The FORTIFIED Home program is often confused with regular roofing products or insurance discounts. It is actually a third-party verification program run by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) that goes beyond current building code to make roofs, windows, and attached structures more resistant to hurricanes, high winds, and severe weather. This page explains what FORTIFIED is, the three levels, how the program works in practice, and how to find a certified evaluator.
FORTIFIED was developed by the IBHS Research Center in Richburg, South Carolina, after Hurricane Katrina and other major storms demonstrated that conventional code-built homes failed long before the building itself was structurally damaged. The program is based on decades of IBHS lab testing that shows the primary driver of catastrophic building damage is water intrusion through roof and window failures, not wall collapse.
FORTIFIED has three designations, each focusing on a different resilience benchmark. A home can be certified at one level or upgrade over time.
The most common and lowest-cost entry point. FORTIFIED Roof focuses on the roof system because roof failure is the number one cause of catastrophic damage in hurricanes and high-wind events. FORTIFIED Roof requires:
Adds to FORTIFIED Roof by requiring FORTIFIED-strengthened openings (windows, garage doors, entry doors) and wall-to-roof anchorage. Hurricane straps, hold-downs, or other connectors required at every wall-to-roof intersection.
The full program. Adds a continuous load path from the foundation to the roof — every wall-to-floor, wall-to-wall, and wall-to-roof connection must be rated and documented. The home is intended to remain intact and weather-tight under the most extreme wind events.
IBHS trains and certifies FORTIFIED Home Evaluators — independent third-party professionals who verify each FORTIFIED requirement using documented photos, measurements, and a final in-person inspection. The evaluator is NOT the roofer, the contractor, or the builder — the evaluator is the impartial eye that confirms the design has been built correctly.
HECS USA is a certified FORTIFIED Home Evaluator serving Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Illinois, and Missouri. Our evaluator performs the required site visits during construction and issues the final FORTIFIED designation certificate accepted by IBHS.
For most homes, the incremental cost of FORTIFIED Roof vs conventional code-built roof construction is in the $1,000–$5,000 range, depending on home size, roof pitch, and existing conditions. Savings come from:
Many state programs and insurance carriers offer FORTIFIED grants, rebates, or premium discounts. Ask your insurance agent.
Although FORTIFIED was developed with hurricane-zone threats in mind, the program has expanded to address severe thunderstorms, hailstorms, and wind events across the Midwest. IBHS now offers FORTIFIED High Wind and FORTIFIED Hail designations specifically for inland areas.
Through the Strengthen Kentucky Homes (SKH) program, the state of Kentucky provides grants up to $10,000 for homeowners to build or upgrade to FORTIFIED Roof standards. The program is administered by the Kentucky Department of Insurance.
No. FORTIFIED is a private program run by IBHS. However, several states (including Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina) have active grant programs that subsidize FORTIFIED upgrades.
Yes. FORTIFIED Roof in hurricane zones includes sealed roof deck, locked-down shingles, reinforced edges, and in some zones impact-rated shingles. Inland Midwest FORTIFIED focuses on high wind and hail.
IBHS trains evaluators through a multi-day course and certification exam. Visit fortifiedhome.org for the current training schedule.
HECS USA evaluates FORTIFIED Roof, FORTIFIED Silver, and FORTIFIED Gold projects across Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Illinois, and Missouri. We coordinate directly with the roofer or builder, handle the IBHS paperwork, and issue the final FORTIFIED certificate. Call (859) 983-7382 or request a quote online.