In an industry often built around urgency, response time, and recovery, Laura Lee Appelgate presents a different lens on what is slowing the restoration economy. As the Head of Operations at Fund My Deductible (FMD), she identifies payment friction as the most overlooked constraint in the sector and positions insurance deductibles as the critical pressure point.
Appelgate believes the industry is facing a structural shift. With many policies now using percentage-based deductibles of 2% to 5% of property value, out-of-pocket costs can reach levels that significantly impact a homeowner's ability to proceed with repairs. She explains that this change is not just financial. It is operational.
