In the March issue of R&R, Phil walked through his industry predictions from 2018 and revealed how he scored on each. His predictions included labor shortages and wage increases, industry pricing challenges, more TPA influence, growth of outside groups, and projections on weather-related events. To see how he fared, check out his March article! This month, he’s sharing his predictions for 2019!

Welcome to my {mostly} annual restoration trends update. I have spent more than 30 years working in the restoration industry which gives me a relevant perspective on the business of restoration. The following list is meant to help restoration contractors assess their business strategies – and just be an overall interesting read. I believe these issues will be the top drivers of change, not only in 2019, but into the future.

As I read the email from the desk adjuster who was stationed over 1,000 miles away from the claim location, a series of questions flooded my mind. I suspect that most restorers in this predicament would have thoughts along the same lines.

Before I answer the question posed in the title, I want to challenge you to consider why you need an alternative. Third Party Administrators (TPAs) are not your friends. Friends don’t let friends “go broke tired.”

When hurricane season arrived this year, the U.S. had not seen a Category 3 or larger storm make landfall in more than a decade. Then, not one … but two did just that.

Curious about TPAs? Discover the in's, out's, and everything in between at the Strictly TPAs Fall Summit.

As Hurricane Irma continues to leave her mark on Florida and surrounding states, and the impact of Hurricane Harvey continues to devastate parts of Texas and the Gulf Coast, many of our members will be tirelessly working to help those in need. 

Why do we as a whole, the disaster restoration industry, allow unethical and fraudulent contractors to continue to operate within our industry? I know you’re probably saying to yourself “…what?