current state licenses and IICRC certifications.
Financial stability documentation (often 2-3 years of financials).
Proof of insurance at program-required limits.
Equipment and capacity verification for the service territory.
Recruiting Managers are reachable 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT for application questions at 1-866-953-3220, option 7.
How the Managed Repair Program operates
The Managed Repair Program (MRP) routes claims from participating carriers to vetted contractors based on geography, capacity, and performance scoring. Documentation, scope, and pricing are managed through the program’s contractor portal and software ecosystem. The contractor handles the work, the carrier or its TPA approves payment, and program fees / discounts apply per the contractor agreement.
Performance scoring
Like every major TPA, the MRP scores contractors on cycle time, customer satisfaction, scope adherence, photo and documentation completeness, and re-open rates. Contractors with sustained high scores get larger and more assignments; sustained low scores get throttled or removed.
The economics
The economics — margin math without sticker prices.
MRP work is typically priced at Xactimate carrier-approved settings, with program-specific discounts varying by carrier and contract. Realistic 2026 gross margins on MRP mitigation work fall in the 30-42% range, similar to other TPAs. The strategic value of the Alacrity / Altimeter relationship has historically been access to specific carrier programs that aren’t available through other TPAs.
Should you enroll?
Worth pursuing if:
You want exposure to carriers not available through Contractor Connection or Accuserve.
You have capacity and a documentation-disciplined production team.
You can absorb program fees and still hit margin targets.
The 2026 transition to Altimeter has introduced some operational uncertainty, so confirm enrollment paths and current carrier rosters directly during application.
FAQs about Alacrity / Altimeter
Did Alacrity sell its restoration program?
Alacrity announced the strategic sale of its Managed Repair Division, which now operates independently as Altimeter Solutions Group with its existing leadership and team. Alacrity Solutions itself continues to operate other claims and recovery services.
How do I apply to the Alacrity / Altimeter contractor network?
Alacrity Recruiting Managers are reachable 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT at 1-866-953-3220, option 7. Confirm with them whether your enrollment goes through Alacrity or Altimeter for 2026 — the operational handoff is still being clarified across some carrier relationships.
What insurance and certification requirements apply?
Typical: $1M / $2M general liability with mold endorsement, $1M commercial auto, workers comp, current state licensing, and IICRC certifications across the production team. Specific limits vary by carrier program.
Can I enroll in Alacrity and Contractor Connection simultaneously?
Yes. Most TPA-active restoration contractors carry multiple program enrollments to diversify carrier exposure. The constraint is capacity — over-enrollment without crew depth tanks your performance scores in all programs.
How long does Alacrity / Altimeter enrollment take?
Typically 60-120 days from application to activation. The 2026 transition between Alacrity and Altimeter may extend this in some markets — set realistic expectations during application.
Three IICRC technician certifications anchor the technical credibility of almost every restoration company in North America: Water Damage Restoration Technician (WRT), Applied Structural Drying (ASD), and Applied Microbial Remediation Technician (AMRT). For owners building or expanding a production team, knowing what each certification covers, what it costs, and how to sequence them is the difference between a planned training investment and a reactive scramble before a TPA audit.
The Water Damage Restoration Technician (WRT) certification is the entry point into IICRC’s restoration credentialing. It covers the fundamentals of water damage response: water categories and classes, drying principles, equipment selection, and the IICRC S500 standard. WRT is also the prerequisite for both ASD and AMRT, which makes it the right starting point for every technician on the team.
Course costs vary by training provider. A common reference point is around $449 per person for a WRT course delivered by a well-established training school. The IICRC exam fee for WRT is $80, with $80 retest fees if a candidate does not pass on the first attempt.
ASD — The Drying Specialist Credential
Applied Structural Drying (ASD) builds on WRT and goes deeper into the science and equipment of structural drying. ASD covers psychrometry, dehumidifier selection and sizing, air mover placement, monitoring methodology, and drying chamber strategy. For technicians who lead drying jobs in the field, ASD is the right second certification.
WRT is a prerequisite for ASD, and most restoration training schools offer the two as a combined WRT/ASD program. Combo courses commonly run from $1,395 to $1,495 per person, plus the combined IICRC exam fees of $160 ($80 per certification). The combo format is more cost-effective than taking the two separately and reduces the time technicians spend off production.
AMRT — The Mold Remediation Credential
Applied Microbial Remediation Technician (AMRT) is the IICRC certification for mold remediation work. It covers the IICRC S520 standard, containment, PPE, antimicrobial application, HEPA equipment, and remediation protocols. For any restoration company performing mold work — even occasionally — AMRT is the credential that protects the business legally and operationally.
