Replacing 

Your Roof

Situated in coastal North Carolina, Down East experiences many impacts from strong winds and storms. High winds during these events can tear off shingles—or even entire roofs—leaving homes exposed to water damage and other costly impacts.

A strong, well-maintained roof is one of the best ways to protect your home. Several programs are available to help homeowners with roof repairs and upgrades. This page covers the Strengthen Your Roof Program.

STRENGTHEN YOUR ROOF PILOT PROGRAM

  • What is the Strengthen Your Roof program? A pilot program that helps homeowners replace their roof with a FORTIFIED Roof.

  • What is a FORTIFIED Roof? FORTIFIED Roofs are designed to better withstand high winds, hail, and hurricanes. They have stronger edges to resist wind uplift, a sealed roof deck to reduce water intrusion, and ring-shank nails that provide greater holding power to keep the roof deck securely attached during extreme winds.

  • How much assistance is available? The program offers grants of up to $10,000.

  • Who administers this program? The North Carolina Insurance Underwriters Association (NCIUA)

  • Who is eligible?

    • You must have a current (effective on or before April 15, 2025) NCIUA policy for Homeowners, Homeowners Windstorm or Hail, Dwelling, Dwelling Windstorm or Hail.

    • Your property must be located in rating territories 110 or 120, which include parts of the Outer Banks and Barrier Islands.

Strengthen Your Roof

Application and Construction Process

  • Visit www.strengthenyourroof.com and click “Check Initial Eligibility and Start an Application Now.”

    Or call 1-844-NCROOFS (844-627-6637) to speak with the grant team.

  • Submit a grant application through the Strengthen Your Roof website (requires creating an online account on the website).

    The application requires at least four photographs showing the front, back, left, and right sides of the home. 

  • The NCIUA Grant Team reviews applications for initial eligibility. IBHS then verifies whether the property qualifies for a FORTIFIED Roof.

    Additional documentation or photos may be requested during this phase.

  • Policyholders with approved applications request bids from contractors via the Strengthen Your Roof dashboard.

    Bids may be submitted by contractors from the program’s approved list, or by other contractors upon request and approval.

    Contractors upload bid sheets through the dashboard.

    The applicant selects a contractor to move forward and coordinates with the NCIUA Grant Team.

  • A certified FORTIFIED Evaluator conducts inspections before, during, and after the roofing project

    Evaluations confirm that materials and construction meet IBHS FORTIFIED Roof standards.

  • Upon completion of the roof, the Evaluator submits documentation to IBHS.

    Once the FORTIFIED Roof designation certificate is issued and uploaded to the dashboard:

    • The contractor submits the final invoice to the dashboard.

    • The policyholder submits a W-9 form to process the grant payment from NCIUA.