3 Reasons You Should Offer Customers a FORTIFIED Roof

Here’s why contractors should consider recommending a FORTIFIED roof to their customers. 

Contractors know that when it comes to protecting a home, the roof is your first line of defense. If a homeowners’ roof were to get damaged by a storm, their home would be much more at risk than if the roof was stronger. That’s why you might want to consider recommending a FORTIFIED Roof™ to your customers to increase the overall strength of their roof. But what exactly is a FORTIFIED Roof? 

A FORTIFIED Roof is a set standard of roof upgrades defined by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). These roofs have a lot of requirements to be considered FORTIFIED, the three main ones being: a roof deck that has a tight nailing pattern of ring-shank nails, a sealed roof deck and additional roof edge details. 

If you still aren’t sure about offering these upgrades, here are three reasons why FORTIFIED roofs are a great choice for homeowners: 

1 – They’ll have a roof that meets and exceeds building code standards 

According to FORTIFIED by IBHS, average building code standards are actually the bare minimum. They state that “Building codes establish the minimum construction standards required to ensure the safety of those inside a home... However, even in areas where the most up-to-date codes are adopted and enforced, your home can be stronger.”  

When you choose to upgrade your customers’ roofs to be a FORTIFIED one, you are ensuring that their home will be as strong as possible. Keep in mind that in order to install a FORTIFIED roof, you must be trained and certified. 

2 - They protect roofs from storm-related damage 

For homeowners who live in storm-prone areas, a FORTIFIED Roof is one of the best investments they can make. According to Fine Homebuilding, FORTIFIED Roofs are able to combat extreme weather because of their strengthened roof edges, sealed roof deck and increased uplift resistance. Simply put, a roof is far less likely to fly off in the event of a major storm. It also reduces water infiltration by up to 95% during these weather events. So, if you work in an area that has frequent storms, learning how to install FORTIFIED roofs is a highly valuable skill. 

3 – Possible incentives for upgrading to a FORTIFIED roof 

In some states, homeowners can earn financial incentives by having a FORTIFIED Roof. This is because these roofs are considered to be much more resilient than homes that are built according to standard building codes. Some states allow insurers to provide discounts to homes with a FORTIFIED roofs and other states offer tax credits up to $5,000. For homeowners who are still on the fence, you can advise them that it pays to protect their roof in more ways than one! 

Photo credit: Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety