Does Arkansas require a discount for impact-resistant shingles?

We found no Arkansas law that requires one. The state's discount rule is tied to a FORTIFIED certificate, not to a Class 4 shingle rating. Some insurers may offer their own roofing discount. Call your agent before you choose a shingle and ask what they credit.

Can I get a FORTIFIED designation after my roof is already on?

Not for a roof that was just put on. A FORTIFIED Roof has to be installed by a roofing contractor on the IBHS list, and the job has to be documented as it is built. The program has a separate path for older roofs in good shape, and it says that path cannot be used to make up for missing paperwork on a new roof.

Should I tell my insurance company when I get a new roof?

Yes. Your insurer may rate an older roof differently from a new one, so send your agent the date, the material, and the invoice or photos. Ask how the change affects your premium and how the policy will pay on a future roof claim.

Does a New Roof Lower Insurance in Arkansas?

Q: Does a new roof lower home insurance in Arkansas?

It can, but we found no Arkansas law that requires a discount just because a roof is new. The one discount state law requires is for homes certified to the FORTIFIED standard, when the discount is actuarially justified, on policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2026. For anything else, it is up to your insurer, so ask your agent.

Does a new roof lower your home insurance in Arkansas?

It can, but it depends on your insurer and on what kind of roof you put on. We found no Arkansas law that requires a discount just because a roof is new. The one discount state law requires is for homes certified to the FORTIFIED standard, when the discount is actuarially justified, on policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2026.

That rule comes from Act 427 of 2025, the Strengthen Arkansas Homes Program Act. It is new, and most homeowners have not heard of it yet.

Here is how the three common cases compare.

Your new roof	Does Arkansas law require a discount?	What to do
Standard shingle or metal roof	None that we found	Ask your agent what they credit
Impact-resistant (Class 4) shingles	None that we found. It is insurer by insurer	Ask before you pick the shingle
FORTIFIED-certified roof	Yes, if the discount is actuarially justified	Send the certificate to your insurer

What is the FORTIFIED discount law?

It is a section of Arkansas law that covers insurers who write wind or hail coverage. If a home has been certified to the FORTIFIED Home standard, the insurer must give a premium discount or rate reduction when that discount is actuarially justified. The law sets no percentage.

The insurer has to apply it once it has a copy of the certificate. The rule covers policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2026.

The same act added a second rule. Insurers must offer an optional add-on to the policy for homes that are not FORTIFIED. With that add-on, a covered claim that requires a new roof also pays toward upgrading it to the FORTIFIED standard. Insurers must offer it on policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2026, and each insurer sets the cost and the limits.

What is a FORTIFIED roof?

It is a roof built to a standard that goes beyond the building code. The program is run by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, a research group funded by insurers. It targets the three places a roof fails in wind: the deck connections, the edges, and the gaps in the deck.

Two things about it matter before you sign with any roofer.

It takes listed people. The roofer must be on the program’s list, and in most cases a certified evaluator sends the paperwork to the institute.
It is documented as the roof is built. Photos are taken on site during the job. The old roof has to come off down to the deck.

That means you cannot decide on it after a new roof is on. If you want the designation, say so before the job starts, and check the program’s directory before you sign with any roofer, including us. A designation lasts five years and then needs a new inspection.

Do impact-resistant shingles get a discount?

Sometimes, but not by law. We found no Arkansas statute that requires a discount for Class 4 shingles. The state rule is tied to a FORTIFIED certificate, not to a shingle rating. Some insurers may offer their own roofing discount.

Class 4 is the top score in a lab test that drops a two-inch steel ball on the shingle. It is a useful rating, and it is not the whole story. The institute’s own hail testing found that shingles sold as impact resistant ranged from excellent to poor.

Call your agent first. Ask what rating they credit and what proof they want.

Does the age of your roof change your coverage?

It can. The Arkansas Insurance Department allows insurers to use a roof payment schedule on roofs seven years old or older, with proper notice to you. A roof schedule usually pays a smaller share of the replacement cost as the roof ages. Your policy has the actual numbers.

The same bulletin allows a separate wind and hail deductible. Arkansas law now requires insurers to show every deductible on your declarations page or renewal notice. A roof schedule is an endorsement, so ask your agent whether your policy has one.

A new roof is under the seven-year mark. Call your agent the week the roof is finished and ask them to update the roof age on your policy.

Is there grant money for a stronger roof?

Not from the state yet. Act 427 created a grant program inside the Arkansas Insurance Department for FORTIFIED roof upgrades on owner-occupied homes. The act sets no grant amount and names no dedicated funding. As of early October 2026, we could not find an open application.

The act also says the home repair cannot be part of an insurance claim. So the grant, when it opens, is for owners who upgrade on their own.

There is a separate grant that is not run by the state. The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas has a FORTIFIED fund for income-qualified owners, offered through its member banks. Its site showed no funds available as of July 1, 2026, so ask your bank about the next round.

We will update this page when the department posts a notice.

What should you ask your agent?

Ask four things before you choose a roof.

Do you give a discount for a new roof, and for which materials?
What proof do you need, and when?
Is my roof on a payment schedule because of its age?
Does my policy have a separate wind and hail deductible?

Write the answers down. Then compare shingle roofing and metal roofing with real numbers in hand.

Who can look at your roof?

Our own crews. We are at 207 Albert Pike Rd in Hot Springs and have roofed Garland County for over 20 years. We inspect for free, photograph what we find, and put the price in writing.

If a storm damaged your roof, see how roof insurance claims work, or read about roof replacement. Contact us or call 501-359-5550.

Where this comes from

We are roofers, not insurance agents or lawyers. Your policy and your agent have the final word on your coverage.

Does a New Roof Lower Your Home Insurance in Arkansas?