State Wind, Hail, and Wildfire Fortification Grants

What These Programs Actually Pay For

Most wind and hail programs use the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety standard called FORTIFIED Home. A FORTIFIED Roof normally includes stronger roof edges, better deck attachment, a sealed roof deck, and materials suited to the local wind or hail risk. A certified evaluator documents the work before, during, and after construction.

A FORTIFIED designation is not permanent. The certificate normally lasts five years, and a certified evaluator must inspect the home again for renewal. Ask who will pay the future renewal fee. Also ask your insurance agent what proof is needed for any premium credit. A stronger roof may qualify for a discount, but a grant does not guarantee lower insurance costs.

Wildfire programs work differently. They may pay for ember-resistant vents, ignition-resistant siding, enclosed eaves, tempered windows, deck changes, defensible space, or vegetation work. The approved scope comes from a property assessment. The homeowner may not be allowed to substitute unrelated repairs.

Programs Accepting Applications or Live Eligibility Checks

Florida: My Safe Florida Home

Type of help: State hurricane-mitigation grant and free wind inspection. The My Safe Florida Home program is accepting applications through a priority system. Homeowners first create an account and complete the prioritization questionnaire.

Matching grants reimburse $2 for every $1 the homeowner pays, up to a $10,000 state contribution. That means a $15,000 eligible project could produce the full $10,000 reimbursement after the homeowner pays the contractor. A qualifying low-income homeowner may receive up to $10,000 without a match or paid-in-full invoice.

The home generally must be owner-occupied, site-built, covered by a homestead exemption, and a qualifying single-family home or townhouse. For the grant phase, an initial program inspection is required, the initial building permit must predate January 1, 2008, and insured value is generally capped at $700,000. Low-income applicants are exempt from the insured-value cap. Eligible work must be recommended in the inspection report.

Reality check: Do not start before grant approval. Matching-grant participants must usually finance the work first and request reimbursement. Call 561-640-6734 if the portal status is unclear.

Alabama: Strengthen Alabama Homes

Type of help: Insurance-industry-funded state grant. Strengthen Alabama Homes pays 100% of approved mitigation construction costs up to $10,000. Payment goes to the contractor after the home receives its FORTIFIED certificate.

The program serves selected counties and funding windows. The official page says funds remain available, but its most visible county notice still names Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, and Escambia, along with the long-running Mobile and Baldwin service area. Check the current award schedule before preparing an application.

Applicants must own and occupy an eligible single-family primary residence, keep wind insurance, carry flood insurance in a Special Flood Hazard Area, and have a home in good repair. Rentals, townhomes, condominiums, mobile homes, and homes listed for sale are excluded. The homeowner pays the evaluator fee and any project amount above $10,000.

Application: Create a profile, submit the application, and upload income verification, insurance declarations, and the vendor disclosure form within the program deadline. Call 1-800-433-3966 or email SAH@insurance.alabama.gov for current county availability.

Oklahoma: Strengthen Oklahoma Homes

Type of help: Insurance-industry-funded state grant of up to $10,000 for a FORTIFIED Roof with the High Wind and Hail designation. The OKReady portal announced its third 2026 statewide launch for July 13. Grants are first-come, first-served as funding allows, so the page may stop accepting applications without much notice.

The home must be an owner-occupied Oklahoma primary residence with a homestead exemption, wind insurance, and flood insurance if it is in a Special Flood Hazard Area. Condominiums, duplexes, mobile homes, and manufactured homes are excluded. The state lists two income tiers, with Tier 1 at household income of $62,138 or less and Tier 2 above that amount. Lower-income applicants receive priority within the program process.

The homeowner pays the approved evaluator. The grant pays the approved contractor after completion and certification. It does not pay an insurance deductible, although it may be used with an insurance claim for the added cost of a FORTIFIED upgrade.

Reality check: The state page still describes the July 13 launch rather than confirming remaining capacity. Use the application button as the live status check or email okready@oid.ok.gov before paying anyone.

Kentucky: Strengthen Kentucky Homes

Type of help: State grant of up to $10,000 for a FORTIFIED Roof. Kentucky announced in March 2026 that Strengthen Kentucky Homes is open and taking homeowner applications. Applications are online only.

The applicant must own the property and be a Kentucky resident. The home must be an insurable, owner-occupied primary residence and an eligible single-family home, duplex, or townhome. Modular homes may qualify, but mobile homes and condominiums do not. A program evaluator must find the property suitable for mitigation.

