Labor market concerns.
Customer demands.
Carrier relationships.
There’s a lot on contractors’ minds today.
We asked contractors in our managed repair network about the challenges and opportunities shaping their operations, their outlook for the industry, and their relationship with carrier partners.
Their answers offer a comprehensive picture of the state of the insurance restoration market, as seen through the eyes of its hands-on practitioners.
State of the Managed Repair Industry
A 2026 Contractor Connection Report
This three-part report on the managed repair industry showcases the perspectives, pressures, and priorities currently shaping how contractors operate. With each new section, you'll learn more about what's on the minds of contractors in the managed repair industry. Sign up to be notified as each new section of the report goes live.
Section 1: What’s on contractors’ minds
The rising cost of doing business and the rising opportunity technology brings.
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Section 2: Stakeholder needs and expectations
How managed repair adds value for customers, contractors, and carriers alike.
Section 3: What contractors need from their carrier partners [Coming Soon]
Opportunities exist for increased contractor-carrier collaboration.
In an industry with so many moving parts, it's easy to rely on assumptions about what insurance restoration specialists are experiencing on the ground. This report replaces those assumptions with real data, straight from the professionals doing the work every day. This kind of insight is what allows carriers and program partners to make smarter decisions about the managed repair industry – and to serve insureds to the best of our collective ability.
Lance Malcolm, President, U.S. Network Solutions, Crawford & Company
Report Methodology
In Q2 of 2026, we surveyed a cross-section of insurance restoration specialists in the Contractor Connection network about their business operations and managed repair experience. Nearly 500 contractors responded, offering a clear assessment of the state of the managed repair market today. Their answers were further validated in a series of qualitative interviews conducted on site at the 2026 Contractor Connection RESTORE Conference & Expo.
Collectively, our survey and interview participants represent a mature, veteran-heavy contractor base — 94.7% of whom are owners, managers, or executives with a median of 24 years in business. They gave us a clear window into what's keeping them up at night, where they see the managed repair industry heading, and their expectations for future contractor-carrier collaboration.