WRT is a prerequisite for AMRT. Course costs are commonly around $995 per person, and the IICRC exam fee is $150. AMRT must be taken in person at a training center; the course is not approved for online delivery.
AMRT’s exam fee, the firm credential, and the role-by-role path are on the certification guide.
How to Sequence Certifications Across a Team
How to sequence certifications across a team.
The right certification sequence for a typical restoration team:
All field technicians — WRT within the first 90 days of hire
Senior technicians and lead drying techs — WRT/ASD combo, ideally within the first year
Technicians performing mold work — AMRT after WRT, before the first solo mold job
Project managers and crew leads — All three (WRT + ASD + AMRT) as a baseline
Operations managers and owners — At minimum WRT, plus ASD and AMRT for credibility on customer and adjuster calls
Budgeting Annual Certification Spend
Budgeting annual certification spend.
For a 10-person restoration team running this certification map, expect first-year certification spend in the $8,000 to $12,000 range when WRT, WRT/ASD combos, and AMRT courses are layered in. Subsequent years drop to a continuing education rhythm (covered in a separate spoke) plus new-hire WRT certifications.
The right way to think about this spend is per-job risk reduction. A single audit reduction or compliance issue that the certification would have prevented typically pays for the certification several times over.
Choosing a Training Provider
The IICRC accredits multiple training schools, and not all are equivalent. The factors that matter most: instructor field experience (vs. pure classroom background), hands-on lab time built into the course, exam pass rates, and post-course support. Reading provider reviews from operators in your region is the most reliable selection signal.
How much does IICRC WRT certification cost in 2026?
WRT courses commonly run around $449 per person from established training schools, plus an $80 IICRC exam fee. Retest fees if needed are also $80. Pricing varies by provider and region — confirm current rates with your selected training school before budgeting.
Is WRT a prerequisite for ASD and AMRT?
Yes. WRT is the prerequisite for both Applied Structural Drying (ASD) and Applied Microbial Remediation Technician (AMRT). The standard pathway is to complete WRT first, then add ASD or AMRT depending on the technician’s role.
Can IICRC certifications be earned online?
WRT can be taken online through several approved providers. The WRT/ASD combo course must be taken at a training center because of the hands-on drying lab requirements. AMRT is approved for in-person delivery only. Always verify the delivery format with the provider before registering.
How long does it take to earn WRT certification?
Most WRT courses run two to three days of instruction, followed by the IICRC exam. The full timeline from course start to active certification is typically one to two weeks once exam scheduling is included. Online formats may compress the calendar but require the same instructional hours.
How long is IICRC certification valid before renewal?
IICRC certifications are renewed through continuing education credits (CECs) on a recurring cycle, not through a single fixed expiration date. Technicians need 14 CECs every four years; advanced certifications and Certified Inspectors require 14 CECs every two years. The CEC system is covered in detail in our continuing education spoke.
Code Blue was historically one of the most algorithm-driven TPAs in restoration. In 2026, the Code Blue brand has been officially united under the parent brand of Accuserve — consolidating Accuserve’s contractor and carrier-facing operations under a single name. For contractors evaluating program enrollment, the operational characteristics of Code Blue still apply, but the brand and account relationships now flow through Accuserve.
What Code Blue / Accuserve actually does
What Code Blue / Accuserve actually does in the claim path.
Code Blue is an independent Third Party Administrator for the casualty and property insurance industry that provides end-to-end outsourcing solutions. The program proactively manages policyholder claims on behalf of its insurance partners, fielding millions of calls annually through three command centers and connecting policyholders to contractors 24/7/365.
The 27-point algorithm
The 27-point algorithm — score before you enroll.
Code Blue’s signature operational characteristic is its scientific 27-point algorithm used to identify the best contractor available for each assignment, preconditioned to collaborate with the policyholder and the insurer. The algorithm factors include geography, capacity, certification mix, performance history, equipment availability, and program-specific carrier preferences.
For contractors, this means assignment flow is more deterministic than some other TPAs — but also less negotiable. You either fit the algorithm’s criteria for a given assignment or you don’t.
Quality assurance approach
Code Blue conducts an electronic quality assurance audit on every claim, holding contractors accountable to IICRC industry standards. This is more aggressive QA than most TPAs and contractors should expect:
Photo and documentation requirements that are checked algorithmically, not just manually.
Scope variance flags that trigger supplemental review.
