The North Carolina Department of Insurance has announced a $20 million expansion of its Strengthen Your Coastal Roof program, aimed at providing grants to homeowners who upgrade their roofing systems to meet standards set by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS).
The initiative offers $6,000 grants to eligible policyholders who install roofing systems in compliance with IBHS Fortified standards. These standards include enhanced roof-deck attachment methods, sealed roof decks, and reinforced edge protection.
Each project is subject to an independent review to confirm compliance with the IBHS guidelines, according to the department.
The Strengthen Your Coastal Roof program initially launched in 2022 with $14 million in state funding, supplementing earlier resilience initiatives such as a 2019 program for Outer Banks properties that was backed by a $42.1 million surplus from the Coastal Property Insurance Pool.
Data from the Institute for Advanced Analytics at North Carolina State University indicates that homes built to Fortified standards experience fewer and less severe insurance claims following storm events. The research found that homes with fortified roofs had 63% fewer claims following unnamed storms when compared to those with standard roofs.
North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey (pictured above) said that during hurricanes Matthew, Florence, Dorian, and Isaias, homes with fortified roofs filed approximately 35% fewer claims.
"When claims were filed, the damage was about 23% less severe,” Causey said. He also noted that policyholders who upgrade their roofs to meet Fortified standards may be eligible for insurance premium credits.
The new funding follows the May rollout of the North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association’s (NCIUA) Strengthen Your Roof program, which was launched with a separate $20 million investment. That program was designed to assist homeowners in the Outer Banks and barrier island communities, according to NCIUA chief executive officer Gina Hardy.
Hardy said the latest allocation is intended to support a separate but related grant program, which will focus on homeowners in the remaining 18 coastal counties.
Since 2016, more than 18,000 policyholders have received grants to bring their homes into compliance with IBHS Fortified roof standards, representing an overall investment of more than $120 million, the department said.
In addition to the grant programs, NCIUA also offers a no-cost roof endorsement that provides up to $5,000 in additional coverage. This benefit applies when homeowners need to upgrade to Fortified standards during a covered roofing claim.
Nationally, roof-related insurance losses have grown significantly. In 2024, repair and replacement costs reached nearly $31 billion, marking a 30% increase since 2022. Roof-related claims now account for more than 25% of the total value of residential insurance claims.
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