After a loss, the call usually goes one of two ways. Either the adjuster recommends a contractor from a preferred list, or a contractor from that list calls you before you have called anyone. Both are normal. Neither means you are obligated. In Michigan, the property owner chooses who performs the repairs.
What a preferred contractor program actually is
Carriers maintain networks — often called preferred vendor, program or managed repair networks. Contractors join by agreeing to pricing, documentation and cycle-time terms, and in return they get referred work. It is a commercial arrangement between the contractor and the insurer.
That arrangement has real advantages: the paperwork is familiar to both sides, approvals can move faster, and the carrier may extend a workmanship guarantee through the program. It also means the contractor has a second relationship to manage alongside yours.
- Your choice of contractor. You hire the company that repairs your property.
- A copy of the estimate. Ask for the full line-item scope, not a summary total.
- A scope discussion. Your contractor can talk directly with the adjuster about missed items and pricing.
- Time to decide. Emergency mitigation should start immediately; the rebuild contract does not have to be signed in the first hour.
What the insurer does control
This is where the nuance sits. The carrier does not pick your contractor, but it does decide what it will pay for: the covered scope of work and the price it considers reasonable for your area. If your contractor writes a larger scope than the adjuster wrote, the difference gets resolved between them — with documentation, not opinions.
So the practical question is not “am I allowed to choose?” It is “does the contractor I choose know how to document and defend a scope?”
Why people switch
- Response time. If the network contractor cannot be on site tonight and water is still spreading, waiting is the expensive option.
- Local accountability. A crew based twenty minutes away answers differently from a call center three states away.
- One team for mitigation and rebuild. Handing off between a drying company and a builder is where scope items get lost.
- Finish quality. The measure of a restoration job is whether anyone can tell where the damage was a year later.
- Simply wanting the company a neighbor used.
How to switch without hurting your claim
Say it plainly
Tell the adjuster you have selected your own contractor and give them the company name and contact. No explanation required.
Do not stop mitigation
Emergency work to prevent further damage should continue. Policies generally expect you to protect the property.
Get the scope in writing
Request the adjuster’s line-item estimate and give it to your contractor for comparison.
Let them talk
Your contractor and the adjuster reconcile scope and pricing directly, with photos, readings and measurements.
Keep your own file
Dates, names, photos, receipts, and every document either side sends you.
A preferred contractor is not a requirement. It is a recommendation, and you are allowed to say thank you and hire someone else.
Questions worth asking any restoration contractor
- Are you IICRC certified, licensed and insured?
- How fast can you be on site, and who answers the phone at 2 AM?
- Do you perform the rebuild yourselves, or subcontract it?
- Will you document moisture readings and provide daily drying logs?
- Will you meet my adjuster on site and reconcile the scope?
- Who is my point of contact for the whole job?
Where Apex sits
We work with every major carrier and coordinate directly with adjusters, but we are hired by property owners — not assigned by an insurer. We document from the first visit, we write the scope we can defend, and the crew that dries your property is the crew that rebuilds it. That is the version of this arrangement where the homeowner has one number to call.
If a loss has just happened, do not wait on an approval to start protecting the property — here is why waiting works against you.
Frequently asked questions
Can my insurance company force me to use their contractor?
No. In Michigan the property owner chooses the repair contractor. The insurer decides what it will pay for, which is a separate question resolved through scope and documentation.
Will my claim be denied if I use my own contractor?
Choosing your own contractor is not grounds for denial. Claims get complicated by delay, missing documentation and unapproved scope — not by your choice of company.
Does a preferred contractor cost me less?
Not necessarily. Program pricing is agreed between the contractor and the carrier. Your out-of-pocket is set by your deductible and the covered scope either way.
What if the adjuster’s estimate is lower than my contractor’s?
That is a normal negotiation. Your contractor supplements the estimate with photos, moisture readings, measurements and code requirements, and the two scopes get reconciled.
Can I switch contractors mid-job?
Usually yes, though you owe payment for work already performed and the transition can slow the claim. Raise concerns early rather than mid-rebuild.
We will look at the loss, read the moisture and tell you what the scope should include.