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Strengthen Alabama Homes Grants

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 13, 2026

What the program is

This site is not Strengthen Alabama Homes and is not affiliated with it or with the Alabama Department of Insurance (ALDOI). Apply and check your status only on the program's own site, strengthenalabamahomes.com.

The Legislature created the program in 2011 with the Strengthen Alabama Homes Act (Ala. Code 27-31E). It runs inside ALDOI. The program says its funding "comes from the insurance industry in Alabama and is not funded from the state's general budget, nor is it tied to a federally funded program." The law also lets the Insurance Commissioner move up to 50% of the Insurance Department Fund's yearly appropriation into the program's fund. It says the program "does not create an entitlement," so grants exist only when money is available.

The grant pays for wind mitigation, meaning building methods that make a home stronger against high winds and wind-driven rain. The program uses the FORTIFIED standard from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). ALDOI describes the FORTIFIED Roof level as "designed to keep the roof on and the rain out during high-wind storms. It includes sealing the roof deck, locking down roof edges and installing impact-resistant shingles." See our FORTIFIED roof guide for details. [1][7][8][9]

How much it pays and what it covers

• "Grants will pay 100% of the cost of mitigation up to $10,000." The program warns that the award "MAY NOT cover the entire cost of the work needed."
• The grant covers only work needed to reach the FORTIFIED Roof level. "We do not offer the Silver Standard," and you can't get a grant to go from Roof to Silver. Windows, doors and hurricane shutters aren't covered.
• It isn't a "new roof" grant. "If a new roof is required, then it will be included in the scope of work for the grant to meet the Fortified Roof standard."
• The money goes straight to the contractor, and only after IBHS issues the FORTIFIED certificate and you show proof of insurance.
• You don't repay it: "Grants are not loans and do not need to be repaid."
• "Only one grant per address." You can get another grant only for a different owner-occupied primary residence.

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Who qualifies

• County: you must claim your primary residence in a county where grants are being offered. The schedule checked on Oct. 13, 2026, lists only Mobile and Baldwin counties. The program's home page also says it offered grants in Jefferson, Tuscaloosa and Escambia counties on Nov. 4, 2025, "the first time" outside Mobile and Baldwin since the program began in 2015.
• Home: an owner-occupied, single-family primary residence. "No rentals, no townhomes, no condominiums, or mobile homes." The home can't be listed for sale at any point in the process.
• Homestead exemption: the statute requires a property "that has been granted a homestead exemption" (Ala. Code 27-31E-3).
• Condition: the home "must be in good repair." ALDOI's 2026 rule makes an exception for a home "damaged by a hurricane, non-hurricane wind, or hail": grant money can't pay for repairs, but it "may be used in conjunction with repairs or reconstruction" after that kind of damage. The home must also pass the FORTIFIED evaluation, and "Homes that fail the Evaluation are ineligible."
• Insurance: you must show an in-force homeowners policy and wind coverage before the grant is paid. If the home is in a special flood hazard area, you also need flood insurance.
• Recent roof claim: if you received an insurance claim for roof damage within the past 6 months, the FAQ says you are not eligible, because you "cannot have both the grant and insurance claim money to Fortify" the home. The FAQ and the 2026 rule don't address each other on this point, so if a storm such as Hurricane Isaias damaged your roof, confirm with the program before you apply.
• Paperwork: your last filed federal Form 1040 or 1040-SR (all pages) or a Social Security benefit statement showing the address, your insurance declaration pages, and a notarized Vendor Disclosure Statement.

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When you can apply (status as of Oct. 13, 2026)

Applications are taken online, "first come – first served," once a quarter. The system only accepts as many applications as the quarter's money covers: "Once the maximum number of applications for funding available is received, the online application system will close." If you see a message that grants are full, the FAQ says to "keep trying throughout the quarter since applications are terminated for various reasons."

When we checked on Oct. 13, 2026, an undated notice on the program's home page said it was having "slower than normal load times" and asked people to "keep trying to apply as there are still funds available." Check the grant award schedule for changes. The program accepts applications only "electronically," and it suggests a laptop or desktop computer because smartphones don't show the whole application. [1][2][3][11]

