FORTIFIED Home is a voluntary construction and re-roofing program designed to strengthen homes against specific types of severe weather such as high winds, hail, hurricanes, and even some tornadoes. FORTIFIED helps protect against damage by addressing known weaknesses in common home construction practices.

While the FORTIFIED Home standard can always be used as a guide to resilience, not all homes will qualify for FORTIFIED designation. Additionally, some homes will have a more straightforward path to designation than others.

This video and companion guide review the different factors that impact a home’s ability to achieve a FORTIFIED designation, including:

• Location: FORTIFIED designation is available for homes across the United States, but your home’s location impacts the applicable requirements.
• Dwelling type: FORTIFIED isn’t just for single-family detached homes – it can be used across a variety of dwelling types, like townhouses and duplexes.
• Foundation type: The foundation of a home is essential for anchoring it securely to the ground, particularly during high winds. That’s why FORTIFIED has requirements related to your home’s foundation.
• Roof structure: A home’s roof is its first line of defense during a storm or high wind event. That’s why every FORTIFIED Home is required to have a FORTIFIED Roof. There are specific requirements related to how your roof is built to be eligible for FORTIFIED.
• Roof sheathing: The layer that goes on top of the roof framing is known as the roof deck or roof sheathing. A sturdy roof deck helps protect the inside of the home from wind and rain, so FORTIFIED has specific requirements about these materials.
• Roof areas: It’s important to understand which sections of the roof have to meet FORTIFIED requirements, especially when the roof is complex because of structures like sunrooms, patio covers, porches, carports, or pergolas that are attached to the home
• Items on the Roof: Common items like leaf guards, gutters, solar panels, HVAC units, and even skylights can impact your home’s FORTIFIED designation.

Understanding these factors before beginning the FORTIFIED designation process will help you know what to expect and avoid any unexpected surprises along the way.