Mapped: States are intervening to build stronger roofs with FORTIFIED

FORTIFIED, a set of beyond-code construction and re-roofing methods to protect roofs against extreme weather, is expanding its reach, with grant money pouring into new states in the coming years.

What’s happening: Eight states, including Texas, New York, and Illinois, are creating FORTIFIED grant programs or required insurance discounts for homeowners who implement the new standards.

• The methods, created by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), include impact-resistant shingles, sealing roof decking against water, ring-shank nails to keep shingles attached to the roof, and wind- and rain-resistant vents.
• Once a contractor is FORTIFIED-certified, they can install roofs under the standards. After a thorough inspection, a roof is FORTIFIED-certified, and homeowners can qualify for insurance discounts and grants in certain states. 

Why it matters: “Communities and homeowners…are starting to recognize, ‘Hey, severe weather is something I really need to be paying attention to,’” said Fred Malik, managing director at FORTIFIED.

Make it rain: $168 million is flowing into grant programs for homeowners who choose FORTIFIED this year, according to Malik.

• In new markets like Oklahoma, 88 percent of new FORTIFIED roofs are grant-backed. But as brand recognition grows, Malik said the split shifts to 60/40 — with most homeowners choosing a stronger roof without government assistance. 

What they’re saying: “It’s not easy work, and perhaps more importantly, it’s not ‘what we’ve always done,’ said Scott McCollum, a contractor who started installing FORTIFIED roofs in 2024. “Unfortunately, that’s a phrase the roofing industry is famous for.”

• He estimates it adds around 25 percent more time on installations, with most of that time dedicated to painstaking documentation.
• The biggest learning curve is on the consumer side, because most homeowners don’t know anything about FORTIFIED. “The grant can help create demand. Education is what can make that demand permanent,” he said. 

The bottom line: “Don’t do it thinking FORTIFIED is a silver bullet or a cash cow for your business. Don’t even do it simply because you believe this is the future of roofing and insurance restoration — because I believe it is. Do it because you believe you have a duty to your clients,” he said. 

Looking ahead: McCollum believes there’s a shortage of truly qualified contractors coming into the FORTIFIED program, leaving a gap for other contractors to fill. 

• “If we’re serious about resilience, we can’t limit the conversation to teaching contractors how to qualify for a grant program. We have to teach an industry why we build better, how we build better, and what responsibility comes with knowing better,” he said.