IBHS Honors Industry Leaders Driving Record FORTIFIED Growth

Top providers recognized for production, performance, and pioneering advances in resilient building

NEW ORLEANS, June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) recognized the companies and organizations leading the growth of disaster-resistant construction during the 11th Annual FORTIFIED Awards. This year's awards highlight the expanding impact of the FORTIFIED program and the service providers helping more homeowners than ever build stronger, more resilient homes.

FORTIFIED is a voluntary construction and re-roofing program that strengthens the most vulnerable parts of a home against high winds, heavy rain, hurricanes, and severe storms. The program combines a research-based construction standard with third-party verification that the standard has been met and a network of certified professionals. More than 100,000 homes nationwide have now received a FORTIFIED designation, with strong adoption across the Southeast and along the Gulf Coast.

"For more than a decade, the FORTIFIED Awards have celebrated the people and companies turning resilience into reality," said Fred Malik, managing director of the FORTIFIED program at IBHS. "Every day, service providers are helping homeowners take meaningful steps to protect what matters most, and in doing so, they are strengthening entire communities."

Recognizing production, performance, and innovation

At the core of the awards are the FORTIFIED Volume Awards, which recognize certified contractors, evaluators, and professionals who helped at least 100 homeowners achieve a FORTIFIED designation in 2025. This year, 80 companies earned a Volume Award including:

Crown Volume Award (1,000 to 2,499 Designations)

• Bethel Engineering, Inc.
• D.R. Horton, Inc. – Baldwin County
• Fortified Inspections
• Knockout Home Inspections
• NC Fortified
• Pilot

Crystal Volume Award (500 to 999 Designations)

• Coastal Trim & Accessories
• Disaster Smart Consulting, Inc.
• HDMK Inspection Services – NOLA
• Integrity Building Companies, LLC.
• Projust Services
• Property Loss Consultants

Spotlight Volume Award for evaluators (100 to 499 Designations)

• 21st Century Home Inspections
• A-D's Metal Roofing Co.
• Accurate Property Inspections
• Adams Homes
• AES - Asset Evaluation Services, LLC
• Aiku Construction
• ALB Engineering and Adjusting
• Alliance Roofing & Construction
• AmeriSpec
• American Values Contracting, LLC
• Arcane Inspection Services
• Ben Murphy Company
• Bergens Roofing
• Burish Builders
• Coastal Design Group, LLC
• Coastal Roofing & Siding, Inc.
• Compass Inspection Services
• Complete Roofing
• D.G. Diaz Roofing Services, LLC
• D.R. Horton, Inc. – Mississippi
• D.R. Horton, Inc. – Mobile County
• Daniel Roofing Services, LLC
• Dat Jazz Services, LLC
• DSLD – Alabama
• Dynamic Group
• Flores & Foley Roofing + Sheet Metal
• Fortified Exteriors
• Fortified Gulf Coast
• Fortified Professional Services
• Fortitude Roofing
• Foster Contracting
• Gallop Roofing & Remodeling
• Garcia Roofing
• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Birmingham
• H&H Adjusters, Inc.
• Highlands Roofing
• High Tide Contracting and Roofing
• Hunt Riggs Roofing
• Impeccable Rooftops
• JDL Homebuilders, Inc.
• Lennar Homes
• Little Roofing and Construction, LLC
• Michael J Turner Home Inspections
• MOcean Contracting, Inc.
• Mueller Builders
• North Star Claims, LLC
• OBX Roof Monkeys
• Painting Perfection by Garcia
• Patterson Home and Construction
• Patriot Roofing & Exteriors
• Patriots Roofing
• Peak Evaluations, LLC
• Premier Construction Enterprise, LLC
• Red Line Home Inspections LLC
• River Road Partners, LLC
• Rocket Restorations
• Roof Doctors-AL
• Roof Management Solutions
• Southern Premier Roofing
• Storm Guard Roofing & Construction NOLA
• Stormgrade Roofing
• Summit Roofing
• Sunbelt Roofs
• Sunny Day Roofing
• Taylor Made Services
• Terry Moran & Associates, PLLC
• The Inspection Specialist
• Total Home Inspections

The 2026 awards also introduced expanded recognition for industry leadership through the FORTIFIED Pioneer Awards, honoring organizations advancing resilience in unique and transformative ways. Three organizations were recognized:

• GAF, North America's largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, was recognized for its first-of-its-kind alliance with IBHS. Through this collaboration GAF has trained more than 1,100 roofing professionals from over 600 companies, rapidly expanding the national workforce capable of delivering FORTIFIED roofs. These companies accounted for 1/3 of all designations produced in 2025.
• Hecker Ridge Tiles was honored for proactively securing independent testing that enabled its tiles to meet FORTIFIED requirements, allowing homeowners to incorporate a distinctive Louisiana style of using tiles on the hips and ridges of otherwise shingled roofs.
• HRI Properties became the first multifamily developer to receive the award. The company was recognized for its continued commitment to incorporating FORTIFIED upgrades across its portfolio and for their behind-the-scenes work promoting resilient construction in low-moderate income developments.

Every FORTIFIED project must have third-party verification that the standard was met. As part of this process FORTIFIED evaluators collect documentation and submit their evaluation to IBHS for review. For the first time, IBHS presented Evaluator Efficiency Awards, highlighting the importance of this third-party verification process. Nine evaluators — three in each company size category — were recognized for having the lowest percentage of projects requiring additional documentation. These companies are:

• AES - Asset Evaluation Services, LLC
• Charles Brown & Associates
• Darienne Breazeale
• Disaster Smart Consultants
• H&H Adjusters Inc
• Integrity Building Companies, LLC
• Michael J Turner Home Inspections
• Peak Evaluations LLC
• Property Loss Consultants LTD

IBHS also recognized providers who are building awareness and trust with homeowners in new ways. Ten companies received FORTIFIED Social Media Awards, honoring service providers who effectively connect homeowners to the science behind FORTIFIED through engaging and educational content. This year's recipients include:

• Alliance Construction
• Gulf Coast Construction and Restoration
• Hermetic Roofing
• Novare: The Roofing Professionals
• Perdomo Roofing and Sheet Metal LLC
• Solid Roofing
• Stublen Roofing
• Sunbelt Roofs
• Wall2Wall Roofing & Construction
• Wise Builders Roofing and Renovations

Proven performance that protects homeowners

The continued growth of the FORTIFIED program is supported by strong, real-world results. A study by the University of Alabama's Center for Risk and Insurance Research analyzing more than 40,000 properties impacted by Hurricane Sally found that homes built to the FORTIFIED standard were significantly less likely to file an insurance claim and experienced substantially reduced losses.

"These award recipients are not just meeting a standard, they're raising it," said Malik. "By improving quality, efficiency and homeowner understanding, they are helping more families return to stronger homes after a storm."

About the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)

The IBHS mission is to conduct objective, scientific research to identify and promote effective actions that strengthen homes, businesses and communities against natural disasters and other causes of loss. Learn more at IBHS.org.

About FORTIFIED

FORTIFIED is a voluntary, beyond-code construction and re-roofing method to strengthen homes and businesses against severe weather, including high winds, hurricanes and tornadoes. Visit fortifiedhome.org to learn more about the program, including the designation process.

SOURCE Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety