FORTIFIED Roof
The IBHS FORTIFIED Roof standard, explained
FORTIFIED is a construction standard from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. It is built on decades of research into how roofs actually fail in high wind. A FORTIFIED Roof is the entry point to the whole system, and it is the level the Louisiana Fortify Homes grant is designed to fund.
What a FORTIFIED Roof requires
The standard targets the parts of a roof that let go first in a storm: the deck, its attachment, the edges, and the covering. A certified FORTIFIED roofing contractor does the work.
- A sealed roof deck.
- Enhanced deck attachment using ring-shank (enhanced) nailing.
- Enhanced edge detailing, including a drip edge.
- Wind-rated shingles.
- Installation by a certified FORTIFIED Roofing contractor.
Impact-rated shingles are commonly installed but are not strictly required at the base Roof level in every case. Shingles must meet the required wind ratings.
The three levels, with Roof as the baseline
FORTIFIED comes in three progressive levels. Every designated property meets the Roof level first, then can build up from there.
- FORTIFIED RoofBaseline
- The baseline level. Every FORTIFIED property meets it first.
- FORTIFIED Silver
- Adds protection for openings such as windows, doors, and attached structures.
- FORTIFIED Gold
- Adds continuous load-path connections that tie the roof to the walls and foundation.
How the designation is earned
An independent third-party FORTIFIED Evaluator collects photos and documentation and submits them to IBHS. Once IBHS confirms compliance, it issues a designation certificate that is good for 5 years. The designation is issued to the home, not the owner, so it transfers with the property when the home is sold. To keep it in force, the home must pass a redesignation inspection by a certified FORTIFIED evaluator at the end of each 5-year term.
The evaluator is independent of the contractor on purpose. That separation is what makes the designation credible to insurers, and it is why the paperwork and photos matter as much as the roofing itself.
Why the designation is worth having
A FORTIFIED Roof is not only sturdier in a storm. In Louisiana it also opens the door to a mandated wind insurance discount and to a state tax credit for the work, both of which can offset the cost over time. Those apply whether you win a grant or pay for the roof yourself.
By Louisiana Fortified HomesUpdated
Ready to build to the standard?
Get connected with a FORTIFIED-certified roofer in your parish and see what the upgrade would take on your home. No cost, no obligation.