North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey joined Sunset Beach Mayor Shannon Phillips and Gina Hardy, Chief Executive Officer of the North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association (NCIUA), to announce a $20 million grant initiative through the 2025 Strengthen Your Coastal Roof program. The announcement took place Thursday morning at a Sunset Beach home equipped with a FORTIFIED Roof, a national standard in resilient roofing developed by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS).
The Strengthen Your Coastal Roof program provides $6,000 grants to eligible NCIUA policyholders to upgrade their homes with an IBHS FORTIFIED Roof. These roofs feature enhanced wind and water protections such as stronger roof deck attachment, sealed roof decks, and locked down edges. Each installation is independently verified by a third party to ensure the upgrades meet IBHS standards.
Commissioner Causey emphasized the financial and structural benefits of FORTIFIED Roofs. “Installing an IBHS FORTIFIED Roof not only strengthens your home against severe weather but also provides policyholders with valuable insurance credits that reduce their premiums,” said Causey. “Research from the Institute for Advanced Analytics at North Carolina State University shows that homes with a FORTIFIED Roof had about 35 percent fewer claims after Hurricanes Matthew, Florence, Dorian, and Isaias. When claims were filed, the damage was about 23 percent less severe.”
Additional research from the Institute for Advanced Analytics also found a 63 percent reduction in claims from non-named storms among homes with FORTIFIED Roofs compared to homes with standard roofs.
Gina Hardy emphasized NCIUA’s commitment to building coastal resilience across North Carolina. “We are committed to strengthening our coast and creating a Stronger Storm-Ready North Carolina,” said Hardy. “In May, we launched the Strengthen Your Roof program, which invested $20 million in grants to policyholders in the Outer Banks and Barrier Islands. Now, we are expanding that commitment with the Strengthen Your Coastal Roof program, adding another $20 million in funding to the remaining 18 coastal counties we serve.”
In addition to the two grant programs, NCIUA offers the Stronger Roof Endorsement at no cost to all policyholders. This endorsement provides up to $5,000 in additional coverage for FORTIFIED Roof upgrades when a roof is replaced due to damage from a covered claim.
Grants will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. 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.
With the combined impact of the Strengthen Your Roof and Strengthen Your Coastal Roof programs, along with the Stronger Roof Endorsement, NCIUA has already assisted more than 18,000 policyholders in obtaining an IBHS FORTIFIED Roof since adopting the standard in 2016. These efforts represent more than $120 million invested in building stronger, safer homes across the coast.
For more information and to apply for a grant:
• Visit: StrengthenYourCoastalRoof.com
• Call: 1-877-GRANTNC (877-472-6862)
• Email: NCRoofs@nciua.com
About NCIUA—Strengthen Your Coastal Roof
The Strengthen Your Coastal Roof grant program is designed to improve the resiliency and weather-resistance of properties insured by NCIUA. The 2025 Strengthen Your Coastal Roof grant program provides $6,000 grants to NCIUA policyholders to install an IBHS FORTIFIED Roof. Please visit https://strengthenyourcoastalroof.com/ for more information.