Coming in 2025
What is the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes program (SOH)?
SOH provides grants to Oklahoma residents for residential wind and hail mitigation on new and existing, owner-occupied, primary residence single-family homes. Funding for this program comes from the insurance industry in Oklahoma and is not funded from the state’s general budget.
What is FORTIFIED?
The mitigation standard adopted by the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes program is known as FORTIFIED Home™. It was developed after decades of research by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety and is a voluntary beyond-code construction and re-roofing program. To receive this grant, you must obtain an IBHS FORTIFIED Home – Roof™ – High Wind designation with the Hail Supplement. Learn more about FORTIFIED™ by visiting fortifiedhome.org.
What is wind and hail mitigation?
Wind and hail mitigation consists of construction methods that strengthen a home against severe storms, high winds and wind driven rain and hail. Mitigation reduces the risk of damage to homes during storms, and in Oklahoma, may provide homeowners discounts on their wind insurance premium and deductible.
About the Grant Program
PROGRAM TIMELINE
What are the benefits?
Homes with a FORTIFIED Home™ Designation in Oklahoma receive discounts on the wind portion of their homeowner’s insurance premium. Contact your insurance agent for discount details.
View the current discounts here.
Grant amount
Your application will be evaluated, provided funds are available, and your home is able to be mitigated. If there are any costs above the grant award amount, these will be the responsibility of the homeowner. Contracts for all mitigation work will be between the contractor and the homeowner. When the mitigation work is completed on your home and after you receive an IBHS FORTIFIED™ designation (a certificate), SOH will issue payment up to the grant amount stated in your award letter directly to the contractor on your behalf. We do not issue funds to the homeowner.
What are the costs?
SOH grants help homeowners upgrade their roofs to the FORTIFIED standard. Homeowners are responsible for:
- Any cost of the roof replacement that exceeds the awarded grant amount.
- Additionally, homeowners are responsible for paying the evaluation fee directly to the FORTIFIED evaluator. SOH grants do not cover the cost of the evaluation.
- These fees vary by evaluator, so please seek several bids prior to selecting the professional you will work with.
- Separate from their fee for documenting the mitigation work and submitting it to IBHS, FORTIFIED evaluators may charge a small upfront fee for an eligibility determination. Otherwise, you should not be required to make upfront payments for the mitigation work on your home.
Choosing a contractor
After a certified FORTIFIED evaluator has determined your home meets the eligibility requirements to qualify for a FORTIFIED designation, you will select three contractors from a list of SOH qualified and trained contractors. The three contractors will provide bids for the specific work needed on your home.
Once the bids are submitted, you’ll receive a grant award letter. You must have the award letter from SOH before mitigation work can begin. As mitigation continues, the evaluator will work with your chosen contractor to document the work and materials meet the FORTIFIED standard and submit the documentation to IBHS for review and certification.
What is a FORTIFIED evaluation?
For an SOH grant, a FORTIFIED evaluation consists of two steps.
- First, a certified FORTIFIED evaluator inspects a property to determine if it meets the eligibility requirements of the FORTIFIED Home™ program.
- If it does, the evaluator works with the selected contractor to document materials and installation methods meet the FORTIFIED Home – Roof™ – High Wind designation with the Hail Supplement standard. The evaluator then submits the documentation to IBHS for review and certification.
Homeowners will choose an evaluator from a list of SOH qualified and trained evaluators. You, as the homeowner, are responsible for paying the small fee for the evaluation directly to the evaluator. Our grants do not cover the cost of the evaluation.
Shop your insurance!
Whether you apply for a grant or not, we encourage you to shop for homeowner’s insurance to ensure you have the coverage that is best for you and your family.
To view current rate comparison scenarios, visit our Home Insurance Rate Comparison page.
Qualification Conditions
Residence
- Residents that claim their primary residence in Oklahoma may apply.
- Condominiums, mobile homes or manufactured homes are not eligible at this time.
Condition of residence
Your home must be in good repair, unless damaged by a tornado, other catastrophic windstorm or hail.
