FAQs

FORTIFIED is a nationally recognized building method that goes beyond building codes to strengthen residential and commercial buildings against specific natural hazards such as high winds, hail, and hurricanes. FORTIFIED standards are based on more than 20 years of scientific research and real-world testing by IBHS.

FORTIFIED strengthens homes and businesses against severe weather, reducing the risk of property damage and financial loss.

5 calendar years. At the end of that period, a re-designation inspection will be required to maintain the home or business’s current designation level. If there have been no substantial changes, the designation will be re-issued for another 5-year period.

FORTIFIED Home is a set of superior construction standards that helps homeowners strengthen their home against severe weather.

FORTIFIED Home can be used for new or existing homes, and is affordable at any price point. With three levels of designation available—FORTIFIED Roof™, FORTIFIED Silver™, and FORTIFIED Gold™—builders can work with homeowners to choose a desired level of protection that best suits their budget and resilience goals.

The program also:

• Provides peace of mind for homeowners, knowing their home is built to last.
• Offers top to bottom protection of the treasures that make a house a home.
• Safeguards investments made to make a home more sustainable and energy-efficient.
• Lowers ownership costs.
• Improves the marketability of the home by ensuring prospective buyers know it was built to the highest standard with a transferable FORTIFIED Home designation.
• Helps homeowners lower the overall cost of their community’s recovery after a disaster. (Studies show every $1 spent on disaster mitigation saves $4 in community disaster recovery expenses.)
• Minimizes homeowners’ post-disaster environmental footprint. (Homes that withstand severe weather don’t end up in a landfill.)

This is the entry-level FORTIFIED designation which was modified to focus more directly on strengthening roofs, effective April 1, 2019.

FORTIFIED Bronze™ is now known as FORTIFIED Roof™

Follow these 6 simple steps:

1. Apply

Complete a free online application.

2. Evaluate

All FORTIFIED Evaluators are certified by IBHS after completing a comprehensive training program, passing an exam, and meeting our rigorous professional requirements. FORTIFIED Evaluators are then qualified to help assess the condition of your home.

Choose your Certified FORTIFIED Evaluator and schedule a FORTIFIED evaluation to have your home’s current condition documented.

3. Report

You will receive a written Current Condition Report by mail or email; this will include an analysis of your home’s current condition as well as actions needed to achieve each of the FORTIFIED levels of designation for the applicable natural hazard.

4. Act

Work with a building professional to have the required retrofits completed and reduce your risk of loss due to natural hazard.

5. Get Designated

Have a designation inspection performed after completing your upgrades.

6. Celebrate!

In addition to improving your family’s safety and reducing the risk of financial loss, by achieving a FORTIFIED Home designation, you may be eligible other economic benefits including a reduction in your property insurance premiums.

IBHS cannot provide any specific information about any effect that a FORTIFIED designation may have on your premiums. For information on whether there are credits or discounts available, you must consult your insurance provider.

A FORTIFIED designation is valid for 5 years. Your designation can be renewed for another 5-year term by having a re-designation inspection conducted by a certified FORTIFIED Home Evaluator.

The expiration date is printed on your FORTIFIED Home Designation certificate. As a courtesy, IBHS will mail a notification to the designated address 90 days prior to the expiration date.

The first step is to engage an Evaluator. The name of the Evaluator who performed the initial evaluation of the home will be provided on the expiration notice if they are currently active. While IBHS recommends hiring an Evaluator who may be familiar with your home, it may not always be possible and it is not a requirement. Any certified Evaluator may perform a re-designation inspection. Please visit the searchable directory for Evaluators working in your area.

The fee for a site visit and processing the re-designation is set by each individual Evaluator.

The re-designation inspection will focus primarily on verifying the exterior condition of your home including the roof covering by taking some elevation photos. To assist the Evaluator, please be ready to answer these questions:

1. Has any portion of the roof cover (shingles, metal, tile, etc.) on your home been repaired or replaced in the last 5 years?
   • Yes, the entire roof
   • Yes, partial roof
   • No
2. Have any of the systems listed below been damaged, repaired, or replaced in the last 5 years (check all that apply)
   • Attic ventilation (roof-mounted vents or soffits)
   • Window and door shutter systems
   • Windows and doors
   • Garage doors
3. Have there been any additions to the home in the last 5 years?
4. Has any space been enclosed and conditioned in the last 5 years?

Once IBHS has verified that your home continues to meet FORTIFIED Home requirements, a new designation certificate will be issued. If additional work is required before a designation can be issued, a detailed report identifying what corrective action is required will be provided to you by your Evaluator.

FORTIFIED re-designation is valid for another 5 years.

