Contractor networks have become a valuable tool in delivering property claims services to policyholders. In the early days of property claims handling, the insurance carrier focus was on providing indemnification to their policyholder. When a claim was reported, the quality of service was focused on how soon an inspection and payment could be made to the policyholder. After all, when one reads a typical insurance policy all that is owed, by the insurer, is indemnification. Therefore, insurance companies created workflows and processes that utilized claim staff and independent adjusters as the method of inspection with a race to conclude claims as soon as practical.

During the late 1980s, contractor direct repair programs started to appear in the industry, with many contractors offering to provide free estimates to insurers. Some insurers saw this method of inspection as a less expensive option to inspecting the loss and also an opportunity to assist the policyholder in their time of need. While some programs had success, many discovered that informal contractor networks were not managed properly and came with a risk of potential customer service issues or inaccurate estimates impacting indemnity.

Due to increasing competitive pressures and increased customer expectations, insurers began to seek better solutions. Contractor Connection origins date back to the early 1990s when the concept of contractor managed repair was born. Contractor Connection introduced a contractor program model that provided contractor oversight and delivered a consistent level of customer service to the policyholder. This model continues to serve the industry well some twenty years later and continues to be enhanced. Since the insurance carrier has much invested in its brand and reputation with its policyholder, it is critical that any contractor recommended to the policyholder be properly vetted or else potential risk to the brand and reputation can occur.