Customer satisfaction tracking on every job.
Real-time visibility into job status by the program team.
Equipment rental discounts (the friction point)
One commonly cited friction point: of the equipment rental discount Code Blue takes (historically reported around 15%), contractor reports indicate only a portion (~5%) gets passed to the carrier — the rest stays with the program. Whether this affects your shop depends on your equipment cost basis and how you structure equipment line items in your estimates. Run the math before assuming program work is automatically profitable.
The contractor experience
Code Blue / Accuserve has generated mixed reviews from restoration contractors. Some report tight oversight and active program management; others find that level of oversight valuable for cycle time and customer experience. The honest summary:
Pros: Predictable assignment flow, strong tech and documentation infrastructure, clear scoring, broad carrier roster, dedicated program team.
Cons: Heavy oversight (some contractors find it intrusive), equipment rental economics need careful modeling, limited room for scope negotiation outside program rules.
Should you enroll?
Should you enroll? Decide with eyes open.
Strong fit if your shop:
Has tight production discipline and rapid documentation habits.
Is comfortable working under algorithmic oversight.
Wants exposure to specific Accuserve carrier relationships.
Has equipment cost basis modeled and can absorb program rental economics.
Probably not a fit if you operate informally, dislike heavy oversight, or already have strong direct carrier relationships in your market that the program would cannibalize.
FAQs about Code Blue / Accuserve
Is Code Blue still a separate TPA?
The Code Blue brand has been officially united under the parent brand of Accuserve. Operationally, the program still functions, but contractor relationships and account management now flow through Accuserve.
How does the 27-point algorithm affect my assignment flow?
Assignment volume depends on how well your shop matches the algorithm’s criteria for any given claim — geography, certifications, capacity, performance history, and carrier-specific preferences. Strong scores in one carrier program don’t automatically translate to volume in another.
What’s the equipment rental discount situation?
Contractor reports indicate Code Blue takes a 15% equipment rental discount, with only about 5% passing through to the carrier. Build your estimates with that economic reality in mind — it can meaningfully affect mitigation margin.
How rigorous is Code Blue’s quality audit?
Very. Code Blue conducts an electronic QA audit on every claim, with documentation, photo, and scope checks running continuously throughout the job. Plan for tighter documentation than most other TPAs require.
Can I leave the program if it doesn’t work out?
Yes. Most TPA contractor agreements include termination provisions for either party with notice. The honest part: leaving and re-enrolling later is harder than staying — once your score drops or you exit, it can take 12-24 months to rebuild standing.
What marketing metrics should restoration companies actually measure? Lead count matters, but it is a lagging indicator and a noisy one. The signals that predict long-term health are review velocity and quality, GBP engagement trends, organic search visibility, content engine output, retargeting audience growth, email list size and engagement, owner-level community activity, and partner referral patterns. The companies with the cleanest view of these signals run a fundamentally different marketing operation from the ones chasing monthly lead reports.
Ask a restoration owner what they measure in marketing and most will say “lead count” and “cost per lead.” Maybe conversion rate to job. Maybe a monthly revenue attribution by source. That is typically the full measurement stack.
Those metrics matter. They are also insufficient, and sometimes misleading.
Lead count is a lagging indicator. It tells you what happened last month. It is noisy — weather events, competitor outages, seasonal shifts, and random luck all move it around in ways that have nothing to do with the quality of the marketing. And it measures the short-term output, not the long-term asset.
The companies that compound over ten years are the ones watching a different set of signals — ones that predict the lead count six months from now, rather than recording the lead count last month. This article lays out that measurement stack.
The Asset-Health Signals
The asset-health signals.
These are the signals that measure the organic asset — the thing that produces leads durably regardless of this month’s paid spend.
Review velocity. New reviews per week, by service and location. Rising velocity is one of the strongest predictors of rising organic lead flow 60 to 90 days out. Flat or declining velocity is the leading indicator of trouble. Target: consistent weekly velocity that at least maintains review recency across every GBP the company operates.
Review star average, tracked over time. Not just the current average, but the trajectory. A company moving from 4.6 to 4.9 is a different business from a company static at 4.8. Target: 4.8 minimum, 4.9+ ideal.
GBP engagement trends. Views, searches, calls, direction requests, website clicks — all reported inside the GBP insights dashboard. Monthly trends across these matter more than the absolute numbers. Target: steady growth across all five.
Map pack ranking by query. What position the company sits in for its top 15-20 service and location queries in its service area. Tools like Local Falcon or BrightLocal make this trackable. Target: first-position or top-three for primary service + primary geography queries, top-three for secondary geographies.
