FORTIFIED
From fortifiedhome.org, “FORTIFIED is a voluntary construction and re-roofing program designed to strengthen homes and commercial buildings against specific types of severe weather such as high winds, hail, hurricanes, and even tornados.”
Visit The FORTIFIED Home Website
FORTIFIED (all capitalized) is a trademarked program established by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) based on over 20 years of data collection and real-life disaster statistics. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit scientific research and communications organization funded by property insurers, reinsurers, and affiliated companies.
https://smarthomeamerica.org/partners
Within the industry, one of the most used statements describing the success of IBHS is: During the 2020 Hurricane Season, approximately 95% of the nearly 17,000 FORTIFIED homes impacted experienced little to no damage and had no insurance claims, based on preliminary data.
https://smarthomeamerica.org/policy/examples-of-success
FORTIFIED Roof (formerly Bronze), an IHBS program, pertains only to the Re-roof. However, The FORTIFIED Program encompasses six trademarked logos and FORTIFIED Wise University.
FORTIFIED Home has three designation levels:
Roof (replaced Bronze)
Silver
Gold
FORTIFIED Commercial
FORTIFIED Multifamily
FORTIFIED Wise University is an online course list and exam preparation for those eligible to apply and test for a FORTIFIED Evaluator, FORTIFIED Professional, and FORTIFIED roof contractor.
Check Out FORTIFIED Wise University
Although there are several FORTIFIED Programs, the FORTIFIED Roof Program is commonly referred to when discussing insurance discounts and Louisiana grants.
LFHP
The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program is the state-sponsored grant program aimed at promoting the installation of roofs to the FORTIFIED Roof standards established by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).
Grants: The program offers grants of up to $10,000 to eligible homeowners.
Eligibility: The program is available for primary residences in Louisiana. Homeowners must provide proof of homestead exemption and active wind and flood insurance policies (if in a Special Flood Hazard Area), and the Home must be in good repair.
Application Process: Homeowners can apply online through the Louisiana Department of Insurance website. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis during specific application periods.
FORTIFIED™ Evaluation: A FORTIFIED™ Evaluation, performed by an approved FORTIFIED Evaluator, is a required step in the grant process. It determines improvements to make your home more windstorm resilient. LSU Ag Center – Building Your FORTIFIED Home: The FORTIFIED Evaluator
Besides increased protection from water intrusion for the FORTIFIED Roof program, participants may receive insurance premium discounts and increased property value. FORTIFIED Incentives For Louisiana
Louisiana Storm Mitigation Incentive Program
A Windstorm Mitigation Survey, also known as a Windstorm Inspection or Wind Mitigation Inspection, is a specialized home inspection that assesses a structure’s ability to withstand damage from high winds, such as those experienced during hurricanes, tornadoes, and other severe windstorms. This type of inspection is particularly common among all coastal areas of the Southeastern United States, where these weather events and damages are most frequent.
Finally, a Louisiana Hurricane Loss Mitigation survey form is required to be eligible for the state tax deduction of up to $5,000 for wind mitigation retrofits to your Home. Whereas the insurance discounts apply to all residential properties, the Storm Mitigation Tax deduction applies only to the individual’s primary residence.
Check Out Available Tax Incentives
Unlike the FORTIFIED Roof certification, the Storm Mitigation Incentives Program is not a certification. Instead, it is a survey form that the licensed Windstorm Surveyor uses to confirm what resilience features the Home may already have and what other improvements can be made to increase the overall resilience of the Home. In fact, several resilience features that can earn credit towards insurance incentives are the Home’s orientation, the Roof’s geometry, and the building code to which the residence was constructed. In other words, depending on the direction your home faces, what type of Roof it is, and when it was built, the roof construction may qualify for multiple insurance discounts.
Storm Mitigation Incentives FAQ PDF
Each resilience feature checked in the survey can add another layer of insurance discounts. Generally, however, resilience features pertaining specifically to water intrusion protection are the most incentivized by insurance companies. Just as one of the primary focuses of the FORTIFIED program is to keep the water out of the house, this is why insurance companies generally offer the most significant discounts for resilience features that address water intrusion.
Hundreds Of Thousands In Unclaimed Discounts
Tens of thousands of property owners across Louisiana with one or many houses may already be eligible for insurance discounts through the Wind Mitigation survey. The only reason they have yet to enjoy these insurance savings, which is state law and can be substantial, is that they didn’t hire a professional to do a Windstorm Mitigation Survey. https://lasfm.louisiana.gov/searchlsuccc.aspx Discounts are given for many features to be surveyed and will determined by your insurance company.
Does your house have a full hip roof?
Does the house have any hurricane clips?
Are you enjoying your hurricane shutters?
Did you install closed-cell polyurethane foam to your roofline?
The more yeses, the more incentives you may qualify for through the Storm Mitigation Program.
As you can see in the survey items, there is an emphasis on keeping rainwater from getting through the roof. Insurance companies emphasized discounts that reflect keeping water out of the house. Please consult with your insurance agent for specific details.
Summary: FORTIFIED vs. LFHP vs. Storm Mitigation
Whereas the Fortify Roof Program is strictly a Louisiana grant that started in 2023, the FORTIFIED Roof Program is only one area of research conducted by the Insurance Institute of Building and Home Safety. The Louisiana Fortify Roof grant requires the incentivized Roof to be constructed per standards established by the FORTIFIED Roof Program. The Louisiana Storm Mitigation Program is a state law that encourages homeowners to retrofit their existing homes to meet higher storm resiliency standards through insurance discounts and state tax deductions.
The Storm Mitigation Program and the FORTIFIED Roof Program have no relation. Although there are many differences and the ins and outs between a FORTIFIED Roof, the Louisiana Fortify Program, and the Residential Storm Mitigation Program, have one common thread, which is to keep stormwater out of your Home.
Louisiana Insurance Discount Guide
But I Just Got A New Roof
“I just got a new roof after Hurricane Ida. But I never knew anything about FORTIFIED. I can’t afford another new FORTIFIED Roof, especially at the prices that are being quoted. Can I do anything else to protect my family and apply for insurance discounts?”
Yes. To be clear, many homeowners may be eligible for all the same benefits and insurance discounts of having a FORTIFIED Roof but without having to reinvest in what’s becoming an exorbitant price of a new FORTIFIED Roof installation.
In short, IBHS has developed a FORTIFIED Sealed Roof Deck Supplemental Deck Attachment designation that avoids the need for a costly new roof by properly installing approved closed cell adhesives under particular criteria.
The existing roof cover shows no signs of damage or deterioration.
There is only one layer of roof covering. NOTE: Although some jurisdictions allow a new roof to be installed over an existing roof, FORTIFIED requires existing roof covering be removed from the deck before installing a new roof cover system.
Existing roof covering is estimated to have at least 5 years of useful life remaining.
There is adequate access to the attic to allow the application of closed-cell spray urethane-based foam adhesives along joints between sheathing and roof framing members, as well as along all seams between the roof sheathing panels.
Drip edge is installed. Drip Edge PDF
