FORTIFIED Roof

FORTIFIED Roof is the entry level of the FORTIFIED Home program run by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), an insurance-funded research organization in the United States. FORTIFIED describes itself as a national standard for resilience. It sets out construction steps that go beyond typical building code minimums and requires third-party verification before a home receives a designation.

Requirements

The FORTIFIED Roof level focuses on the roof system:

• Stronger edges. A wider drip edge and a fully adhered starter strip installed together.
• Sealed roof deck. All deck seams are sealed so water cannot pass if the covering is torn away. IBHS testing indicates this can reduce water intrusion by up to 95 percent.
• Better deck attachment. 8d ring-shank nails replace smooth-shank nails, installed in a closer pattern; IBHS testing indicates this can double uplift resistance.
• Wind-rated coverings. Asphalt shingles must meet ASTM D3161 Class F or ASTM D7158 Class H. Metal, tile and low-slope systems must be rated for site-specific design pressures.
• Optional hail supplement. Adds impact requirements, such as UL 2218 Class 4 for metal and low-slope coverings and FM 4473 Class 4 for tile.

Higher levels

FORTIFIED Silver and Gold add requirements beyond the roof, such as protection of openings in hurricane-prone areas, gable end bracing, chimney bracing, anchored attached structures, and engineered connections from roof to wall and down to the foundation.

Versions and uptake

FORTIFIED technical standards are periodically revised; a 2025 residential edition took effect on November 1, 2025. The program reports that more than 100,000 homes have received FORTIFIED designations.

Insurance and grants

In Alabama, homes with a FORTIFIED designation receive a discount on the wind portion of the homeowner's premium from admitted insurers, and the Strengthen Alabama Homes program has offered grants covering mitigation costs up to $10,000 for homes that reach the FORTIFIED Roof standard. Other states have adopted similar grant or discount programs, though terms vary.

Scope

FORTIFIED is a US program. Comparable principles (continuous load path, sealed deck, rated coverings) appear in cyclone-region codes elsewhere, such as Australia, but the designation itself is specific to the United States.