Organic search traffic by page. The neighborhood pages, location pages, and service pages — which are ranking, which are climbing, which are stuck. Google Search Console is the primary source. Target: month-over-month growth in organic sessions to the site.
Content engine output. Articles published per month, pages added per month, GBP posts per week, photos uploaded per week. This is the raw activity that feeds the asset. Target: sustained weekly cadence.
Retargeting audience size and freshness. How big is the pool, how recent are the signals, how engaged is the audience? Target: audience size growing month over month, freshness maintained with pixel activity from the site.
Email list size and engagement. Subscribers, open rate, click rate. Target: subscriber growth each month, open rate above 25% for a cold-niche list (restoration-specific content audiences open at higher rates than generic consumer lists).
Social following, by platform. Followers, engagement rate, local share rate. Not vanity metrics — engagement specifically from the service area. Target: month-over-month growth in engaged local audience.
These signals, taken together, describe the health of the asset. A company with green lights across the board has an asset that will continue producing lead flow. A company with red lights has one that will start bleeding lead flow in the next two quarters.
The Community-Standing Signals
The second tier of measurement is the owner-level and team-level community activity that produces the relational underpinning of the asset. These are harder to quantify but worth tracking.
Association attendance. Events attended per quarter, by association, by attendee. The brief-and-post-mortem discipline described in the event playbook produces the log. Target: consistent attendance at the committed associations; drop-offs caught early.
Owner unblocking calls. How many times per quarter did the owner make an unblocking call for a sales rep? This is a specific activity described in the owner-as-rainmaker article. Target: at least one per rep per quarter.
Partner relationship hygiene. Number of active B2B partners, recency of last interaction, direction of recent referrals (from partner to company, company to partner). The observational B2B plan produces the database. Target: partner count growing, recency maintained on core relationships, bidirectional flow evident.
Event briefs and post-mortems completed. Every event should have both. A count of how many were actually done reflects the discipline. Target: 100% completion rate.
Speaking and content placements. Was the owner or a senior person speaking at an association, publishing in an industry outlet, or contributing content to a partner organization? Target: one to two per quarter minimum at senior level.
Community sponsorship ledger. What the company sponsored, what it produced, whether it repeats. Target: every sponsorship intentional, measured, and reviewed annually.
These signals measure the work that is hard to see but matters for long-term referral flow.
The Operational Readiness Signals
The operational readiness signals.
The third measurement cluster is whether the company can convert the leads it does generate. A marketing asset that produces leads the operations team cannot convert is an asset partially wasted.
Response time to inbound calls. Average and 95th percentile. Target: under 60 seconds on emergency lines, under 10 minutes on non-emergency, 24/7.
Response time to LSA and web form leads. Target: under 5 minutes on emergency leads, under 30 minutes on non-emergency during business hours.
Lead-to-appointment rate. What percentage of inbound leads convert to a scheduled appointment? Target: 75%+ for qualified emergency leads.
Appointment-to-contract rate. What percentage of appointments become contracted jobs? Target: 60%+ for residential, varying for commercial.
Same-day response rate. What percentage of inbound leads get a real response the same day, regardless of channel? Target: 95%+.
These metrics are operations more than marketing, but they determine whether marketing effort converts. Many restoration companies have marketing problems they think are marketing problems when they are actually operations problems — marketing is generating leads, but operations is not converting them.
The Paid-Channel Signals
For the paid layer, measurement should include:
Cost per lead, by channel. LSA, Google Ads, Meta, YouTube, lead aggregators — each tracked separately.
Cost per job, by channel. CPL × conversion rate. The number that actually matters for profitability.
Blended cost per job across paid. Weighted average. The overall efficiency of the paid layer.
Share of leads captured to the asset. Percentage of paid leads whose email went into the list, that consented, that ended up in retargeting. The evergreen discipline from the every-paid-lead-evergreen article is measured here. Target: 85%+.
Attribution overlap. Leads that touched paid and also touched organic before converting. Google Analytics 4 and a well-configured analytics stack can show this. Understanding overlap prevents double-counting and reveals where paid is genuinely incremental versus where it is claiming credit for organic work.
Dispute rate and recovery. For LSA specifically. Target: every bad lead disputed, recovery rate above industry baseline.
The Reporting Cadence
The measurement stack above is a lot to track. The cadence matters as much as the metrics.
Weekly. Review velocity, GBP engagement summary, content output, response times, paid performance top line. A 15-minute marketing stand-up or a simple weekly report captures this.
