You build to a standard of quality on every home that says something about your company long after the last nail is driven. But nature's fury can undo in just a few minutes the quality and workmanship that should have lasted for years.

That's why the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) developed Fortified...for safer livingŪ, an inspection and site location-based program that any builder can employ to make a home more disaster-resistant.

Natural disaster-related building codes, even in areas where they have been strengthened in the wake of past events, provide only the minimum requirements for property protection. They may not provide the increased safety and security that homebuyers are looking for. Fortified...for safer livingŪ offers a range of affordable building techniques and materials that, taken together and independently verified, can make a home better able to survive nature's perils and give your clients the increased peace of mind they seek.

Fortified Program Advantages:

It sets your company apart. A builder of safety-enhanced homes "Fortifies" a reputation along with each house built using the Fortified criteria.

It's cost effective. Because there are options for building a Fortified home, the costs can be adjusted to most price ranges.

It requires no special skill. The construction techniques and materials required by the program already exist and are used everyday. A builder simply has to apply known techniques that engineers say are vital in helping protect a home from destruction in extreme weather.

Fortified homes are built with extra attention paid to areas of the home that make it vulnerable to disasters, including:

Openings - protecting the envelope of a home is critical to keeping the structure intact during windstorms.

Roofs and gables - the proper installation of connectors and bracing along with disaster resistant coverings enhances the survivability of roofs and gables in the face of all natural hazards.

Load path - a verifiable continuous load path from the peak of the roof to the foundation greatly reduces the potential of a home coming apart during a windstorm or crumbling during an earthquake.

Landscaping - Fortified criteria for landscaping around a home, including valuable advice about placement of bushes, shrubs and other plants, can have a major impact on homes in areas susceptible to wildfires.

Severe Winter Weather - The Fortified program establishes common sense building practices for regions subjected to potential unusual winter storm activity and its consequences.

Partner with IBHS and a Qualified Home Inspector

As a builder, your focus is on constructing a superior product while meeting a budget and schedule. IBHS can assist your efforts by teaming you with a certified home inspector trained in Fortified construction techniques. IBHS wants to work with you so that the homes you build can meet your clients' needs and better withstand hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and severe winter weather.

Set Your Company Apart

The Fortified...for safer livingŪ program offers optional upgrades to builders and homebuyers that help make a home stronger, safer and more valuable. In an increasingly safety-conscious and value added marketplace, those builders who provide enhanced security with a focus on safety will find interested partners and buyers. Builders of Fortified...for safer livingŪ homes will have a competitive advantage.