Proof of insurance
- You must provide proof that you have an in-force homeowners insurance policy with wind coverage.
- You must provide proof that you have an in-force flood insurance policy if your home is in a special flood hazard area. This policy can be from the National Flood Insurance Plan or a policy written by a private insurance carrier.
Certified FORTIFIED™ Evaluator
To obtain a FORTIFIED™ Designation certificate, your property must receive an evaluation from a Certified FORTIFIED™ Evaluator who is approved by the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes program.
The evaluator will inspect your property to determine if it meets the minimum eligibility requirements to be FORTIFIED.
If the property does not meet the FORTIFIED minimum eligibility requirements, the property will not be awarded a grant.
If the property meets the minimum eligibility requirements, your evaluator will work with your chosen SOH-approved contractor to document the mitigation work. Once work is completed, your evaluator will submit the documentation and images to the IBHS audit team for review and approval. If your roof was installed to FORTIFIED Home – Roof™ – High Wind designation with the Hail Supplement, the IBHS audit team will issue a designation certificate.
You will have the opportunity to select an evaluator after filling out the grant application.
Payment
- Payment will be issued by the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes program on your behalf directly to the contractor.
- Payment will be issued to your contractor only after you satisfy all the requirements for the grant.
A FORTIFIED Roof™ keeps the wind and rain out, preventing a cascade of damage that can destroy your home and belongings. FORTIFIED Roof was specifically designed to prevent damage that commonly occurs during high winds, hurricanes, hailstorms, severe thunderstorms, and even tornadoes up to EF-2. No matter what type of roof you have—shingles, metal, or tile—the following FORTIFIED Roof requirements will make your home stronger.
Enhanced Roof Deck Attachment
When severe weather hits, keeping your roof deck attached to your home keeps the wind and rain from entering your home. IBHS testing shows that switching from common smooth nails to 8D ring-shank nails in an enhanced pattern, can double the uplift your roof can withstand.
Sealed Roof Deck
If wind rips off your roof covering (like shingles, metal panels or tiles), it exposes the wood beneath and allows water to pass through the gaps and enter your home. IBHS testing shows that for every inch of rain to hit an exposed roof deck, the equivalent of nine bathtubs of water can pour in and cause significant interior damage. By sealing the seams of your roof deck, you can reduce that water-intrusion by up to 95%!
Locked Down Roof Edges
Roof damage often begins when wind gets underneath the roof edge and begins ripping it away from the home. To help protect this vulnerable area, FORTIFIED™ requires specific materials and installation methods, including a wider drip edge and a fully adhered starter strip, that when used together create a stronger edge system.
Impact-resistant Shingles Rated by IBHS
In hail-prone areas, FORTIFIED™ requires shingles tested by IBHS to show they can withstand hail up to 2 inches in diameter. These shingles outperform typical Class 4 shingles when tested against realistic hailstones and will better protect your home.
**Required for the optional Hail Supplement to a FORTIFIED™ designation (IBHS FORTIFIED™ Roof High Wind and Hail Supplement)
Wind and Rain-resistant Attic Vents
During severe weather events, high winds can pull typical attic vents loose, giving the storm a pathway into your home. Even when it doesn’t pull vents loose, wind can drive rain almost sideways, allowing it to enter your home through vents that are not designed to prevent it. To keep this from happening, effective January 2025, FORTIFIED™ requires attic vents that are wind and rain-resistant.
For more information on FORTIFIED™ Roof specifications and other FORTIFIED™ standard levels, visit fortifiedhome.org/roof.
FORTIFIED™ Roof Standards
Your roof is your home’s first line of defense. In fact, research shows the roof is the most important component of every building as well as the most vulnerable. Based on extensive field and lab research of structural damage caused by high winds, the IBHS FORTIFIED Roof™ construction standard was developed to strengthen homes against severe weather. The series of upgrades required by the standard have helped roofs perform better in both the hurricanes IBHS replicates in their state-of-the-art lab and in real-world events, including Hurricanes Dorian, Michael, Sally and Ida.
