How Building a FORTIFIED™ Home Can Save You Big on Home Insurance

If you live anywhere along the coast — especially the Mississippi Gulf Coast — you know that insurance premiums can be a major part of your monthly expenses. Between wind, hail, and hurricane coverage, protecting your home from the elements can get expensive fast.

But there’s good news: building or upgrading your home to FORTIFIED™ standards can dramatically lower your insurance costs. In fact, some Mississippi homeowners have reported up to 55% savings on their wind insurance premiums after going FORTIFIED.

So how does it work? Let’s break it down.

What Is a FORTIFIED™ Home?

The FORTIFIED Home™ program, developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), is a construction standard designed to make homes stronger and more resistant to hurricane-force winds, wind-driven rain, and severe weather.

There are three levels of FORTIFIED certification:

• FORTIFIED Roof™ – Protects your roof from being ripped off in a storm.

• FORTIFIED Silver™ – Secures roof, windows, doors, and attached structures.

• FORTIFIED Gold™ – Reinforces the entire home structure from roof to foundation.

Why Insurance Companies Reward FORTIFIED Homes

Insurance companies love risk reduction. When you build or upgrade your home to FORTIFIED standards, you’re drastically reducing the likelihood of major storm-related damage — especially to your roof, which is one of the most vulnerable (and expensive) parts of any home.

By decreasing the chance that they’ll need to pay out large claims after a storm, insurance companies are more than happy to pass along some of those savings to you — in the form of lower premiums.

Real Savings for Mississippi Homeowners

Thanks to legislation in Mississippi and support from the insurance industry, certified FORTIFIED homes qualify for mandatory insurance discounts from many providers.

Here’s what that might look like:

• FORTIFIED Roof™ – 20%–35% discount on wind coverage

• FORTIFIED Silver™ or Gold™ – Up to 55% discount depending on the provider and coverage level

💡 Example: If your annual wind premium is $2,000, a 40% discount could save you $800 per year — every year.

And those savings add up fast over the life of your mortgage.

How to Get the Insurance Discount with us at Benfatti Construction

1. Hire a Certified FORTIFIED™ Builder - THAT’S US!
   Companies like Benfatti Construction are trained and certified to build or retrofit homes to meet FORTIFIED standards.

2. Work with a FORTIFIED Evaluator - WE DO THAT!
   We work with an independent third party that is a Certified Fortified Evaluator that verifies that your home meets all FORTIFIED requirements.

3. Get Certified and Submit Paperwork - WE SUBMIT EVERYTHING AND YOU RECEIVE A FORTIFIED CERTIFICATE!
   Once certified, we'll receive documentation that can be submitted to your insurance company to claim your discount. Yes, its a formal certificate and without it, you can’t get the discounts.

4. Enjoy Lower Premiums
   Once approved, your insurance savings begin right away.

Bonus: Peace of Mind, Too

Yes, the insurance savings are great — but the real benefit of a FORTIFIED Home is knowing that your house is built to stand strong against the next storm.

• Less damage.

• Lower repair costs.

• Faster recovery.

• Fewer claims.

• And yes, lower premiums.

Final Thoughts: FORTIFIED Homes Pay Off

If you’re building, re-roofing, or renovating along the Gulf Coast, not going FORTIFIED could cost you thousands over time.

At Benfatti Construction, we’re here to help Mississippi Gulf Coast homeowners build smarter, save money, and protect what matters most.

Build strong. Save big. Go FORTIFIED with Benfatti Construction.