Tulsa FORTIFIED Roof™
Tulsa FORTIFIED Roof is a better way to protect your home against severe weather. FORTIFIED is a program of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and is a voluntary construction standard backed by decades of research to help protect your home against severe weather.
Homes meeting the rigorous requirements of the FORTIFIED Home™ —High Wind & Hail Roof Standards —may receive discounts on their homeowner’s insurance premium. Contact your insurance agent for discount details. View the current discounts here.
A FORTIFIED roof includes the following enhancements:
- Enhanced Roof Deck Attachment
- Sealed Roof Deck
- Locked Down Roof Edges
- Impact Resistant Shingles Rated by IBHS
- Wind and Rain-Resistant Attic Vents
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Tulsa FORTIFIED Roofer Since 2018
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—choosing a FORTIFIED Roof for your next roof replacement will make your home stronger.
Since 2018, Dave Laizure, owner of Whirlwind Roofing & Construction has been an approved FORTIFIED Roofer with the following FORTIFIED certifications.
- FORTIFIED Hail Certified Provider
- FORTIFIED High-Wind Provider
The FORTIFIED Roof certification demonstrates a solid understanding of the critical aspects of installation and documentation for roofing a new or existing home to meet the stringent FORTIFIED standards.
FORTIFIED Roof Pre-Qualifications
#1: Verify That Your Home is Eligible
This is a required step in the FORTIFIED program. Not all homes are eligible for FORTIFIED designation. Please read the Eligibility Checklist before moving forward. This is a guide to identify potential FORTIFIED compliance issues early in the process, so all parties (client, contractor, evaluator, and engineer) can make informed decisions. This is not an all-encompassing list or a guarantee that a home will receive a FORTIFIED designation. There may be site conditions not listed here that impact a home’s FORTIFIED eligibility or compliance.
#2: Hire a Certified FORTIFIED Evaluator.
If you are seeking a FORTIFIED designation certificate, which is generally required for insurance discounts and/or tax incentives, you must work with a Certified FORTIFIED Evaluator. This independent third party inspector will verify that the requirements of this checklist have been met and will submit the required documentation to IBHS. You will pay this person separately from your roofing contractor and their services are not eligible for any grant proceeds you choose to seek. Refer to the Evaluator Checklist for a complete list of the Documentation Requirements.
#3: Contact Whirlwind Roofing
After your home is verified and you have hired a third party evaluator, contact our owner Dave Laizure for a comprehensive bid.
"Strengthen Oklahoma Homes Act" Consumer Grant Program (2025)
FORTIFIED Articles & Press Releases
The Strengthen Oklahoma Homes Act grant program officially launched, March 3rd, 2025.
The grant will cover up to $10,000 in costs for a FORTIFIED™ roof upgrade and will be paid directly to the contractor upon completion of the project and submission of required paperwork, including the FORTIFIED™ certificate from IBHS.
OK Ready will be approving 1,000 grants in 2025, starting with a test pilot program of 100 grants in limited zip codes. Each quarter, new zip codes will be released.
Zip codes now available for grant applications:
- 73049 – Jones
- 73051 – Lexington/Slaughterville
- 73065 – Newcastle
- 73069 – Norman
- 73111 – East OKC
- 73127 – West OKC
- 73129 – Southeast OKC
- 73135 – Southeast OKC/I-240
The grant program was developed to assist homeowners in reinforcing their roofs with impact-resistant materials that meet FORTIFIED standards set by the IBHS. Additionally, many insurance companies offer reduced premiums for homes with such modifications.
Eligibility Requirements:
To apply for the grant, homeowners will need to complete an electronic application and provide all necessary documentation.
•The home must be a single-family, primary residence that is owned and occupied by the applicant.
•The home must be in good repair unless damaged by a tornado, catastrophic windstorm, or hail. Good repair means the home is well maintained, and the only damage if any, is recent storm related damage.
•Applicants must submit a copy of their Homestead Exemption in PDF format in the electronic application. Homeowners who do not have an exemption should apply through their County Assessor’s office. To qualify for Homestead Exemption the property must be owned and occupied as of January 1st. If you file after the assessor’s deadline for 2025, your exemption will not apply until the following tax year.
•Proof of an in-force homeowners insurance policy is required in PDF format in the electronic application. Homes in flood zones must also provide proof of flood insurance. Visit here to determine if your property is in a floodplain.
•Homeowner’s must submit a PDF copy of their previous year’s Tax Return Form 1040 in the electronic application.
•Homeowner’s must submit a PDF copy of their previous year’s Tax Return Form 1040 in the electronic application.
•Homeowners must provide their Social Security Number.
