Glossary

FORTIFIED Home

A voluntary construction standard from the insurer-funded IBHS that strengthens a house against wind, hail and storm damage, with certified designations.

Also called: IBHS FORTIFIED, FORTIFIED Roof, FORTIFIED Silver, FORTIFIED Gold, FORTIFIED for existing homes

FORTIFIED Home is a construction standard written by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), a research organization funded by insurers. For an existing house it comes in three stacked designations. FORTIFIED Roof covers the roof deck, its fastening, the edges and the covering. FORTIFIED Silver adds protection for windows, doors and other openings on the hurricane track, plus attached porches and carports. FORTIFIED Gold adds an engineered load path tying the roof to the walls to the foundation.

A certified FORTIFIED evaluator inspects the house before work starts and again afterward, and IBHS issues the designation only after reviewing the documentation. The version that applies depends on when the building permit was pulled, so ask the evaluator which edition governs your project.

The designation matters to a homeowner because some states attach money to it. Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi run grant or insurance-discount programs tied to it, and many insurers give a credit on the wind or hail portion of the premium. Credits vary by company and state, so get the number in writing before paying a roofer. A contractor who builds "to FORTIFIED standards" without the evaluator process has not earned the designation, and your insurer will not credit it. See the FORTIFIED Home standard and insurance discounts and state home hardening grant programs, then test the payback with the roof and mitigation upgrade payback calculator.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026

In the index now

Related terms

Home hardening Upgrades to a house's roof, openings, vents and materials so it resists a specific hazard such as wind, hail or wildfire embers, not just insures against it. Roof-to-wall connection The hardware that fastens roof rafters or trusses to the top of the walls, which decides whether a high wind can lift the roof off the house. Secondary water resistance A second layer on the roof deck, such as a self-adhering membrane over the seams, that keeps rain out of the house if the shingles blow off in a storm. Opening protection Impact-rated glass or tested shutters over a home's windows, doors, skylights and garage door that keep debris and wind from breaching the walls in a storm. Mitigation credit A premium discount for building features shown to reduce storm or wildfire damage, such as a reinforced roof, impact windows or defensible space. Wind mitigation inspection An inspector's checklist of a house's storm-resistant features, such as roof fastening and window protection, that insurers use to apply wind discounts.

Related guides

Insuring a coastal home: wind, flood and where to find coverage Coastal owners often assemble coverage from several sources: a homeowners policy, a flood policy and sometimes a state wind pool. How the pieces fit and cost. The FORTIFIED Home standard and insurance discounts What IBHS FORTIFIED Roof, Silver and Gold require, which states mandate discounts, what it costs, how long it lasts, and the 2027 shingle limit. Gulf Coast home insurance: Alabama and Mississippi How Alabama and Mississippi differ on wind pools, hurricane deductibles, FORTIFIED discounts and claim rules, using 2025 NAIC data and state sources. Home insurance legislation to watch Federal and state home insurance bills and new laws as of October 2026, from NFIP reauthorization to California claims reforms, and how to track any bill. Hurricane shutters and impact windows: protection and savings How shutters, impact windows and wind-rated garage doors compare, which ratings count, how states turn them into insurance credits, and the paperwork. Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofs and hail discounts What a Class 4 rating tests, which roofs qualify, how insurers and states handle the discount, and the cosmetic-damage catch to check before you upgrade.

Related insurers

Alfa Insurance Montgomery mutual founded in 1946 by the Alabama Farmers Federation; Alabama's #2 home insurer, sold by Alfa agents in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. Allied Trust Insurance Coastal homeowners insurer founded in 2015 and managed from Tampa that sells through independent agents in Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina. Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance Louisville mutual formed in 1943 and Kentucky's second-largest home insurer, sold through Farm Bureau agents in all 120 counties; AM Best cut it to A- in 2025. Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Louisiana's nonprofit insurer of last resort, created in 2003 to run the state's FAIR and Coastal plans, with rates set by law above the private market's. NC Insurance Underwriting Association (Coastal Property Insurance Pool) North Carolina's market of last resort for the Outer Banks and 18 coastal counties, writing homeowners, dwelling and wind-only policies up to $1 million. Shelter Insurance Columbia, Missouri mutual founded in 1946 as MFA Mutual, selling home, auto and farm coverage through its own exclusive agents across the Midwest and South.

Related states

Alabama Alabama home insurance: State Farm and Alfa lead, coastal wind drives premiums, AIUA covers Mobile and Baldwin, and FORTIFIED discounts are mandatory. Kentucky Kentucky home insurance: State Farm and Kentucky Farm Bureau write nearly half, FORTIFIED discounts began in 2026, and nonrenewals need 75 days' notice. Mississippi Mississippi home insurance: State Farm and Farm Bureau lead, the coastal wind pool set a 16% rate rise for 2026, and FORTIFIED roof grants restarted. New Hampshire New Hampshire home insurance: Liberty Mutual leads a crowded, low-cost market; insurers can't refuse a home on location alone, and there is no FAIR plan. North Carolina North Carolina home insurance: a Rate Bureau sets base rates, State Farm and NC Farm Bureau lead, and a FAIR Plan and Coastal Pool back up the coast. Oklahoma Oklahoma home insurance: State Farm writes nearly a third of the market, hail drives some of the nation's highest premiums, and there is no FAIR plan.

Related tools

Roof and mitigation upgrade payback calculator Weigh a roof or storm-hardening upgrade, after grants, against the premium discount it earns and see how many years it takes to pay for itself.