Step by step

1. Create a profile and apply at strengthenalabamahomes.com. Upload your income document, insurance declaration pages and the notarized Vendor Disclosure Statement within 7 days.
2. Staff review. If something is missing, you get an email.
3. Pick a FORTIFIED evaluator from the program's evaluator list within 7 days. You pay the evaluator. The program says to "Get several prices before choosing an Evaluator."
4. Evaluation. The home passes or fails. If it passes, you choose three contractors from the program's contractor list to bid, within 7 days.
5. Grant award. Once all three bids are in, you get your award amount and learn about any out-of-pocket cost. Pick your bid within 7 days. The contract is between you and the contractor, not the program.
6. Work and certificate. The work must be finished within 90 days of the award. The FAQ counts this from the award date (when all 3 bids are in) to the evaluator uploading the certificate. The evaluator inspects during and after the work, and IBHS issues the FORTIFIED certificate.
7. Payment. The program pays the contractor up to your award amount. You pay any balance under your contract.
8. Get your discount. Take the certificate to your insurance agent, then upload your new declaration page showing the discount to the program portal. That step closes out your file.

The 7-day rule. "The application cannot sit at any step for longer than 7 days waiting on action by the applicant, or the application will be terminated." The program says "We will NOT call you," so watch your email. [1][3][6]

Costs you pay and risks to know

• Evaluator fee: evaluators "set their own prices." The fee isn't refunded if you drop out.
• Overages: "If there are any costs above the grant award amount of $10,000, these will be the responsibility of the homeowner." Costs can rise once the old roof is off, for example from rotten wood or an upgraded shingle.
• No delays to raise money: "The process cannot be delayed to come up with overages."
• Opting out: you can quit before you sign with a contractor, by email within 7 days of the award letter.
• Insurance after the work: the contractor is paid only after you show proof of insurance. "If you are unable to get insurance, or refuse to, the cost of mitigation work is payable by the applicant."
• No bid shopping: calling contractors to change their bids gets your application terminated, and you can't reapply.
• Disputes: the program won't mediate. For a contractor, you can complain to the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board. For an evaluator, you can contact the Alabama Department of Construction Management or IBHS.

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Rules for evaluators and contractors

You must use program-approved professionals, and you can't do the work yourself.

• Contractors need an "unlimited" Alabama residential home builder's license with no disciplinary action, IBHS FORTIFIED Roof and FORTIFIED Professional training, SAH program training, and minimum insurance, including $1,000,000 per occurrence of general liability. They must register as state vendors. A contractor can't have a financial interest in your project beyond payment, and can't be the evaluator on a project the program funds.
• Evaluators must hold an active IBHS FORTIFIED Home Evaluator certification, an Alabama business license and Secretary of State registration, and must complete SAH training. An evaluator can't be a contractor or supplier on homes they inspect, or a sales agent for the home.
• The contractor you hire may not start grant work before the grant is approved. "Any work done outside of the scope of work designated by our program is not covered."

These rules come from ALDOI's regulation (Chapter 482-1-159, amended effective Jan. 1, 2026) and the program's 2026 contractor and evaluator requirements. [3][6][12][13]

Your insurance discount after the work

Alabama law requires insurers to give a premium discount or rate reduction on the wind part of the premium for homes certified to IBHS FORTIFIED standards (Ala. Code 27-31D-2). The program says your insurer should need only the IBHS certificate. If there's a problem, contact ALDOI Consumer Services or file a complaint.

The program warns that admitted insurers (companies licensed in Alabama) "must honor the certificate and give the discount; whereas Surplus carriers are not obligated under the law to give the discount." Surplus lines insurers are companies not licensed in Alabama that sell through special brokers. If you're on the coast and insured through the AIUA, AIUA offers its own IBHS FORTIFIED discount.

The size of the discount varies by company, so ask your agent. See Homeowners insurance in Alabama for more on Alabama's rules. [1][3][14][15][16]

State tax deduction

The program's FAQ says "The State of Alabama has an income tax credit of up to $3,000 for mitigation work" and points to Ala. Code 40-18-15.5. That statute is written as a deduction from taxable income, not a credit. It is the lesser of 50% of the cost or $3,000 in total, and it's available "regardless of whether the taxpayer itemizes." A similar deduction for homes in an AIUA zone is in 40-18-15.4, and the two combined can't exceed $3,000. Costs paid with grant money don't qualify "if the grants are not included in the income of the taxpayer." ALDOI says it "does not provide tax advice. Contact a tax professional." [3][17][18]

Contact the program

• Phone: (334) 240-4440 or (800) 433-3966
• Email: SAH@insurance.alabama.gov
• Mail: Alabama Department of Insurance, Strengthen Alabama Homes Division, P.O. Box 303351, Montgomery, AL 36130-3351
• If you hold power of attorney for an applicant, the program must have a copy on file before staff will discuss the grant with you.

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Questions people ask