Colorado insurance guide · Updated Oct 21, 2026
Colorado’s FORTIFIED roof lawWhat it means for your insurance and your roof.
Hail drives about half of what Front Range homeowners pay for insurance. A 2026 law, SB 26-155, sets up state grants for hail- and wind-resistant roofs and makes insurers report the discounts they give. Here’s what changed, what’s still unknown, and what to do if you’re re-roofing now.
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What changed in 2026
Colorado will pay to harden roofs. Just not yet.
SB 26-155 was signed on June 4, 2026 and took effect August 12, 2026. It creates the Strengthen Colorado Homes Enterprise inside the Colorado Division of Insurance. Colorado General Assembly: SB 26-155
- Grants for resilient roofs. The program will give homeowners grants to retrofit their homes with roofs that resist hail and wind. At least 85% of the money must go to those grants. Bill summary
- Paid for by insurers. Starting in 2027, insurers pay a yearly fee of 0.5% of their Colorado homeowners premiums. The law says insurers can’t add that fee to your bill. The state’s fiscal note estimates about $29.9 million for grants in the first year. Fiscal note
- “Resilient roof” means FORTIFIED or similar. The law defines it as a roof with a verified wind and hail certification from the IBHS FORTIFIED program, or a similar science-based certification the board approves. Signed act
- Insurers have to show their discounts. No sooner than January 1, 2027, insurers must file a yearly report with the state on how many homes have a resilient roof, the discount those homes get, and hail and wind claims with and without one. Signed act, C.R.S. 10-4-405(1.2)
What’s not decided yet: grant amounts, who exactly qualifies, which contractors can take part, and when applications open. The board was appointed September 11, 2026 and is holding its first rulemaking hearing on December 10, 2026. Colorado DOI: Strengthen Colorado Homes Enterprise
Replacing your roof soon?
Ask before you pick shingles.
We’ll walk your roof, show you what it’s rated for today, and explain what a Class 4 or FORTIFIED-style upgrade involves, so you can ask your agent the right questions.
Free · No obligation · Nothing is reported to your insurer
Why the state cares
Hail is the biggest piece of your premium.
The Colorado Division of Insurance asked 20 homeowners insurers, covering 80% of the market, to break down their prices in 11 counties. It found hail accounts for an average 26% to 54% of the homeowners premium, depending on the county, and about 50% along the Front Range and Eastern Plains. Colorado DOI
In Denver County, the Division estimated $1,547 of an average $3,040 premium goes to hail. It also estimated hail mitigation, meaning fortified roofs, could save homeowners an average of $82 to $387 a year across the counties it studied. Colorado DOI hail one-pager
That’s the whole idea behind the new law: fewer hail-damaged roofs should mean fewer claims, and the state wants insurers to pass savings back to homeowners.
FORTIFIED vs. Class 4
A Class 4 shingle is a product. FORTIFIED is the whole roof.
Class 4 is the top impact rating for a roofing product. It’s about the shingle or panel itself.
FORTIFIED Roof is a standard from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). It covers how the whole roof is built. IBHS: FORTIFIED Roof
- Sealed roof deck, so water stays out if shingles blow off.
- Ring-shank nails in a tighter pattern to hold the deck down in high wind.
- Locked-down edges: wider drip edge and a fully adhered starter strip.
- Wind- and rain-resistant attic vents.
- A tested roof cover. For the optional hail supplement, shingles must be rated Good or Excellent in IBHS’s hail impact ratings; metal, tile and low-slope need a Class 4 impact rating.
An independent FORTIFIED evaluator documents the work before IBHS issues a designation. Since November 1, 2025, IBHS requires the roof to be installed by a certified FORTIFIED Roofing Company. IBHS contractor handbook
So does Class 4 alone count?
Not under the law’s definition. A Class 4 roof may still earn a discount from your carrier on its own, but Colorado’s grants are tied to a FORTIFIED or similar certification. The board will decide the final standard.
Who may qualify
What the law already says about grants.
The board will write the final rules. The law already sets these basics: Signed act, C.R.S. 10-4-2004
- The home is a Colorado residence covered by a homeowners policy.
- You pull the required permits, meet building codes, and arrange the required inspections.
- The roof meets the resilient-roof standard.
