Service · The Evergreen Driver
The section 962 insurance discount in Oklahoma
A grant round opens and closes, but the 36 O.S. Section 962 discount is the part of a FORTIFIED roof that pays every year you own the home. Oklahoma law requires admitted insurers to discount the wind and hail portion of your premium once your roof is certified to the FORTIFIED standard, up to 42 percent. This page explains what the law requires, what the discount actually is, and how to claim it.
What section 962 requires
Under 36 O.S. Section 962, an admitted insurer must give a premium discount or rate reduction for a home built to the IBHS FORTIFIED Home High Wind and Hail standard and certified by a FORTIFIED evaluator. The statute is written around resistance to catastrophic windstorm events, and FORTIFIED is a wind and hail standard, not a tornado rating. The discount has to be actuarially supported, which is the legal way of saying it reflects the real reduction in expected storm losses that a FORTIFIED roof delivers.
Source: 36 O.S. Section 962.
What the discount actually is
Two details decide what it means for your bill. First, it applies to the wind and hail portion of the premium, not the entire premium, so the saving is a percentage of the wind and hail line, which in Oklahoma is a large line. Second, the statute sets no fixed percentage. The Oklahoma Insurance Department reports discounts of up to 42 percent for a FORTIFIED designation, but each carrier files its own amount, some near that maximum and others lower, and not every company offers it. The discount and cost worksheet shows what a realistic figure does to an Oklahoma premium.
Source: Oklahoma Insurance Department, oid.ok.gov.
How to claim it
- Build the roof to the FORTIFIED standard with a registered roofer and an independent evaluator.
- IBHS issues the FORTIFIED certificate to your property.
- Submit that certificate to your insurer. The discount applies at your next renewal, not retroactively.
- Confirm it appears on your declarations page, and re-confirm each year the certificate stays current.
How it stacks with the grant
The discount and the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes grant are separate and can both apply to the same roof. The grant helps pay to build it; the discount pays you back each year after. The grant versus discount guide keeps the two straight, and the Oklahoma FORTIFIED Roofing Guide puts the whole picture together. We arrange the roof itself across the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metros.
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
Section 962 discount questions
How big is the section 962 discount?
Up to 42 percent off the wind and hail portion of your premium, not the whole premium. The statute sets no fixed number, so each carrier files its own: some near the maximum, some lower, and not every company offers it. Your carrier and policy set your exact figure.
When does the discount start?
At your policy renewal after you submit the IBHS FORTIFIED certificate to your insurer. It is not retroactive, so the sooner the certificate is in your carrier’s hands, the sooner it applies, and it repeats each year the certificate stays current.
Does every Oklahoma insurer give the discount?
Oklahoma law requires admitted insurers to provide an actuarially supported discount for a certified FORTIFIED home, but the amount varies by carrier and some file more than others. Ask your carrier directly what they file for a FORTIFIED Roof designation, and compare when you shop.
Is the discount separate from the grant?
Yes. The Strengthen Oklahoma Homes grant is a one-time offset toward building the roof. The section 962 discount is a yearly reduction on your insurance that continues for as long as the certificate is current. They are two different mechanisms, and a FORTIFIED roof can earn both.