Building a roof for Oklahoma wind: FORTIFIED and the state grant

The wind a roof actually faces

In Oklahoma and Cleveland counties, 54 of the 62 tornadoes that NOAA's Storm Events Database logged from 2016 through 2025 were rated EF0 or EF1 (NCEI). The same two counties recorded 387 thunderstorm wind events in those years, 53 of them at 65 knots or more.

The damage descriptions in those records read like a list of roof weak points. Straight-line winds in southern Oklahoma County on May 6, 2024 caused shingle loss and minor roof damage. A 93-knot gust near El Reno on May 27, 2001 left numerous homes with shingle damage along their north-facing edges. Those are the failures a stronger roof system is built to resist.

What FORTIFIED changes on the roof

FORTIFIED is a program of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), which describes it as a voluntary construction and re-roofing program that strengthens buildings against high winds, hail, hurricanes and even tornadoes. At the roof level, IBHS requires:

• A sealed roof deck, so that if wind strips the shingles, water cannot pour through the gaps between deck boards.
• Ring-shank nails in an enhanced pattern instead of smooth nails, to keep the deck attached to the house in high winds.
• Stronger edges, using a wider drip edge and a fully adhered starter strip installed together as a system.
• Rated shingles for hail, if you add the optional Hail Supplement: the shingles must be rated Good or Excellent in the IBHS hail impact ratings.

A FORTIFIED designation is not something a roofer hands out. A program evaluator documents the work and submits it to IBHS for a designation certificate, and the Oklahoma Insurance Department notes that designations last five years and transfer when the home is sold. The National Roofing Directory's pages on FORTIFIED roofs and Class 4 impact-resistant shingles explain the materials in more depth.

For comparison, Moore's post-2013 code for new houses is described in the city's 2024 action plan as built to withstand an F3 tornado at 135 mph. That is a construction code; FORTIFIED is a voluntary designation that can be earned on an existing house during a re-roof.

Strengthen Oklahoma Homes, step by step

The Oklahoma Insurance Department's program page lays out the process for a grant of up to $10,000:

1. Apply during an open round. The latest round opened July 13, 2026, with grants awarded first-come, first-served as funding allows.
2. Choose an evaluator from the program's list. The evaluator confirms eligibility, and you pay the evaluator's fee directly.
3. Pick three contractors from the approved list to submit bids.
4. Receive your award letter before any work begins.
5. During construction, the evaluator verifies that materials and methods meet the FORTIFIED standard, then submits the documentation to IBHS.
6. Once the job is complete and the certificate is issued, the program pays the contractor directly. Any cost above the award is yours.

Who qualifies

According to the department:

• You must attach proof of a homestead exemption to the application.
• Most primary residences are eligible, including single-family and new construction homes; apartments, duplexes, condominiums, manufactured homes and mobile homes are not.
• The home must be in good repair, unless the damage came from a tornado, another catastrophic windstorm or hail.
• You must show an in-force homeowners policy with wind coverage, plus flood insurance if the home is in a special flood hazard area.

On premiums, the department's June 2026 consumer column says a FORTIFIED roof can qualify you for lower premiums and save the average homeowner $720 a year, and the program page links a list of Oklahoma insurers offering discounts. Ask your own insurer what it applies before counting on a number.

The contractor has to clear two bars

First, the roofer has to be authorized for the grant program; the department publishes a list of approved contractors alongside its list of approved evaluators. Second, the roofer needs a current registration with the Construction Industries Board under the Roofing Contractor Registration Act, and after January 1, 2028 the board's new Residential Roofing Endorsement as well. The directory's Oklahoma roofing licensing page and our home page cover how to check both.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Hail Supplement add to a FORTIFIED roof?

It adds a shingle requirement. To earn the supplement, the roof covering must be rated Good or Excellent in the IBHS hail impact-resistant shingle ratings, on top of the deck, nailing and edge requirements of the roof designation.

How long does a FORTIFIED designation last?

Five years, according to the Oklahoma Insurance Department, and the certificate transfers to the buyer if you sell the house.

Can I choose my own roofer for a Strengthen Oklahoma Homes grant?

Only from the approved list. You select three authorized contractors to bid, and the program pays the one who does the work after the evaluator's documentation earns the IBHS certificate.

Does the grant cover the whole roof?

It covers up to $10,000 of the upgrade. The homeowner pays the evaluator's fee and any roof cost above the award, according to the program page.