- You use a contractor that belongs to a roofing professional association, attests it doesn’t waive deductibles, agrees to repair rather than replace when appropriate, and meets any other board rules.
- Primary residences get priority. The board will also weigh income, roof age, home size, past severe-weather exposure, local hail-resistant codes, and how many people apply.
- Grants can’t pay for general maintenance. They can be used with repairs after wind or hail damage, or for a proactive upgrade.
What to do now
If your roof needs work this year, don’t wait on a grant that has no date yet. Document your roof, keep every permit and invoice, and ask your agent what your carrier gives for impact-resistant roofs today. We’ll update this page when the board publishes its rules.
Getting a discount
Three questions for your insurance agent.
“What do I get for Class 4?”
Ask if your carrier gives a discount for an impact-resistant roof, how much, and what proof it wants (product labels, invoice, permit).
“What about FORTIFIED?”
Ask if it gives anything extra for a FORTIFIED designation. Starting in 2027, insurers have to report these discounts to the state.
“Does a new roof change my deductible?”
Ask whether a new roof changes your wind/hail deductible or how roof claims are paid on your policy.
Discounts and grants are set by your insurer and the state, not by a contractor. No roofer can promise you one.
How Homey helps
Straight answers about your roof. Before you spend a dollar.
Free roof check
We inspect the roof with detailed close-up photos and tell you what’s up there now: age, damage, and how it’s rated.
Storm damage first
If there’s real hail or wind damage, we document it so you can decide whether a claim makes sense. You file the claim; we help you through it.
Upgrade options, explained
We walk you through Class 4 options and what a FORTIFIED-style build adds, with the cost difference spelled out, so you can talk to your agent.
Paperwork kept
Permits, invoices and product details in one place, so you have what an insurer or a future grant program may ask for.
Colorado law bars roofers from paying, waiving or rebating your deductible (C.R.S. 6-22-105). Grant contractors must attest to the same.
FORTIFIED roof FAQ
Questions homeowners ask about the new law.
Call or text (720) 948-5726, Mon–Sat 9–7.
Related pages:
Can I get a Colorado FORTIFIED roof grant right now?
Not yet. SB 26-155 became law in 2026 and the Strengthen Colorado Homes Enterprise board is still writing the rules. The insurer fee that pays for grants starts in 2027, and the board will set who qualifies, how much a grant is, and when it is paid. Be wary of anyone promising a grant or a free roof today.
Is a Class 4 shingle the same as a FORTIFIED roof?
No. Class 4 is an impact rating for the roofing product. FORTIFIED is a whole-roof standard from IBHS: a sealed roof deck, ring-shank nails in a tighter pattern, locked-down edges, rated vents and a tested roof cover, checked by an independent FORTIFIED evaluator. Colorado's law defines a resilient roof as one with a verified FORTIFIED wind and hail certification or a similar certification the board approves.
Will a FORTIFIED or Class 4 roof lower my insurance?
It may, but no one can promise a number. The Colorado Division of Insurance estimates hail mitigation could save homeowners an average of $82 to $387 a year across the counties it studied. Starting no sooner than 2027, insurers must report to the state the discount they give homes with a resilient roof. Ask your agent what your carrier gives before you choose a roof.
How much of my Colorado homeowners premium is for hail?
The Colorado Division of Insurance found hail makes up an average 26% to 54% of the homeowners premium depending on the county, and about 50% along the Front Range and Eastern Plains. In Denver County it estimated $1,547 of an average $3,040 premium goes to hail.
Sources: Colorado General Assembly: SB 26-155 · SB 26-155 signed act text · SB 26-155 final fiscal note · Colorado DOI: Strengthen Colorado Homes Enterprise · Colorado DOI hail premium data release · Colorado DOI hail one-pager · IBHS: FORTIFIED Roof · IBHS FORTIFIED Roofing Contractor Handbook · C.R.S. 6-22-105. Written by Jeff Kish, founder of Homey Roofing and Restoration (in roofing since 2009). Reviewed by Allie Whitworth, Homey sales & operations and licensed Colorado REALTOR® with RE/MAX Professionals. Last reviewed Oct 21, 2026. General information, not legal or insurance advice; your policy and the board’s final rules control.