Getting paid shouldn’t be the hardest part of the job—but for most restoration contractors, it is. You do the work, clean up the mess, and then find yourself fighting with a carrier who wasn’t even on site. That’s the reality for a lot of folks in this industry.
In a conversation with Matt Gregory (CEO of Apex Era), we got real about what’s broken in the way restorers handle payment—and how to take back control. Here’s what actually works, what doesn’t, and how to stop chasing money you already earned.
Too many contractors finish a job and then go to the insurance company with their hand out: "Here's what I did. Can I have my money now?" The answer? Usually no.
That’s because you're trying to negotiate with someone who doesn't know the work. Adjusters aren't experts in drying, demolition, or reconstruction. They're experts in policy. And that’s where they should stay.
You don’t need to argue with a claims adjuster about four days of drying or what a dehu costs to run. You just need to bill the client for what you did. And let them take it up with their insurance. It’s their policy. They have the power. You’re the contractor, not a public adjuster.
"You're trying to get paid by someone who doesn't owe you money."
Here's the shift: send your invoice to the customer, not the carrier. Be clear about what work was done and why. Educate the homeowner so they can push for coverage under their policy.
Why this works:
When you stop trying to justify your invoice to someone who wasn’t at the job site, things change. When the client asks, "Why won't you cover this?" the insurance company has to answer them.
And nine times out of ten, those objections disappear.
Most estimating platforms used in restoration were built around workflows that don’t reflect how jobs really get done. The pricing is often locked to rate sets decided by people who don’t do the work. There’s little room for flexibility, and customizing scopes to fit how your team actually operates can be a struggle.
With tools like magicplan Pro Estimate, you can build your own price list, create reusable templates, and generate multiple versions of an estimate tied to the same project sketch—so teams can work from the same base and track progress clearly. You stay in control of your rates and your process.
NOTE: If needed, you can also take it further with magicplan Pro Estimate+, which lets you create a scope in magicplan and have a fully carrier-compliant estimate delivered back to you—ready to go.
We all know the current system doesn’t work like it should. But changing it? That’s hard. It’s easier to keep doing what we’ve always done, even if it means chasing payments and giving away control.
But more and more contractors are making the shift:
"Give it six months. If you're not more profitable, go back. But odds are, you won't."
There’s already proof out there. Crews doing it differently. Getting paid faster. Keeping more of what they earn. All that’s missing is more folks willing to try it.
If you’re tired of waiting to get paid and want to see how others are doing it differently, start where the conversations are real.
Matt recommends:
You don’t need a sales pitch. You need to hear what’s working from people who’ve tried it.
You don’t need permission from a carrier to get paid. You don’t need to argue line items with someone who’s never set foot in a moldy crawlspace.
Do the work. Bill for it fairly. Use tools that support your process—not slow it down. And teach your clients how to protect their own rights under their policy.
It’s their house. It’s your work. And it’s your money. Time to stop asking for it and start collecting it the right way.
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