For more than 65 years, ServiceMaster Restore has been one of the most recognized names in residential and commercial disaster restoration. With more than 800 franchise locations across several countries, and with the backing of ServiceMaster Brands, the company has built its reputation on responding quickly when water, fire, smoke or mold damage disrupts homes and businesses.
Now, the company is placing a stronger emphasis on managed repair services, allowing franchisees to take projects from initial mitigation through full reconstruction.
According to John Stateson, vice president of construction services, this shift is largely driven by customer preference, as reported in a J.D. Power studies the team commissioned and researched.
Adding managed repair services opens more doors at the local level. Adjusters, agents and referral partners often look for providers who can take a project from mitigation through the rebuild. Handling the full scope of work removes the need to juggle multiple vendors, and that shift makes franchisees easier to work with and more reliable in the eyes of local partners.
“Being able to become that single-source solution will grow your business that much better as the years go on,” Stateson said. “In my experience, I spent half my career in this industry as a franchisee, and because we offered construction, we were able to get work from so many referral sources and consistent, repeatable work because they knew that we were trustworthy, that we did quality work and they continued to come back to us.”
That has not always been the standard approach. For years, insurance carriers often split mitigation and reconstruction between separate vendors because of concerns about conflicts of interest. In practice, though, that setup often led to delays, mixed messages and a more frustrating experience for homeowners. Now, both carriers and customers are placing more value on having one company oversee the job from beginning to end.
With improvements in documentation tools and project management technology, Stateson said brands like ServiceMaster Restore can now provide transparency and eliminate the gray areas that once made separation necessary. “We can tell a better story,” he said. “We can help justify and prove what needs to be done, and also deliver a better product.”
When mitigation and reconstruction are handled by separate companies, customers often struggle to understand who is responsible for each phase. Miscommunication can lead to finger-pointing between vendors and longer project timelines. By integrating managed repair services, franchisees simplify the process.
“They have one company that they’re going to talk to throughout the project,” Stateson said. “There’s a lot less confusion around it. I also think that when you have that single provider delivering that solution end-to-end, that provider is more likely to put its best foot forward. And so it improves the quality of the experience.”
Because reconstruction planning can begin while mitigation is still underway, projects often move faster overall. Eliminating vendor handoffs reduces downtime and accelerates completion.
ServiceMaster Restore is investing in training, technology and peer collaboration to help franchisees integrate or expand managed repair services, especially since construction within a restoration environment is distinct from traditional contracting. Franchisees are not remodeling homes. They are restoring properties to pre-loss condition, often working within insurance guidelines and tight timelines.
“When you go in to do construction for restoration, every project’s a little bit different,” Stateson said. “You’re not remodeling. You have to restore. The restorative construction piece is unique in that sense, and it can be more difficult. So we work to provide a lot of training and best practices.”
The brand is developing playbooks, structured training programs and best-practice frameworks to guide franchisees through operational integration. Peer-to-peer collaboration also plays a significant role, connecting experienced operators with those just entering the managed repair space.
“We also want to work to enhance technology around it,” Stateson said. “We’re looking into the technologies of artificial intelligence, documentation technology and then blending that into our overall processes around construction.”
Franchisees exploring managed repair services for the first time need to start with the basics. Requirements are not the same everywhere. Licensing rules can change from one state or municipality to the next, and the difference matters. In some markets, restoration work can be done without a license, while construction work cannot. Before moving forward, it is important to understand what is required locally, how permitting works and whether the franchise agreement allows for adding new services.
“Oftentimes people want to jump into it with both feet and get the really big jobs because it’s a lot of money,” Stateson said. “But the reality is when you take that big of a risk with a really big job with a little bit of experience, you can easily get yourself into financial harm.”
As disaster restoration continues to evolve, ServiceMaster Restore’s focus on managed repair services reflects a broader industry shift toward accountability, efficiency and customer-centered delivery.
For franchisees, integrating reconstruction is not simply about adding revenue. It is about strengthening referral relationships, shortening project timelines and creating a more seamless experience during one of the most stressful moments a customer can face.
For more information on franchising with ServiceMaster Restore, visit: https://franchise.servicemasterrestore.com/.
