GAF Surpasses 1,100-Trained in FORTIFIED™ Roof Installation, One Year After Launching First-of-its-Kind Alliance

Parsippany, NJ (February 19, 2026) - 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, announced that it has trained more than 1,100 roofing professionals in FORTIFIED™ Roof installation, expanding access to resilient roofing solutions for homeowners nationwide.

To reach roofers across the country, GAF deployed its Center for the Advancement of Roofing Excellence (CARE) training program, which provides roofing contractors with industry-leading education. As a result, 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. In 2025, approximately one-third of newly designated FORTIFIED™ homes were built using GAF shingles, reflecting the growing role GAF-trained contractors and products play 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."

A FORTIFIED™ Roof improves a home's resistance to severe weather by strengthening key roof system components and critical connection points. The designation is part of the IBHS FORTIFIED™ program, a voluntary construction and re-roofing standard focused on reducing damage from high winds, heavy rain and hail.

GAF helps make FORTIFIED™ Roofs possible with a complete roofing system approach, by offering products eligible to be used to meet FORTIFIED requirements, including impact-resistant shingles and roof components that pass wind-driven rain tests. GAF also provides contractor training and technical resources to support proper installation, helping scale resilient roofing practices in communities nationwide.

As severe weather events continue to impact communities across the country, damage to roofing systems remains a leading driver of post-storm repairs and insurance claims. Independent research following severe weather events has shown that homes built to the FORTIFIED™ standard experience reduced damage compared to conventional construction. Strengthening the roof can help reduce the risk of water intrusion, structural damage, and long-term recovery costs for homeowners.

In addition to helping improve resilience, homeowners who install a FORTIFIED™ Roof may be eligible for insurance discounts, grants, or other financial incentives, depending on location. States including Texas, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Mississippi, among others, offer programs through insurers, nonprofits, or government agencies designed to help offset the cost of resilient roof upgrades.

GAF’s commitment to building stronger communities extends beyond training and products through the GAF Community Contractor Program, which helps put resilient roofing practices into action where they are needed most. The program empowers GAF-certified contractors to donate their labor in partnership with local nonprofits, with GAF providing a roofing system for each project, helping strengthen community spaces while enabling contractors to give back locally.

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. 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 about FORTIFIED™ Roof or how to become FORTIFIED certified, visit www.gaf.com/FORTIFIED.