Choosing a contractor
Choosing a FORTIFIED roofing contractor
The contractor you hire is the whole ballgame. The right one earns you a clean IBHS certificate and a smooth reimbursement. The wrong one can cost you the grant, the insurance discount, or both. Here is how to pick well.
Why the certification matters
Only a certified FORTIFIED Roofing contractor can do the install that earns the IBHS FORTIFIED certificate. That certificate is not a formality. It is the document that unlocks the grant reimbursement and the mandated wind insurance discount. A roof built to the same spec by an uncertified crew, without the evaluator and the paperwork, earns neither.
How the bid process works
For a grant project, you collect bids from at least 3 LFHP-approved contractors of your choosing through the application portal. You are picking the roofer, not taking an assignment.
Timing is the part people get wrong, so be exact about it. Approved contractors may not begin work until you have been selected and the bid process is complete. If work starts early, you lose your eligibility. The grant funds are released only after IBHS issues the certificate, and they are paid directly to the contractor, not to you.
What to check before you hire
- The FORTIFIED credential. The contractor must be a certified FORTIFIED Roofing contractor, and for a grant project, on the LFHP-approved list. Ask for the credential and check it.
- State licensing and insurance. Confirm a current Louisiana contractor license for the job size, plus general liability and workers' compensation coverage. Ask for certificates.
- A written scope. Get the full FORTIFIED scope in writing: sealed deck, ring-shank deck attachment, drip edge and starter strip, and wind-rated shingles, not a vague one-line quote.
- References and recent work. Ask for recent FORTIFIED jobs in your area and call a couple of them. A contractor who does this often will have them ready.
- LFHP portal and evaluator coordination. The contractor should know the LFHP application portal and how to schedule the FORTIFIED evaluator for the before and after documentation.
By Louisiana Fortified HomesUpdated
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