•If you hold the Power of Attorney for an applicant with the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes program, you must submit a PDF copy of the Power of Attorney to the Oklahoma Insurance Department before any staff member will discuss grant details for the applicant.
Income Tiers:
To prioritize assistance for lower-income households, the program will use two income tiers which have been determined using the median income in Oklahoma (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023). Applicants will be categorized using the homeowner’s annual household income provided on their previous year’s Tax Return Form 1040.
•Income Tier 1 will be households with an income of $62,138 or less.
•Income Tier 2 will be households with an income above $62,138.
Applications will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis within each income tier, with a priority given to lower income applicants and applicants who live in locations, that based on historical data, have a higher susceptibility to catastrophic weather events.
You can Apply here.
Next Steps:
To obtain a FORTIFIED™ Designation certificate, your property must first receive an evaluation from a Certified FORTIFIED™ Evaluator who is approved by the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes program.
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 approved 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 the chosen contractor to document the work and materials meet the FORTIFIED standard and submit the documentation to IBHS for review and certification.
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.
Payment up to $10,000 will be issued by the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes program on your behalf directly to the contractor only after you satisfy all the requirements for the grant.
Resources such as a list of FAQ’s and a Homeowner’s checklist and instruction document are available at the OK Ready website.
Funding for the program comes from the insurance industry in Oklahoma and is not funded from the state’s general budget.
March 3rd: Strengthen Oklahoma Homes Act grant program launches.
Feb 2025: Whirlwind Roofing and Construction receives Strengthen Oklahoma Homes grant program approval.
Jan 2025: OK Ready Homeowners Checklist and Instructions
November 15, 2024: Garage Door Requirements for FORTIFIED High Winds Designation
October 21, 2024: Dog Doors in FORTIFIED Homes
June 26, 2024: Strengthen Oklahoma Homes Program: What You Need to Know
May 26, 2024: FORTIFIED Guidance on Leaf Guards and Gutters
May 13, 2024: Governor Signs Strengthen Oklahoma Homes Act Into Law
March 14, 2024: Strengthen Oklahoma Homes Act: Making Your Home Resilient While Saving You Money
FORTIFIED Cost Analysis – HUD 2022 A Cost-Benefit Analysis of FORTIFIED Home Designation in Oklahoma by the University of Oklahoma
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The additional building materials, third-party inspections, and labor required to upgrade to a FORTIFIED roof is more expensive than a traditional roof system. Pricing depends on available material costs, size if your roof, and complexity of the project.
Third-party verification by a FORTIFIED Evaluator is required to make certain the upgraded construction materials and installation methods used on your home meet the standards required for a FORTIFIED designation certificate. This is a service the homeowner pays for separately from the roofing contractor. A list of evaluators can be found at https://fortifiedproviders.com/
No. Your roof will need to be re-inspected every 5 years to maintain its FORTIFIED certification. Also, if your home has been modified in the past 5 years―perhaps you enclosed an attached porch, added a new bedroom, or even had a doggie door installed―the evaluator will work with you to determine whether your home still meets the FORTIFIED standards. Typically, this will involve discussing the changes with the contractor who made them and documenting the building materials and construction techniques used. Each situation is unique, and a certified evaluator will be able to provide an assessment specific to your home.
As of Jan 1, 2025, for all FORTIFIED Home designations, roofs must be installed by certified FORTIFIED Roofing Contractors.
No. While lab and real-world experience has proven FORTIFIED to be remarkably effective at limiting storm damage, we do expect some FORTIFIED homes to experience damage during extreme weather. Some elements of a home (like siding) are not addressed by the standards and may be damaged. Other components, even ones included in the standards, can be affected by age, climate and maintenance, and some simply have limitations that prevent 100% protection on 100% of the homes where they are installed. Understanding that even a well-built home may suffer damage is key to FORTIFIED’s success. Its multiple layers of defenses significantly reduce the chances of a cascade of damage.
Yes, the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes Act (SOH) will be providing a limited amount of grants to Oklahoma residents for residential wind and hail mitigation on new and existing, owner-occupied, primary residence single-family homes beginning in 2025. Funding for this program comes from the insurance industry in Oklahoma and is not funded from the state’s general budget. To receive this grant, you must obtain an IBHS FORTIFIED Home – Roof™ – High Wind designation with the Hail Supplement. Visit the OKReady website for the latest grant information.
No, the SOH grant money cannot be used to pay your insurance deductible. It also cannot be used to pay your Evaluator.
Only Strengthen Oklahoma Homes (SOH) approved roofing contractors may be used. You will select three contractors from a list of SOH qualified and trained contractors to provide bids to the grant program. Whirlwind Roofing and Construction has been an approved roofing contractor since day one.