Monthly. Full asset dashboard — every metric in every cluster. One-hour monthly review with the owner, marketing lead, and operations lead. Pattern interpretation: what is rising, what is falling, what needs attention.
Quarterly. Strategic review. Association attendance, partner relationships, major initiatives, budget reallocation decisions. Two-hour session against the annual plan.
Annually. Full refresh of the plan. Revisit the end-in-mind org design. Adjust the measurement stack itself if the right metrics have changed.
Without the cadence, the measurement stack goes stale. Metrics only matter if they inform decisions.
The Metric Most Restoration Companies Should Stop Chasing
The metric most restoration companies should stop chasing.
A final note on leads. Lead count is fine as one metric among many. It becomes pathological when it is the only metric.
Chasing lead count month to month creates a pattern where short-term spend is continually increased to hit the current-month number, while the long-term asset is continually underinvested. Lead count drives paid spend decisions. Paid spend squeezes out organic investment. Organic investment is what produces the compounding lead flow. The cycle is self-defeating.
The companies that break out of it are the ones that refuse to measure marketing primarily on monthly lead count. They measure it on the health of the asset. They spend on the asset. The lead count rises as a consequence, not as a target. Paid becomes rent on top of a growing property, not the entire foundation.
How This Pairs With the Rest of the Stack
Measurement is the feedback loop that makes every other layer of the stack get better over time. The content engine is measured by output cadence and resulting traffic. The digital three-legged stool is measured by review velocity, GBP engagement, and search visibility. The paid layer is measured by CPL, cost per job, and share of leads captured to the asset. The observational B2B plan is measured by partner count and referral flow direction. The owner’s community work is measured by attendance, unblocking calls, and speaking placements.
Without measurement, every layer drifts. With measurement, every layer improves.
Where to Start
Pick the three signals most directly predictive for your company and start tracking them this week. For most restoration companies the three are: review velocity, content output cadence, and response time.
Add one cluster per month over the next quarter until the full stack is in place. Do not try to install everything at once.
Set the weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual cadence. Put the reviews on the calendar. Name the owners.
In ninety days, the company has a measurement system that tells you where the marketing is strong, where it is weak, and where the next investment should go. That system is worth more than any individual campaign. It is how the marketing function becomes a compounding asset rather than a recurring expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What marketing metrics should restoration companies measure beyond lead count?
Review velocity and star average, GBP engagement trends, map pack ranking, organic search traffic, content engine output, retargeting audience size, email list size and engagement, social following, community activity (association attendance, partner relationships, owner unblocking calls), response times, and paid channel efficiency. Together these measure the health of the asset, not just this month’s lead output.
Why is lead count alone a bad primary metric?
Because it is a lagging, noisy indicator. It is moved around by weather, competitor behavior, seasonal shifts, and random luck. More importantly, chasing lead count month to month tends to push companies into short-term paid spend that starves the long-term asset. The asset is what produces compounding lead flow. Measuring only leads hides the investment picture.
How often should restoration companies review marketing metrics?
Weekly for operational metrics (response time, review velocity, paid performance). Monthly for the full asset dashboard. Quarterly for strategic review against the plan. Annually for refresh of the measurement stack itself. Without a consistent cadence, the metrics stop informing decisions.
What is review velocity and why does it matter?
Review velocity is the rate of new reviews per week, typically measured by service and location. It is one of the strongest leading indicators of organic lead flow 60 to 90 days out. Rising velocity predicts rising lead flow. Flat or declining velocity is an early warning sign. It matters more than cumulative review count because Google weights recency heavily.
Are marketing-operations metrics (response time, conversion rates) really marketing metrics?
They are crossover metrics. The marketing function produces leads; the operations function converts them. Many restoration companies have what look like marketing problems that are actually operations conversion problems. Tracking response time and conversion rates inside the marketing dashboard makes the interplay visible and keeps both functions accountable.
What is the single most valuable metric if a restoration company can only track one thing?
Review velocity. It is the closest thing to a single metric that reflects the health of multiple underlying systems — service delivery quality, review-ask discipline, staff alignment with customer experience, GBP health, and ultimately map pack and LSA placement. A company that monitors review velocity and trends it upward is doing most of the right things, whether they know it or not.
Tygart Media on restoration — an analyst-operator body of work on the systems that separate compounding restoration companies from busy ones. No client names. No brand placements. Just the operating standard.
The Signal — Tygart Media's weekly brief. What we actually ran, what it measured, and what it means for a restoration shop.