In addition to the peace of mind you’ll enjoy knowing that your home continues to be resilient during tropical storm events, you may be able to take advantage of insurance discounts if offered by your insurer.

Please email Laurie Jaworski at LJaworski@ibhs.org.

FORTIFIED COMMERCIAL standards address specific natural hazard risks and provide recommendations for reducing damage particular to that risk.

FORTIFIED COMMERCIAL employs an incremental approach toward making new and existing commercial buildings more resistant to damage from severe weather. With three levels of designation available—FORTIFIED Roof, FORTIFIED Silver, and FORTIFIED Gold—builders can work with owners to choose a desired level of protection that best suits their budget and resilience goals.

FORTIFIED Home Evaluators work with homeowners and builders throughout the construction of new homes and the retrofitting of existing homes to ensure:

• A home has the appropriate resilience upgrades relevant the hazards where the home is located.
• Critical construction details are verified at different building and retrofitting stages.
• Key severe storm system upgrades in the home are designed and installed to deliver a stronger, safer more durable home.

The demand from builders for home resilience ratings is growing. Multiple states have mandatory incentives for FORTIFIED Homes (Alabama, Mississippi, and North Carolina) and many property insurance companies recognize the benefits of FORTIFIED construction.

This is a significant business opportunity for you. Homes earn FORTIFIED Home designation only when an independent third-party verifies they meet FORTIFIED Home guidelines. FORTIFIED Home Evaluators are trained to evaluate construction techniques, collect key documentation, and perform inspections.

Generally, FORTIFIED Home Evaluators are either licensed or registered design professionals, builders, or home inspectors. For a full, detailed explanation of eligibility requirements, please review the FORTIFIED Evaluator Program Handbook.

Visit https://fortified.archtest.com/listing for a complete list of all FORTIFIED Home service providers, including FORTIFIED Evaluators, who have completed FORTIFIED Home Evaluator training, passed an exam and provided all necessary background information to become a FORTIFIED Home Evaluator.

No, you can choose any roofer/contractor to complete your building project. But for a complete list of those roofers/contractors who have completed FORTIFIED Wise™–Roofer training, please visit https://fortified.archtest.com/listing and select Roofers from the dropdown list.

FORTIFIED-trained roofers will be more adept at installing a FORTIFIED roof and familiar with the designation process and how to work with a FORTIFIED Home Evaluator.

Visit https://fortified.archtest.com/listing for a complete list of all FORTIFIED Home service providers, including those roofers/contractors who have completed FORTIFIED Wise training, passed an exam and provided all necessary background information.

IBHS is happy to consider issuing joint news releases with FORTIFIED Home™ allies. Please contact IBHS Public Relations Associate Christina Gropp if you are interested in doing a joint release. FORTIFIED Home allies are always free to distribute news releases on their own—we just ask that you share a draft with our communications team before you distribute it.

FORTIFIED Home is not a wire service or distribution channel, but there are many news release distribution services available to help distribute your release to the media for a fee, including PR Newswire, PR Web, Business Wire, and eReleases, for example.

FORTIFIED Home is happy to promote your announcement via social media. We can share the news on IBHS’s FORTIFIED Facebook page and via our Twitter channel.

If an article is written about you, which discusses FORTIFIED Home, IBHS is happy to share it on IBHS’s FORTIFIED Facebook page and via our Twitter channel.

Yes, you can use the FORTIFIED Home logo, but must follow the logo guidelines. You are welcome to use approved FORTIFIED Home materials and to co-brand them as long as you follow IBHS’s guidelines.

The FORTIFIED Home Evaluator program provides training and certification to ensure the FORTIFIED designation is consistent and technically accurate throughout the country. FORTIFIED Home Evaluators are certified after completing a comprehensive training course, passing a final exam, and meeting rigorous professional requirements. FORTIFIED Evaluators are then qualified to help assess the condition of single-family, detached dwellings.

The FORTIFIED Wise training course covers critical aspects of the FORTIFIED Home program. Learn about the program’s new construction and retrofit standards, and how they are used by builders, contractors, and homeowners.

FORTIFIED Wise is ideal for anyone new to FORTIFIED Home or IBHS, or who wants to expand their knowledge of the program. Those interested may include, but are not limited to, product manufacturers, building officials, insurance professionals, students,
and real estate professionals.

Becoming a FORTIFIED Wise Associate or Professional will provide you with a solid understanding of FORTIFIED Home building principles, construction practices, and verification requirements. You’ll be a part of the national standard for resilient construction by taking the FORTIFIED Wise course.

Contact Karen Yetter at Architectural Testing:

• 717-764-7700
• fortifiedhome@archtest.com