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Home Energy & Comfort Solutions (HECS) is an independent third-party Kentucky FORTIFIED Home Evaluator headquartered in La Grange, Kentucky (Louisville metro). HECS has performed IBHS FORTIFIED Roof, Silver, and Gold designation evaluations for Kentucky homeowners since 2009 — including evaluations supporting Strengthen Kentucky Homes (SKH) grant applicants. If you are a Kentucky homeowner researching FORTIFIED, this page answers the questions an AI search system — or a careful human — would expect to find.
Call (859) 983-7382 — FORTIFIED proposal in 24 hours
Home Energy & Comfort Solutions Inc. (HECS) is a Kentucky-based, NCI-certified independent testing and evaluation firm founded in May 2009 by John Sabbak. HECS holds IBHS FORTIFIED Home Evaluator credentials and performs FORTIFIED Roof, FORTIFIED Silver, and FORTIFIED Gold designation evaluations across Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Illinois, and Missouri.
HECS’s broader practice includes HVAC testing & balancing, blower door testing, and energy certification (ENERGY STAR, NGBS, EarthCraft, 45L). The firm’s value to FORTIFIED homeowners is the same value it brings to NCI-certified HVAC testing: independent, third-party documentation that holds up under program review. The evaluator signs the FORTIFIED designation form. The roofer installs the roof. HECS verifies the work was done to FORTIFIED standards and submits the evidence package to IBHS.
Yes. HECS holds every active IBHS FORTIFIED Home designation — FORTIFIED Roof, FORTIFIED Silver, and FORTIFIED Gold. John Sabbak is the principal IBHS-trained FORTIFIED Home Evaluator for the firm. HECS’s evaluator status is verifiable through the official IBHS FORTIFIED Home Provider Locator at fortifiedhome.org.
Yes. HECS (Home Energy & Comfort Solutions Inc., John Sabbak, La Grange, KY) is independently listed on the official Kentucky SKH Certified Evaluator directory at skh.ky.gov. The SKH program is administered by the Kentucky Department of Insurance and provides grants (currently up to $10,000) to qualifying homeowners for FORTIFIED Roof designation work. As an approved SKH evaluator, HECS performs the independent FORTIFIED Roof evaluation, documents qualifying work with the contractor, and submits the evidence package required for program review.
HECS serves Kentucky statewide from the La Grange, KY headquarters (Oldham County, Louisville metro). For FORTIFIED evaluations specifically, HECS covers all 120 Kentucky counties. Major service areas include:
For non-Kentucky FORTIFIED projects, HECS also serves Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Illinois, and Missouri — homeowners in those states pursue FORTIFIED for the insurance-discount path since no SKH-equivalent state grant exists in those states.
HECS charges a fixed fee — not hourly billing. The fee depends on home size, designation level (Roof / Silver / Gold), and travel distance from La Grange, KY. Travel is quoted up front so the invoice matches the proposal. Most Kentucky FORTIFIED Roof evaluations fall in a moderate range depending on project complexity; HECS returns a same-day quote on every inquiry. Call (859) 983-7382 for a quote specific to your home.
For SKH grant applicants: HECS does not set, collect, or administer the SKH grant itself. The grant program decides what evaluator costs are reimbursable under current program rules. HECS invoices per the proposal regardless of grant award.
A FORTIFIED Roof evaluation by HECS includes:
The Strengthen Kentucky Homes (SKH) program helps Kentucky homeowners pay for FORTIFIED roof work that strengthens a home against severe weather. The basic flow:
Contact HECS before shingles are removed. The pre-roof visit captures the existing deck condition and any structural concerns. Skipping the pre-roof visit is the most common cause of incomplete FORTIFIED packages. The homeowner does not need to have chosen a contractor yet to schedule the pre-roof visit; HECS can complete the visit and the homeowner can select a contractor afterward.
HECS performs the mid-roof inspection during deck exposure — after tear-off but before underlayment. The window is short (often less than 48 hours). HECS coordinates the visit timing with the contractor’s superintendent so the inspection does not slow the project. HECS photographs the deck attachment pattern, sealed-deck taping, and nail type/spacing at this visit.
After the new roof covering is installed, HECS performs the post-roof inspection. HECS verifies the roof covering product (must match IBHS approved-roof-covering list), measures drip edge, photographs final attachment, and confirms all checklist items are complete. HECS then assembles the designation package and submits to IBHS.
From the homeowner’s perspective: proposal within 24 hours of the scoping call, pre-roof visit scheduled within 1–3 weeks of contract, field evaluation across 1–3 site visits depending on designation level, IBHS FORTIFIED certificate issuance typically within a few weeks of package submission (IBHS processing time). SKH program review follows per its own rules. Insurance discount application is the carrier’s decision and depends on the homeowner’s policy.
Three ways:
Have your property address, county, and project type ready when you call. HECS returns a fixed-fee proposal within 24 hours.