A FORTIFIED roof designation comes from IBHS after the required evaluation and documentation process. Installing products advertised as strong or impact-resistant does not by itself establish designation. Coordinate the evaluator and evidence requirements before construction conceals the work.
A FORTIFIED roof designation comes from IBHS after the required evaluation and documentation process. Installing products advertised as strong or impact-resistant does not by itself establish designation. Coordinate the evaluator and evidence requirements before construction conceals the work.
Construction and designation are separate deliverables
The official FORTIFIED process distinguishes applying the standard from evaluator documentation and designation. Use the current technical documents to establish the applicable requirements with the evaluator. Do not assume one checklist fits every roof, building, and project pathway.
The contractor installs the specified assembly. The evaluator coordinates and documents verification. IBHS reviews the submission and issues the designation when requirements are met. A paid roofing invoice is not the same record as an issued designation.
Agree on responsibility before tear-off
| Checkpoint | What should be settled |
|---|---|
| Before scheduling | Applicable standard, evaluator, scope, fees, and evidence plan |
| Before concealed work is covered | Required documentation captured and any evaluator questions resolved |
| After installation | Missing records or corrective items assigned to a named person |
| Submission | Who submits, who follows up, and how status is communicated |
| Designation | Issued document checked and delivered to the owner |
Ask the evaluator which checks need site attendance and which documentation methods apply. Do not promise that a single deck photograph replaces the required process, or that every hidden condition can be verified from finished-roof pictures.
Make the evidence handoff explicit
Have the project team identify required photographs, product records, and other documentation before work begins. Organize records by the property and construction stage so the evaluator can match them to the correct job. Ask who checks completeness before the crew moves past a stage that will become concealed.
For example, a project can be physically finished while the submission still needs a product record. Assign that item and follow it to resolution. Calling the job complete in a CRM does not establish that IBHS has issued a designation.
Check the issued designation
When the document is issued, confirm the property, designation information, and dates with the evaluator. Keep the certificate and supporting project records. If the submission is still pending, describe it as pending rather than telling an insurer or program administrator that issuance is complete.
Financial benefits have separate conditions. Ask the relevant insurer or program to confirm eligibility and the amount for your situation. Designation should not be presented as an automatic guarantee of a grant payment, tax benefit, or a particular premium saving.
Plan for renewal and property changes
FORTIFIED's renewal guidance explains the five-year designation cycle and evaluator review of the home's condition and changes. Keep records of roof repairs and modifications so the renewal review has an accurate history.
Use the actual expiration date on the designation to plan ahead. Ask the evaluator about timing rather than waiting for a financial-benefit renewal to reveal that the roof documentation needs attention.
If construction happened without the planned evidence
Contact a certified evaluator to establish which pathway, records, or additional verification may be available. Do not assume certification is impossible, and do not assume finished photographs are sufficient. The evaluator should identify what can be established for this roof.
Start with what FORTIFIED means, then request a FORTIFIED scope assessment that includes evaluation and documentation responsibilities.
Common questions
Frequently asked
IBHS issues the designation after the required evaluator documentation and review. A contractor invoice or product rating is not designation.
Published by
Editorial team
Our editorial team publishes homeowner guides with sources linked in the article. For a recommendation about your roof, request an inspection of the property.
Found this helpful? Choose Lapeyre Roofing as a source you want to see on Google.
Add Lapeyre Roofing as a preferred source on Google (opens a Google window)
