Fortify Homes grant
The Louisiana Fortify Homes grant, explained
The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program helps homeowners pay to rebuild their roof to the IBHS FORTIFIED standard, the same standard that earns a mandated wind insurance discount. The money is real, but the rules are specific, and one timing mistake can cost you the whole grant. Here is how it actually works.
Why the program exists
Louisiana created this program after storm seasons that flattened whole neighborhoods. The roof is where most of that damage starts: once the wind gets under the deck, the house fills with water, and the losses run into everything a family owns. The grant exists to get ahead of the next storm by helping homeowners rebuild the most vulnerable part of the house before it hits, not after. If you are selected, here is exactly how it works.
What the grant is, and what it pays
The grant reimburses the actual cost of retrofitting the roof to the IBHS FORTIFIED Roof standard, up to $10,000 per home. It is a cap, not a flat payment, and the Commissioner may adjust it.
Two details trip people up. First, it is a reimbursement of actual construction cost up to $10,000, not a flat check for $10,000. Second, the money is paid directly to your contractor, and only after IBHS issues the FORTIFIED Roof certificate. Nothing is paid up front.
Who is eligible
The baseline requirements are straightforward, but eligibility can also be partial at the address level, so the official map is the last word on whether your specific home qualifies right now.
- Owner-occupied primary residence with a homestead exemption. Condominiums and mobile homes are excluded.
- An in-force wind insurance policy on the home.
- Flood insurance if the home sits in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).
- A FORTIFIED evaluation by an IBHS-certified evaluator.
- Installation by an LFHP-approved, FORTIFIED-credentialed contractor.
Selection is a lottery
Selection is by random lottery, not first-come. Registering does not guarantee an award. Selection notices for this round began going out around June 22, 2026.
There are far more registrants than grants, so treat selection as a possibility, not a plan. Registering puts you in the drawing and nothing more.
Not drawn this round is not the end of it. A FORTIFIED roof you finance yourself can still earn the state tax credit and the mandated wind insurance discount. And if you are selected, Louisiana does not count the grant as taxable state income.
The process, step by step
A certified FORTIFIED evaluator inspects the roof before any work and documents the finished job afterward. You gather at least 3 bids from approved contractors, and once you are cleared, the work has to be finished within 90 days.
- Secure a certified FORTIFIED Evaluator to review the roof.
- Use the LFHP online application portal to collect bids from at least three LFHP-approved contractors you choose.
- Do not start work early. Approved contractors may not begin until you are selected and the bid process is complete. Starting early voids your eligibility.
- Once cleared, the contractor installs the FORTIFIED Roof: re-nailing the deck with ring-shank nails, sealing the roof deck, and adding drip edge, starter strip, and wind-rated shingles.
- The evaluator documents the installation with photos.
- IBHS reviews the documentation and issues the FORTIFIED Roof certificate.
- The work must be completed within 90 days of the electronic notice that you are eligible to proceed.
- Grant funds are released only after the IBHS certificate is issued, and are paid directly to the contractor.
- The FORTIFIED designation renews every 5 years.
The one rule you cannot get wrong
Do not start roof work before you are selected and the bid process is complete.
Approved contractors may not begin until you have the official notice that you are cleared to proceed. If work starts early, you lose your eligibility, grant and all. Wait for the notice before anyone touches the roof.
What it does not cover, and the real cost
A FORTIFIED Roof retrofit runs about $16,229 at the documented median, so the $10,000 grant commonly does not cover the full cost. The homeowner pays the difference. The grant covers construction cost only, not evaluator or permit fees.
The grant reimburses construction cost only. It does not cover the evaluator fees or the permit fees, which you pay out of pocket. Plan for the gap between the $10,000 cap and the roughly $16,229 a FORTIFIED retrofit runs at the documented median, plus those separate fees.
Here is what that looks like in real numbers. Say a retrofit comes in around $16,229. If you win a grant, it reimburses up to $10,000 of the construction cost, leaving roughly $6,229 plus the evaluator and permit fees for you to cover. If you are not selected, the state tax credit can offset up to $10,000 of what you pay out of pocket instead. Either way, plan for the gap and the separate fees so the final number is not a surprise.
The current round, and where to apply
As of June 2026, the most recent registration window ran June 1 to 19, 2026 and is now closed. Rounds and their dates change every cycle, so do not rely on that window staying accurate.
You apply through the state, not on this site. For the current or next window and the actual application, go to the Louisiana Department of Insurance at ldi.la.gov/fortifyhomes. To check whether your exact address is eligible, use the live LDI eligibility map.
By Louisiana Fortified HomesUpdated
Not sure the grant will reach you this round?
A FORTIFIED roof earns the mandated insurance discount whether or not you win a grant, and the state tax credit if you pay out of pocket. Get connected with a certified contractor and find out what your roof would actually cost.