The homeowner pays the evaluator fee. Grant money is limited to construction and is paid to the approved contractor. The homeowner pays any cost above the award. Awards are made in approval order within state regions while funds remain.

Important: Wait for approval before contacting an evaluator or contractor through the program process. Questions can be sent to skh.doi@ky.gov.

North Carolina: NCIUA Coastal Roof Grants

Type of help: Grants for eligible North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association policyholders. These are not general grants for every North Carolina homeowner.

The Strengthen Your Roof program offers up to $10,000 for qualifying NCIUA properties in Outer Banks and barrier-island rating territories 110 and 120. The Coastal Roof program offers up to $6,000 for eligible NCIUA properties in the other covered coastal territories. Both use a policy-number eligibility check and reserve limited funds first-come, first-served.

Applicants submit at least four exterior photos. After approval, they use participating certified professionals and have 18 months to complete the FORTIFIED roof. Payment comes after the designation certificate, final contractor invoice, and Form W-9 are submitted. NCIUA states that the grant is currently treated as taxable income.

Contacts: Outer Banks applicants can call 844-627-6637. Other coastal applicants can call 877-472-6862. Both programs use NCRoofs@nciua.com.

California: Wildfire Mitigation Program

Type of help: State and local financial assistance with assessed wildfire hardening and defensible-space work. The CWMP homeowner page is not a statewide cash-grant application. A property must be inside a current project area.

As checked July 28, 2026, applications were open in Weber Creek in El Dorado County, Kelseyville Riviera in Lake County, West Mount Shasta in Siskiyou County, and Mira Monte, Ponderosa Hills, and Sunrise in Tuolumne County. The San Diego areas of Campo, Dulzura, and Potrero and the Shasta County areas of Lakehead, Oak Run, and Whitmore were not accepting applications.

The legal owner must apply, permit a home assessment, and sign a right-of-entry agreement. A primary-residence rule is not required, and manufactured or mobile homes may apply. The program creates the scope after assessing the structure and about 100 feet around it. Participation does not guarantee that every suggested measure will be funded or that the home will survive a wildfire.

Application proof: Prepare government photo identification plus a deed, title, property-tax bill, or mortgage statement. A landlord must also provide proof of tenancy if the home is rented. Contact the listed local partner instead of a contractor who claims to control admission.

Mississippi: Strengthen Mississippi Homes

Type of help: State wind-and-hail mitigation grant of up to $10,000, paid directly to the contractor. The official Mississippi page currently has interest forms only for Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association policyholders in Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties.

The current limited group must have an active Wind Pool policy and must have been insured through the Wind Pool for three consecutive policy years. An interest form is not an award. Program staff verify the information and contact selected homeowners with next steps.

For the broader program, an applicant must own and occupy a single-family primary residence. Townhomes, rentals, condominiums, and mobile homes are excluded. The home must be in good repair, have homeowners and wind insurance, and carry flood insurance when located in a Special Flood Hazard Area. Coastal-county building-code conditions also apply.

The homeowner pays the evaluator fee and costs above $10,000. Do not hire an evaluator until the program tells you to move forward. Questions can be emailed to SMH@mid.ms.gov.

Programs Closed or Preparing a New Round

Louisiana Fortify Homes Program

Type of help: State grant up to $10,000 for FORTIFIED Roof construction. The Louisiana program says lottery registration is closed and future rounds will be announced.

Create a profile now and subscribe for notices. When a lottery opens, applicants generally upload homestead-exemption proof, a declarations page showing wind coverage, and flood-insurance proof when required. Selection is random during lottery rounds, so applying on the first day does not improve the odds.

Only a primary residence can qualify. New construction, condominiums, and mobile homes are excluded. The homeowner pays evaluator fees, permits, inspections, and construction above the grant. The grant is paid directly to the contractor after certification. Call the Louisiana Department of Insurance at 1-800-259-5300.

South Carolina Safe Home

Type of help: State matching or nonmatching mitigation grant for qualifying coastal homeowners. The SC Safe Home page says applications are currently closed.

Current award limits depend on project type and household income. Resilient roof mitigation can receive up to $7,500 as a nonmatching grant or $6,000 as a matching grant. Other roof or opening-protection awards range from $3,000 to $5,000 for nonmatching help and $3,000 to $4,000 for matching help.

