Developed by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), FORTIFIED Home™ is a voluntary, beyond-code construction standard for single-family homes, townhomes, and duplexes. It works for both new construction and existing homes and addresses weather risks specific to your location, whether you are on the coast or inland.
There are two geographic standards: one for coastal communities at risk from hurricanes and one for inland communities facing high wind, hail, and tornadoes. The weather risks in your area determine which standard applies.
Matt F. (Orange Beach, AL) from IBHS on Vimeo.
The three levels of FORTIFIED Home
FORTIFIED Roof™
The roof is the most vulnerable point of any structure. FORTIFIED Roof addresses those vulnerabilities by sealing the roof deck, using ring-shank nails for stronger attachment, and locking it down with a drip edge. This level is suitable for both re-roofs and new builds and is the foundation for all higher FORTIFIED levels.
FORTIFIED Silver™
Includes everything in FORTIFIED Roof and adds protection for damage amplifiers: windows, doors, garage doors, gable ends, porches, and carports. These components, when they fail, allow wind and water inside and turn a manageable storm event into a major loss.
Why Your Garage Door Matters from IBHS on Vimeo.
FORTIFIED Gold™
Includes everything in FORTIFIED Roof and Silver and adds a continuous load path, tying the roof to the walls and the walls to the foundation so the entire structure works as a system against wind forces. This is the highest level of FORTIFIED Home protection.
What does it cost?
The FORTIFIED standard is free to use. The cost is in the upgrades themselves. For new construction, building to FORTIFIED Gold typically adds 1% to 3% to the total construction budget. For a re-roof, the upgrade cost over a standard code-compliant roof is typically a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on the home's size, location, and wind zone requirements. You are paying for the upgrade, not the whole project.
Several states offer grants that cover part or all of that cost. View the Incentives and Resource Map to see what is available in your state.
More FORTIFIED Home resources