Here’s an opportunity to get a grant for a new, stronger roof

$20 Million in Grants to Protect Coastal Homes – Coastal NCIUA policyholders can now get up to $10,000 to install IBHS-certified fortified roofs, proven to cut storm damage by more than a third and lower insurance costs. Funding is limited and first-come, first-served. Details at StrengthenYourCoastalRoof.com.

Author: Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey

I recently joined Sunset Beach Mayor Shannon Phillips and N.C. Insurance Underwriting Association (NCIUA) CEO Gina Hardy in announcing a grant program that could save many coastal residents’ homes and money when they face severe weather from hurricanes and other strong storms. (Watch Facebook Live)

A $20 million grant initiative through the 2025 Strengthen Your Coastal Roof program provides grants of up to $6,000 in coastal areas and up to $10,000 (through another program) along the Outer Banks and barrier islands for eligible policyholders with the NCIUA, often called the Beach Plan. The grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The money can be used for policyholders who put fortified roofs, which meet certain standards, on their homes.

Each installation is independently verified by a third party to make sure the new roofs meet standards set by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS). Installing an IBHS fortified roof not only strengthens your home against severe weather but also provides Beach Plan policyholders with valuable insurance credits that reduce their premiums.

The IBHS Research Center, located in Chester County, South Carolina, allows researchers to test residential and commercial construction materials under realistic re-creations of severe weather hazards.

Research from the Institute for Advanced Analytics at N.C. State University shows that homes with a fortified roof had about 35% fewer claims after Hurricanes Matthew, Florence, Dorian and Isaias compared to standard roofs. When claims were filed, the damage was about 23% less severe.

Additional research found a 63% reduction in claims from non-named storms among homes with fortified roofs compared to homes with standard roofs.

Eligible policyholders in the following counties are encouraged to apply promptly to reserve funding: Brunswick, Carteret, New Hanover, Onslow, Beaufort, Camden, Chowan, Craven, Jones, Pender, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrell, Washington, Currituck, Dare, Hyde and Pamlico.

You may obtain more information in the following ways:

Other policyholders living in beach and coastal territories may also be eligible for wind mitigation credits by installing fortified roofs.

Even if you don’t live or own a home along the beaches or coast in North Carolina, you may want to consider strengthening your home’s resiliency with a fortified roof. While a fortified roof may cost more than a standard roof, your investment could pay off the next time a severe storm sweeps through North Carolina.

If anybody has insurance questions, contact the Department of Insurance or me at 855-408-1212. You may also find us online at www.ncdoi.gov.