Fortified roof grant program is proving effective in lowering homeowner insurance rates, audit finds
Blue tarps cover the roof of Paula Bermudez's storm-damaged house in Galliano on Oct. 5, 2021 — six weeks after Hurricane Ida. (Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator)
The state's grant program that helps homeowners pay for upgrades for a fortified roof is proving effective in lowering the cost of their homeowner's insurance, according to a review published Monday by the state auditor.
Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack reviewed the Fortify Homes Program, which offers $10,000 grants to homeowners who install hurricane-resistant roofs and found they directly reduced insurance costs at a median rate of 22%.
Homeowners who received fortified roof grants saved $1,250 on their insurance bill, lowering their annual premium from $5,625 to $4,375, according to the report.
The roof grants have mostly gone to middle-income households. The audit found very low-income households, with home values less than $90,000, are underrepresented in the program.
The state's grant program is in its third calendar year of existence and has awarded more than 1,800 roof grants since its first round of funding in October 2023.
A fortified roof, according to standards set by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), is built with improved materials and techniques that can stop leaks and withstand winds of up to 150 mph, lowering the risk of storm damage and typically leading to lower homeowner insurance rates.
Many more homeowners have opted to upgrade their roofs without grant money. As of Feb. 1, IBHS had issued 5,413 fortified certificates to property owners in Louisiana, according to the auditor's report.
The state awards grants of up to $10,000, meaning homeowners need to cover any costs that exceed that amount. They also might need to pay for some of the work upfront because the state issues the grant checks directly to the roofing contractors only after they complete the job.
The audit reviewed insurance rating data and surveyed homeowners who applied for the program, receiving a total of 694 unique responses out of 3,257 participants.
The calculations took into account the upfront costs that most homeowners have to provide in order to complete their roof installation. It found that the median total cost of a fortified roof upgrade was approximately $16,229 or $6,229 after accounting for the $10,000 grant.
With annual insurance premium savings of $1,250, a fortified roof upgrade with a 15-year lifespan would pay for itself in less than five years.
About 80% of a fortified roof price tag, or $12,981, is the baseline cost of replacing an existing roof to meet current building code standards. The remaining 20%, or $3,248, is the additional cost to upgrade it to fortified standards and pay for an evaluator to certify the roof.
'In South Louisiana, the benefits of retrofitting to the fortified roof standard generally exceed the costs,' the audit states.
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