A red state pioneers paying for roof upgrades as storms boost insurance costs

When Hurricane Sally struck coastal Alabama in 2020, many residents saw the roofs torn from their homes or damaged by the high winds.

But not Matt Fetner.

“Every house around had blue tarps on it, except for mine,” said the resident of Orange Beach, a small city on the Gulf Coast.

Just a few years before, Fetner had upgraded his roof with materials designed to withstand hurricane-force winds. The new roof met a standard known as Fortified by using specialized nails and shingles, stronger edges and a sealed roof deck.

Fetner’s roof was paid for by the state of Alabama, which has spent millions of dollars in recent years to help thousands of residents strengthen their homes. The state has invested that money in hopes of staving off a home insurance crisis, as property insurers have pulled out of some regions of the country or dramatically raised premiums in the wake of escalating disasters driven by climate change.

The idea is simple: Homeowners with stronger roofs pay less for their insurance premiums. And over time, as thousands of homes become more resilient, insurance companies will have to pay out less for claims, making Alabama a more attractive place to do business.

“A lot of these insurance companies were not going into coastal areas, simply from a risk standpoint,” said Travis Taylor, acting director of the Strengthen Alabama Homes program, which is overseen by the state Department of Insurance. “But now as people have gotten Fortified roofs, the insurance companies are hounding them.”

Other states have taken notice. In recent years, lawmakers in at least five other states have established similar programs to pay for Fortified roofs. While those efforts are still in their early stages, leaders say they hope to replicate Alabama’s success.

Alabama’s grant program has helped more than 7,000 residents upgrade their roofs. Meanwhile, as participating roofers and contractors have gotten familiar with the standard, they’ve begun offering it as a part of their regular business. Of the 60,000 certified Fortified homes nationwide, 50,000 are in Alabama.

“Every year, the interest keeps growing,” said Brent Sellers, a contractor with Alliance Roofing, which operates in Alabama and Mississippi. “[Grant] program or not, people want Fortified roofs.”

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