Roof inspection for insurance: what it can and cannot do
Homeowners in Birmingham and across Jefferson County keep hearing a version of the same line at renewal: the roof is getting old, send an inspection or the policy is at risk. A roof inspection is the document that answers that pressure, but it only helps if you know which inspection you actually need. This page separates the three kinds of roof inspection that get lumped together in Alabama, and shows where the FORTIFIED standard and the state discount sit on top of them.
The word "inspection" covers three very different jobs, and picking the wrong one wastes money and time. Knowing which one your carrier is asking for is most of the battle.
Inspection
What it is for
General condition report
A roofer looks the roof over, flags damage, and estimates remaining life. Often offered at no charge by a contractor before a bid.
Four-point or insurance inspection
A carrier-facing report covering roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC, sometimes required to write or renew a policy on an older home.
FORTIFIED evaluation
A separate paid inspection by an independent IBHS-certified evaluator that produces the FORTIFIED designation. Not the same as a condition report.
The first two report on the roof you already have. The third certifies a roof to a standard, and it is the only one that unlocks the Alabama insurance discount. That evaluation runs roughly $300 to $600 per project and is performed by an independent evaluator, not the roofer and not this site. The role is described at fortifiedhome.org.
Why Alabama carriers press on roof age
Many Alabama carriers treat an older roof as a higher risk and will ask for an inspection before they renew, or decline to write a new policy until the roof is addressed. The exact age thresholds and requirements vary by company, so the only reliable move is to get your carrier's request in writing: which inspection, what it must show, and by when. That turns a vague warning into a checklist a roofer can actually work from.
What an inspection can do is document condition, remaining life, and any repairs that would bring the roof back into good standing. What it cannot do is add years to a roof that is genuinely worn out. If the report confirms the roof is near the end, no amount of paperwork changes that, and the honest next step is a repair or a replacement.
Where the discount and the grant come in
The reason an inspection connects to money is the Alabama discount law. Under Ala. Code Title 27, Chapter 31D, insurers that submit rates and rating plans to the commissioner have to offer a premium discount or credit for a home with a fortified or mitigated roof, and the owner has to hold and present the IBHS certification as proof before the credit takes effect. Section 27-31D-2(g) limits the adjustment to policies that provide wind coverage, and lets it attach to the wind portion of the premium or to the total premium where the insurer does not break out its wind premium separately in its rate filing. The Alabama Department of Insurance administers that framework and the related grant; start at aldoi.gov.
The size of the credit depends on your insurer, your policy, and the designation level, so confirm the exact figure with your own carrier rather than any number quoted elsewhere. The Strengthen Alabama Homes grant is separate and may be offered to approved owners toward the work; check strengthenalabamahomes.com for what it may cover and who can apply. The FORTIFIED roof installation page covers the build the credit attaches to.
The evaluator is not the roofer, and not this site
An insurance inspection is only credible when the person reporting on the roof is not the person selling the work. That separation is baked into the FORTIFIED process, and this site keeps it visible.
An independent, IBHS-certified evaluator issues the designation and renews it every five years. This site is not an evaluator and holds no designation.
The roofer
An independent, licensed local roofer does the inspection or the work. This site does neither.
What happens after you send the form
How fast will someone get back to me?
Your request goes to an independent, licensed local roofing contractor, usually within about an hour during the
day. That contractor then contacts you to look at the roof and price the work on their own
schedule.
Questions homeowners ask
What kind of roof inspection does my insurer actually want?
Usually a condition report or a four-point inspection that includes the roof, showing the roof age and whether it has remaining service life. That is different from the FORTIFIED evaluation, which is a separate paid inspection that produces the IBHS designation. Ask your carrier in writing which document they need, because the wrong inspection will not answer their request.
Is a FORTIFIED evaluation the same as an insurance inspection?
No. A FORTIFIED evaluation is performed by an independent, IBHS-certified evaluator, carries a separate fee of roughly $300 to $600, and results in the designation that unlocks the Alabama wind discount. A general or four-point insurance inspection documents condition for underwriting. One proves the roof meets a standard; the other reports on the roof you already have.
My carrier says my roof is too old. What are my options?
An inspection documents condition, but it cannot add years to a roof that is genuinely near the end. If the report confirms the roof is failing, the real fix is a repair or a replacement. A FORTIFIED re-roof resets the roof and also earns the Alabama discount under Ala. Code 27-31D, so a forced replacement can turn into a stronger, cheaper-to-insure roof.
Does an inspection by itself lower my premium?
Not on its own. The Alabama discount under Ala. Code Title 27, Chapter 31D attaches to a fortified or mitigated roof, and you have to hold and present the IBHS certification as proof before the credit applies. An inspection can document that you qualify or show what work is needed first, but the credit follows the roof and the certification, not the paperwork alone.
Do you inspect roofs?
No. AL Fortified Roofing is not a roofing contractor, an inspector, or an IBHS evaluator, and does no inspection or evaluation work itself. An independent, licensed local roofing contractor experienced with FORTIFIED roof standards can carry out or arrange the inspection your situation calls for.
Facing roof pressure from your insurer?
Tell us your city and what your carrier is asking for. A local roofer can inspect the roof and lay out your options, free and with no obligation. Want the full money picture first? Read the FORTIFIED and grant guide or browse the services.