If you own a home in Louisiana, the state may pay up to $10,000 toward upgrading your roof to the FORTIFIED standard through the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LFHP). A FORTIFIED roof is built to stay on in a hurricane — and once your home earns the designation, Louisiana requires insurers to discount the hurricane portion of your premium. Below is exactly how the grant works and how to apply.
What the grant covers
The grant provides up to $10,000 toward the construction cost — materials and labor to bring your roof up to the FORTIFIED standard. If your project costs more than $10,000, you cover the difference.
A few costs are not covered and come out of pocket: the FORTIFIED evaluator's inspection fee (usually a few hundred dollars), permit fees, and any engineering. Budget for those separately.
Who qualifies
- A Louisiana home that is your primary residence (has a homestead exemption)
- An active homeowner's insurance policy with wind coverage (and flood coverage where required)
- A roof in condition to be safely retrofitted
- No income limit — earnings are not a factor
The program generally does not cover:
- Condominiums and mobile/manufactured homes
- Rental properties and second homes
- Commercial buildings
- Work already funded by another state or federal program
How to apply, step by step
Register during an open round
The program opens in rounds, not year-round. When a round opens, register for the lottery at ldi.la.gov/fortifyhomes with proof of ownership, proof of insurance, and basic information.
Get selected in the lottery
Grants are awarded by random selection from the registered pool. For 2026–27 the state expanded funding to roughly $80 million — about 3,000 grants — so the odds are better than in past years.
Collect bids from approved contractors
Once selected, you gather bids from LFHP-approved roofing contractors (typically three). The contractor must be approved and in good standing with the program.
Hire a certified FORTIFIED evaluator
You choose and pay an independent, IBHS-certified FORTIFIED evaluator who inspects before and after the work. This is the inspector who issues your official designation.
Sign the grant agreement & build the roof
You sign the agreement, your contractor builds the roof to FORTIFIED spec, and the program pays the contractor directly when the work is verified complete.
Take your designation to your insurer
You receive a FORTIFIED designation (valid five years) and give it to your insurance company to apply the 16–49% discount on the hurricane portion of your premium.
Where Mid South fits in
Here's what matters most for a grant project: Mid South is an approved Louisiana Fortify Homes Program contractor — FORTIFIED-certified and a GAF Master Elite® roofer, based in Metairie. Because we're on the state's approved-contractor list, a homeowner who wins a grant can hire us directly, and the program pays us for your new FORTIFIED roof. We'll walk you through what your home needs, what it would cost, and how to be ready when a registration round opens.
Frequently asked questions
Official resources & where to apply
Apply and verify current details only through the official sources below. Bookmark this list — we keep it current.
- Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LA Dept. of Insurance) — the official program page. Register for a round and find the state-approved contractor list here.
- Smart Home America — Louisiana — the nonprofit that administers the FORTIFIED program; program updates and resources.
- IBHS FORTIFIED Home — the institute behind the FORTIFIED standard; exactly what the designation requires.
- Find a FORTIFIED evaluator — the provider locator for the independent evaluator the grant requires.
- Jefferson Parish Building Permits — roof permits for Metairie, Kenner & unincorporated Jefferson Parish.
- New Orleans Re-Roofing Permit — Orleans Parish now requires a permit to replace 50%+ of a roof.
- GAF — manufacturer warranty information for GAF roofing systems.
Apply only through the official state website, and always confirm the current application window and rules at ldi.la.gov/fortifyhomes.
This guide is general information, not legal, financial, or insurance advice. Program funding, application rounds, eligibility rules, and insurance-discount benchmarks are set by the State of Louisiana and individual insurers and can change at any time — always confirm the current details and application window at ldi.la.gov/fortifyhomes. Mid South Developers & Construction builds roofs to the FORTIFIED™ standard; the official designation is issued by an independent certified evaluator, and grant awards and contractor approvals are determined by the state.