Changing the Conversation: The Advocacy Power Behind CODB
In the restoration industry, doing the right thing for customers, teams, and communities often comes with real operational challenges—tight margins, delayed payments, and increasingly complex job scopes. And yet, when restoration contractors speak up about these issues, the response from carriers, legislators, and regulators is often the same: “Where’s the data?”
That’s exactly why the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) and KnowHow launched the Cost of Doing Business (CODB) Report—to turn firsthand contractor experiences into industry-wide data that cannot be ignored.
Turning Anecdotes Into Actionable Evidence
Before the CODB Report, RIA’s advocacy was largely built on powerful stories from members in the field. These stories were emotional, compelling—and often dismissed by decision-makers as isolated incidents.
Today, thanks to CODB, we have real, anonymized financial and operational data from restoration companies across North America. This data provides credible data to support what contractors have been saying all along:
- Labor and overhead costs are rising faster than pricing software models reflect
- Payment delays from carriers hurt small businesses disproportionately
- Many restorers are operating on unsustainable margins
With this report in hand, RIA can now attend meetings with insurers, TPAs and regulators armed not just with passion but also with proof.
How CODB Data Is Powering RIA’s Advocacy Work
RIA is currently engaged in advocacy efforts across several key areas, including:
- Advocating for pricing software data that matches market realities
- Advocating for prompt payment
- Securing fair treatment for contractors in insurance-driven programs
Data from the CODB Report is our foundation for all of these efforts. It turns “we believe” into “we can prove.”
Your Data = A Stronger Industry Voice
When you participate in the CODB Survey, you’re not just filling out a form—you’re helping build the case for a stronger restoration industry.
Your anonymous input contributes to a powerful body of evidence that:
- Shapes policy
- Strengthens contractor protections
- Drives transparency and prompt payment
- Helps RIA build education and business tools rooted in real-world needs
Help Us Advocate—By Taking the Survey
We know your time is valuable. That’s why the CODB Survey is designed to take just 30–45 minutes, and your responses are completely secure and anonymous.
But the impact? It lasts all year.
Take the survey today at www.costofrestoration.com
Advocacy Without Data Is a Whisper—With It, It’s a Movement.
The restoration industry is at a turning point, and your voice matters more than ever. By participating in the Cost of Doing Business Survey, you're helping ensure that the industry is heard—not just by each other, but by the people and institutions that shape how we work.
Join us. Let’s turn insight into influence—and influence into impact.