Certified firm designation

Definition

A trade body's certification of the business itself, which insurers look for and a sale can drop.

Why It Matters

The restoration standard this trade works to certifies technicians, and it separately certifies the BUSINESS. That second designation is the one an insurer looks for before adding anybody to a preferred list. It is held by the business itself, renewed on a schedule, and usually conditioned on keeping certified technicians on staff. At a sale the question is whether it survives a change of ownership or has to be reapplied for. Losing it for a quarter takes the insurance work with it, and that work is what makes restoration revenue worth more than cleaning revenue.