Guide · The Basics
What is a FORTIFIED roof?
A FORTIFIED roof is an ordinary roof built to an extraordinary standard. The standard comes from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, a research organization funded by insurers to figure out what actually keeps roofs on houses in severe weather. A roofer builds to it, an independent evaluator documents it, and IBHS issues a certificate. That is the whole idea, and this guide covers what it involves.
The three upgrades
Three things separate a FORTIFIED roof from a code-minimum re-roof:
- A sealed roof deck. The seams between the deck panels are taped or membraned, so that if the cover blows off in a storm, water still does not pour into the house. IBHS puts the reduction in water intrusion at up to 95 percent.
- Better attachment. The deck is nailed down with ring-shank nails on a tighter, enhanced pattern, concentrated at the edges and corners where wind uplift is strongest.
- Stronger edges and a rated cover. A wider drip edge and a fully adhered starter strip lock the perimeter, and the cover is installed to its tested rating, including impact-rated options for hail up to 2 inches.
Source: IBHS, fortifiedhome.org/roof.
The designation levels
FORTIFIED comes in three levels: FORTIFIED Roof, FORTIFIED Silver, and FORTIFIED Gold. The Roof level, the foundation, covers the sealed deck, the attachment, and the edges. Silver and Gold add further requirements around openings and structural continuity. For Oklahoma homeowners pursuing the grant and the section 962 discount, the FORTIFIED Roof designation is the level that matters most.
What it is rated for
The High Wind and Hail standard is engineered for design winds up to around 130 mph and hail up to 2 inches. It is important to be precise: IBHS does not certify any roof against tornadoes, so a FORTIFIED roof is a wind and hail standard, not a tornado rating. What it does is reduce the severe-storm losses that come from lost covers and water intrusion, which is exactly what Oklahoma's grant and discount are designed to reward.
The certificate is the proof
A roof is only FORTIFIED once IBHS issues the certificate, based on an independent evaluator's documentation. That certificate, issued to the property and transferable on sale, is what your insurer accepts for the discount and what the grant requires before it pays. The evaluation page covers how it is documented, and the retrofit and replacement page covers the build. The Oklahoma FORTIFIED Roofing Guide puts the standard, the grant, and the discount together.
Before You Sign Anything
Verify your FORTIFIED roofer and grant eligibility in Oklahoma
Oklahoma has no residential roofing license, so a homeowner's protection is what they check themselves. Four real credentials, in the order you confirm them:
1. CIB registration and the new endorsement
Oklahoma roofers register with the Construction Industries Board under the Roofing Contractor Registration Act. As of July 1, 2026, residential roofing also requires a Residential Roofing Endorsement earned by a CIB-approved exam (House Bill 1628), with a window to July 1, 2027 to pass it or finish continuing education. Both sit on the registration, not a license. Confirm current status on the CIB lookup.
Basis: Oklahoma CIB, oklahoma.gov/cib; House Bill 1628.
2. The OKReady approved roster
Grant-funded work must be done by a contractor on the state OKReady approved roster, and the grant asks you to pick three of them for bids. Confirm the roofer is on the published list before you sign anything.
Verify at oid.ok.gov/okready-contractors.
3. The IBHS FORTIFIED credential
The designation is not the roofer's word. An independent IBHS-certified evaluator documents the work, and IBHS itself issues the certificate to the property. IBHS lists FORTIFIED-trained professionals and evaluators in a public directory.
Directory: fortifiedhome.org.
4. A current certificate of insurance
Ask for a current certificate of insurance direct from the carrier, plus a written, itemized estimate that lists the FORTIFIED upgrades separately from the base re-roof. The itemized line is how you confirm the sealed deck and enhanced nailing are actually in the job.
Ask the contractor and confirm with the insurer named on the certificate.
Three questions to ask before you sign
- What is your CIB roofing registration, and do you hold the Residential Roofing Endorsement, so I can check both?
- Who performs the FORTIFIED evaluation, and is that evaluator independent of your company?
- Will the written estimate itemize the FORTIFIED upgrades separately from the base re-roof?
Questions and Answers
FORTIFIED roof basics
What makes a roof FORTIFIED?
Three upgrades to a written IBHS standard: a sealed roof deck, better attachment with ring-shank nails on an enhanced pattern, and stronger edges with an impact-rated cover. An independent evaluator documents it and IBHS issues a certificate. Without the certificate, a roof is not FORTIFIED, no matter what materials it uses.
What are the FORTIFIED levels?
There are three: FORTIFIED Roof, FORTIFIED Silver, and FORTIFIED Gold. The Roof level covers the deck, attachment, and edges. Silver and Gold add further requirements. For most Oklahoma homeowners chasing the grant and the section 962 discount, the FORTIFIED Roof designation is the relevant level.
What is a FORTIFIED roof rated for?
The High Wind and Hail standard is engineered for design winds up to around 130 mph and hail up to 2 inches. IBHS does not certify roofs against tornadoes, so FORTIFIED is a wind and hail standard, not a tornado rating. It is designed to reduce severe-storm losses, which IBHS studies document.
Does a FORTIFIED roof look different?
Usually not. It uses ordinary roofing materials installed to a stricter, documented standard, so the visible roof can look the same as a conventional one. The difference is under the cover, in the sealed deck and the fastening, and on paper, in the certificate.