The home must be an owner-occupied, freestanding single-family primary residence in an eligible coastal county, with active homeowners insurance and no prior used Safe Home award. Applicants should prepare a recent federal tax return, insurance declarations, and county property-tax assessment. Call 803-737-6087 or email scsafehome@doi.sc.gov to join reopening alerts.

Maine: Fortify Maine Homes

Type of help: Planned state roof-resiliency grant. The Maine Bureau of Insurance said on July 16, 2026 that administrative delays will keep the program closed until the 2027 construction season.

Planned standard grants are up to $10,000. Enhanced grants are up to $15,000 for homeowners enrolled in SNAP or MaineCare. The home must be the Maine resident’s primary residence, carry homeowners insurance, and carry flood insurance in a floodplain. Camps, seasonal homes, condominiums, and rentals are excluded.

Minnesota: Strengthen Minnesota Homes

Type of help: Planned state grant for FORTIFIED roofs. The Minnesota Department of Commerce says the program is not accepting applications and is building its contractor and evaluator network for an early 2027 launch.

The projected award is $10,000 to $15,000 and may not cover the full roof cost. The current pilot description names owner-occupied one- or two-family homes in Crow Wing, Hennepin, Morrison, and Todd counties. The home must have an eligible roof and foundation and cannot be in structural disrepair.

Reality check: Minnesota does not allow retroactive applications. Do not replace the roof now expecting a 2027 reimbursement.

How to Apply Without Losing Eligibility

What You May Still Have to Pay

A $10,000 grant does not mean a free roof. Ask for a written estimate that separates the ordinary roof replacement from the added mitigation work. Depending on the program, the homeowner may pay:

• the entire matching share or the full bill before reimbursement;
• FORTIFIED evaluator and future redesignation fees;
• permits, engineering, code upgrades, inspections, and disposal;
• rotten decking, framing, pest damage, solar-panel removal, gutters, or interior repairs;
• all construction above the grant maximum;
• tax on a grant that the program reports as income; or
• temporary protection while waiting for approval.

Never borrow against the house without knowing the interest rate, payment, fees, lien terms, and total repayment. A contractor-arranged loan is not part of the grant unless the official award documents clearly say so. Read our guide to repair loans and scams before signing financing.

If No State Grant Is Open

Ask about an insurance endorsement. Some insurers offer added coverage that pays the extra cost of a FORTIFIED roof when a covered claim requires roof replacement. This is insurance coverage, not a grant, and it must usually be on the policy before the loss.

Check city and county repair programs. Local housing offices may fund an unsafe roof, structural repair, or code problem even when they do not pay for a resilience upgrade. Use our guide to find local programs.

Check rural help. The federal USDA Section 504 program may offer a loan or, for some very-low-income homeowners age 62 or older, a grant to remove health and safety hazards in an eligible rural home. It is not a FORTIFIED grant and the loan must be repaid. See our Section 504 guide.

After a declared disaster, use disaster channels. File the insurance claim, document emergency work, and check whether federal Individual Assistance is available. FEMA aid is for eligible uninsured or underinsured necessary expenses after a qualifying declaration, not pre-disaster fortification. Read our FEMA repair guide.

Get neutral help before financing. A HUD housing counselor can discuss home-improvement financing, disaster recovery, budget issues, and predatory lending. Call 800-569-4287.

Scams and Contractor Pressure

• Start from the official agency page, not an ad or text message.
• Confirm the contractor on the program list and the state license system.
• Do not sign a blank contract, assignment of benefits, power of attorney, or financing form.
• Do not pay the full project price before required inspections and milestones.
• Make sure the written contract names the FORTIFIED or wildfire standard and the exact eligible scope.
• Report fake program pages to the state insurance or emergency-management agency.

Use our checklist to verify a repair program before sharing sensitive information.

A Simple Action Plan

1. Find your state in the status table and open the official page.
2. Write down the program type, live status, maximum award, and your likely out-of-pocket costs.
3. Gather ownership, homestead, insurance, flood, income, and roof photos.
4. Ask your insurer about claims, endorsements, discounts, and duplicate-payment rules.
5. Apply or subscribe through the official portal.
6. Do not hire or pay anyone until the program gives the required approval.
7. If the program is closed, apply for ordinary repair help instead of waiting with an unsafe roof.