Milestone 1,100 Roofers Trained in FORTIFIED Standard

One year after launching a first-of-its-kind alliance with the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), GAF, North America’s largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, says it has trained more than 1,100 roofers to install roofs which are FORTIFIED certified.

Based on decades of research by IBHS, the FORTIFIED Standard is a voluntary construction and re-roofing program designed to help protect homes against hurricanes, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. A FORTIFIED roof improves a home’s resistance to severe weather by strengthening key roof system components and critical connection points.

To reach roofers across the country, GAF deployed its Center for the Advancement of Roofing Excellence (CARE) training program for roofing contractors. As a result, the manufacturer says hundreds of individuals from over 600 GAF Master Elite^® roofing companies are now FORTIFIED certified and equipped to help homeowners better protect their homes from severe weather.

Training Milestone

In 2025, approximately one-third of newly designated FORTIFIED homes were built using GAF shingles, reflecting the growing role GAF-trained contractors and products are playing in advancing resilient construction.

“With more communities facing extreme weather each year, expanding access to FORTIFIED roofs is essential,” said Mike Thomas, Director of External Learning & Development, Storm Restoration at GAF.

“Reaching this milestone highlights the increasing demand for resilient roofing solutions. By continuing to invest in contractor education, product innovation, and partnerships like our alliance with IBHS, we’re helping to protect homes and prepare communities for what lies ahead.”

Together, the one-year milestone and growing adoption of the FORTIFIED standard demonstrate how GAF’s alliance with IBHS is translating training, product qualification, and contractor readiness into real-world adoption across the roofing industry.

“The continued growth of the FORTIFIED program highlights that more homeowners are prioritizing homes that are better prepared to withstand today’s weather risks,” said Fred Malik, Managing Director of the FORTIFIED program at IBHS.

“GAF has been a critical ally supporting our ability to respond quickly to rising demand, playing an important role by helping scale access to FORTIFIED through contractor training and compliant roofing systems.”

Building Stronger Communities

GAF’s commitment to building stronger communities extends to the GAF Community Contractor Program, which helps put resilient roofing practices into action where they are needed most. The program allows GAF-certified contractors to donate their labor in partnership with local nonprofits, with GAF providing a roofing system for each project.

In 2025, the GAF Community Contractor Program prioritized key FORTIFIED roof projects to support long-term recovery in areas impacted by extreme weather. Following the devastation of Hurricane Helene, GAF and Team Rubicon partnered with local GAF Master Elite contractor J&J Roofing and Construction to repair dozens of roofs in the Valdosta, Georgia community.

This initiative equipped more than 20 homes, including those of service members and first responders, with new FORTIFIED roofs to help protect against future severe weather.

GAF has also partnered with IBHS and local GAF Master Elite contractors in Texas to build more resilient communities, including a partnership with Trinity Habitat for Humanity to roof six homes in a single day in Fort Worth, Texas.

Additionally, GAF and Rebuilding Together New Orleans have partnered together for more than five years working to reroof hundreds of homes to the FORTIFIED standard across Louisiana that were devastated by extreme weather like Hurricanes Katrina and Ida.

For more information and how to become FORTIFIED certified, visit the GAF website here.

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