The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) has released its updated 2025 FORTIFIED resilient construction standards, designed to strengthen homes, commercial buildings, and multifamily properties against severe weather events. These standards, which first launched in 2010, integrate the latest building science and aim to mitigate storm damage across the U.S.
Key Updates in the 2025 FORTIFIED Standards
- Standardized Reroofing Requirements Across Markets
- Requirements for FORTIFIED Roof™ designations in inland areas now align with hurricane-prone regions.
- Roof decks must adopt tighter nailing patterns.
- Roof-mounted vents must meet testing standards to prevent wind-driven rain intrusion.
- Enhanced Shingle Performance for Hail Resistance
- Steep-roofed structures using asphalt shingles must select shingles rated as “Excellent” or “Good” on IBHS Impact-Resistant Shingle Performance Ratings to qualify for the hail supplement of a FORTIFIED designation.
- Previous standards allowed asphalt shingles with a UL 2218 Class 4 impact rating, but the new protocols use manufactured hail for more realistic testing.
- Certified Contractors for Roofing Projects
- Roof installations must be performed by certified FORTIFIED roofing contractors to comply with the new standards.
Integration of Latest Building Science
The updates also incorporate changes from the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) ASCE 7 standards, which set minimum design load requirements for buildings. Clarifications and amendments from FORTIFIED technical bulletins released since the last update have been integrated.
Chuck Miccolis, Managing Director of Commercial Lines at IBHS, emphasized the importance of adopting cutting-edge research in the standards, stating, “Staying on the leading edge and making the best mitigation strategies available to property owners and contractors across the country is key to our mission to reduce avoidable losses caused by severe weather.”
Transition Timeline for Compliance
- FORTIFIED Home™: Contractors can begin implementing new requirements on January 1, 2025. Compliance becomes mandatory by November 1, 2025.
- FORTIFIED Commercial™ and FORTIFIED Multifamily™: Projects with applications dated after January 1, 2025, must meet the updated standards.
Nationwide Adoption and Impact
As of November 2024, approximately 70,000 properties in 31 states have adopted FORTIFIED standards, including 15,000 structures built or reroofed this year. These resilient construction measures are part of a broader effort to reduce financial losses from the increasing number of severe weather events in the U.S., which have already caused over 24 billion-dollar disasters in 2024 alone.
For more details on the updated FORTIFIED standards, visit IBHS.org.