ServiceMaster Restore
SPONSORED
ServiceMaster Restore franchisees are expanding beyond mitigation work, adding construction services, helping them add revenue, strengthen referral relationships and shorten project timelines.
For more than 65 years, ServiceMaster Restore has been one of the most recognized names in residential and commercial disaster restoration. With more than 800 franchise locations across several countries, and with the backing of ServiceMaster Brands, the company has built its reputation on responding quickly when water, fire, smoke or mold damage disrupts homes and businesses.
Now, the company is placing a stronger emphasis on managed repair services, allowing franchisees to take projects from initial mitigation through full reconstruction.
According to John Stateson, vice president of construction services, this shift is largely driven by customer preference, as reported in a J.D. Power studies the team commissioned and researched.
Adding managed repair services opens more doors at the local level. Adjusters, agents and referral partners often look for providers who can take a project from mitigation through the rebuild. Handling the full scope of work removes the need to juggle multiple vendors, and that shift makes franchisees easier to work with and more reliable in the eyes of local partners.
“Being able to become that single-source solution will grow your business that much better as the years go on,” Stateson said. “In my experience, I spent half my career in this industry as a franchisee, and because we offered construction, we were able to get work from so many referral sources and consistent, repeatable work because they knew that we were trustworthy, that we did quality work and they continued to come back to us.”
That has not always been the standard approach. For years, insurance carriers often split mitigation and reconstruction between separate vendors because of concerns about conflicts of interest. In practice, though, that setup often led to delays, mixed messages and a more frustrating experience for homeowners. Now, both carriers and customers are placing more value on having one company oversee the job from beginning to end.
With improvements in documentation tools and project management technology, Stateson said brands like ServiceMaster Restore can now provide transparency and eliminate the gray areas that once made separation necessary. “We can tell a better story,” he said. “We can help justify and prove what needs to be done, and also deliver a better product.”
When mitigation and reconstruction are handled by separate companies, customers often struggle to understand who is responsible for each phase. Miscommunication can lead to finger-pointing between vendors and longer project timelines. By integrating managed repair services, franchisees simplify the process.
“They have one company that they’re going to talk to throughout the project,” Stateson said. “There’s a lot less confusion around it. I also think that when you have that single provider delivering that solution end-to-end, that provider is more likely to put its best foot forward. And so it improves the quality of the experience.”
Because reconstruction planning can begin while mitigation is still underway, projects often move faster overall. Eliminating vendor handoffs reduces downtime and accelerates completion.
ServiceMaster Restore is investing in training, technology and peer collaboration to help franchisees integrate or expand managed repair services, especially since construction within a restoration environment is distinct from traditional contracting. Franchisees are not remodeling homes. They are restoring properties to pre-loss condition, often working within insurance guidelines and tight timelines.
“When you go in to do construction for restoration, every project’s a little bit different,” Stateson said. “You’re not remodeling. You have to restore. The restorative construction piece is unique in that sense, and it can be more difficult. So we work to provide a lot of training and best practices.”
The brand is developing playbooks, structured training programs and best-practice frameworks to guide franchisees through operational integration. Peer-to-peer collaboration also plays a significant role, connecting experienced operators with those just entering the managed repair space.
“We also want to work to enhance technology around it,” Stateson said. “We’re looking into the technologies of artificial intelligence, documentation technology and then blending that into our overall processes around construction.”
Franchisees exploring managed repair services for the first time need to start with the basics. Requirements are not the same everywhere. Licensing rules can change from one state or municipality to the next, and the difference matters. In some markets, restoration work can be done without a license, while construction work cannot. Before moving forward, it is important to understand what is required locally, how permitting works and whether the franchise agreement allows for adding new services.
“Oftentimes people want to jump into it with both feet and get the really big jobs because it’s a lot of money,” Stateson said. “But the reality is when you take that big of a risk with a really big job with a little bit of experience, you can easily get yourself into financial harm.”
As disaster restoration continues to evolve, ServiceMaster Restore’s focus on managed repair services reflects a broader industry shift toward accountability, efficiency and customer-centered delivery.
For franchisees, integrating reconstruction is not simply about adding revenue. It is about strengthening referral relationships, shortening project timelines and creating a more seamless experience during one of the most stressful moments a customer can face.
For more information on franchising with ServiceMaster Restore, visit: https://franchise.servicemasterrestore.com/.
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