The Future of Building – FORTIFIED

The FORTIFIED Home Program

With the increasing number of catastrophes and the resulting catastrophic losses, insurance companies and consumers are searching for effective ways to prevent and mitigate losses. And homeowners want to reduce their cost for homeowner’s insurance. FORTIFIED – A Program of IBHS™ is one such approach designed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety.

FORTIFIED is a voluntary construction and re-roofing program designed to offer protection against severe weather conditions such as high winds, hail, hurricanes, and tornadoes. FORTIFIED standards exceed the typical building codes, providing better protection during severe weather. They offer three programs: FORTIFIED Home, FORTIFIED Commercial, and FORTIFIED Multifamily.

Fortified Home- A program of IBHS logo

Chose from a collection of construction upgrades that work together to protect your home from severe weather. Each FORTIFIED solution includes enhancements specifically designed to give your home the level of protection you want from the weather your home faces.

FORTIFIED Roof

The National Standard for Resilience

  • Enhanced Roof Deck Attachment
  • Sealed Roof Deck
  • Locked Down Roof Edges
  • Impact-resistant Shingles Rated by IBHS**
  • Wind and Rain-Resistant Attic Vents

FORTIFIED Silver

The National Standard for Resilience

  • Enhanced Roof Deck Attachment
  • Sealed Roof Deck
  • Locked Down Roof Edges
  • Impact-resistant Shingles Rated by IBHS**
  • Wind and Rain-Resistant Attic Vents
  • Impact Protection for Windows & Doors*
  • Impact* & Pressure-Rated Garage Doors
  • Chimney Bracing
  • Reinforced Soffits*
  • Anchored Attached Structures

FORTIFIED Gold

The National Standard for Resilience

  • Enhanced Roof Deck Attachment
  • Sealed Roof Deck
  • Locked Down Roof Edges
  • Impact-resistant Shingles Rated by IBHS**
  • Wind and Rain-Resistant Attic Vents
  • Impact Protection for Windows & Doors*
  • Impact* & Pressure-Rated Garage Doors

  • Chimney Bracing
  • Reinforced Soffits*
  • Anchored Attached Structures
  • Gable End Bracing
  • Pressure-rated Windows & Doors*
  • Stronger Exterior Sheathing*
  • Engineered Roof-to-Wall Connections
  • Engineered Story-to-Story Connections
  • Engineered Wall-to-Foundation Connections
FORTIFIED Homes
Design and Function, Perfectly Engineered

FORTIFIED Requirements

FORTIFIED requirements come from decades of studying damage to residential structures from tornadoes, hurricanes, and other extreme weather events. These essential solutions can assist with protecting and defending your home against severe weather storms. Specifically, FORTIFIED requirements strengthen a home’s outer envelope – notably roof and wall systems, doors, glazed openings, and foundation.

Homes can be certified by Aran + Franklin as FORTIFIED at three levels: Roof, Silver, or Gold. The Roof level concentrates on improving roof strength and wind resistance, while Silver requires reinforcing roofs and using impact-resistant windows and doors. Gold considers the first two levels and adds a “continuous load path” to ensure buildings are sufficiently load-bearing and anchored to the ground.

A separate set of FORTIFIED standards have been developed to safeguard commercial and multi-family buildings and guarantee continuous operations despite hurricanes, strong winds, and hail. See more details about the FORTIFIED home program.

A FORTIFIED Roof provides exceptional wind and water resistance against inclement weather. Expert installation methods and enhanced building patterns are used for FORTIFIED to decrease the risk of rain and wind getting underneath the edge of the roofing. Ring-shank nails provide better attachment from the roof deck to the home. FORTIFIED uses specific sealants and materials to ensure shingles, panels, and tiles stay in place during intense storms.

FORTIFIED Silver includes all the requirements of a FORTIFIED Roof with extra features for different areas of the home. High winds often accompany extreme weather events and can damage the openings and entryways of the home. FORTIFIED Silver includes impact protection for windows, doors, and garage doors. Strong anchors and additional bracing are mandatory for attached structures. FORTIFIED also requires a chimney and gable-ended roof bracing to help create resilient, long-lasting homes.

FORTIFIED Gold. Learn More.

FORTIFIED Gold offers superior protection against all types of severe weather conditions. FORTIFIED Gold includes all the benefits FORTIFIED provides to create the highest-quality engineered home anywhere. Rest assured that all areas of your home are well protected with pressure-rated windows, doors, and impact-resistant structural sheathing. FORTIFIED reduces the risk of storm-caused structural failure by requiring a continuous load path. This construction method ensures that foundation connections can withstand intense wind and pressure. FORTIFIED Gold is a fully comprehensive protection plan for your home and the standard for residential construction.

Find Out if a FORTIFIED Home Can Save You Money

FORTIFIED homes meet a scientifically proven standard that is more resilient to high winds and floods than homes built to ordinary building codes.

In some states, insurers offer discounts up to 55% on homes with a FORTIFIED designation, while in others, discounts are offered for specific upgrades included in the FORTIFIED standard.

Additionally, four states provide tax credits of up to $5000 to homeowners who strengthen their homes against storms.

Check with your insurance agent and/or local authorities to determine if you qualify for these incentives or visit financial incentives for FORTIFIED homes.

Aran + Franklin FORTIFIED Incentives Map

Image provided by FORTIFIED - A program of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety

Architect and construction engineer discussing plans and blueprints

We Work With FORTIFIED Contractors

Created by the Institute for Business and Home Safety, FORTIFIED is a set of engineering and building standards to design and construct homes to a higher standard than most building codes. The FORTIFIED program offers a package of “code-plus” upgrades that greatly increase a new home’s resistance to natural perils, including hurricane, tornado, wildfire, flood, freezing weather, hail and earthquake, as well as to fire and interior water damage. Specifically, these requirements strengthen a home’s outer envelope – notably roof and wall systems, doors, glazed openings and foundation. Aran + Franklin Engineering is proud to be the first engineer in Texas to provide specifications, design and inspections for the FORTIFIED program.

If you’re planning to build a new home, it is beneficial to incorporate the FORTIFIED standard into the design. This approach is not only cost-effective but also more effortless. Engaging Aran + Franklin Engineers trained and experienced in the FORTIFIED program can simplify the process. We also have insurance industry partners that can help you get the best rates possible with your home’s new FORTIFIED designation.

About the FORTIFIED Program

Helping homeowners prepare for natural disasters is the primary goal of the FORTIFIED Home program. This program is managed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), a nonprofit organization based in Tampa, Florida. IBHS collaborates with insurers and reinsurers to promote the construction and upgrading of homes for resilience to natural disasters. To achieve this, IBHS tests various construction and retrofitting methods at its Research Center in Richburg, South Carolina. The tests simulate different weather conditions, such as rain, hail, wildfire, and wind speed up to 130 miles per hour.

IBHS is a nonprofit organization conducting scientific research and communication to provide practical building safety solutions to homeowners and business owners.

Aran + Franklin FORTIFIED Evaluators

As FORTIFIED Evaluators, Aran + Franklin is an independent, third-party contractor trained in the FORTIFIED program requirements.