Kentucky will pay up to $10,000 toward a storm-resistant roof. Here's how it actually works.

The Strengthen Kentucky Homes program grants Kentucky homeowners up to $10,000 toward re-roofing to the IBHS FORTIFIED standard, a roof built to survive the wind that ordinary roofs don't. This is an independent guide to getting it.

At a glance

Grant amount: Up to $10,000 of construction costs, paid directly to your contractor after certification.
Applications: Open since March 1, 2026, online only, at skh.ky.gov.
Selection: Not a lottery. First come, first served within each of Kentucky's 15 regions, which get equal funding pools.
Funding: $5 million for fiscal year 2025–26. Remaining funds are not published.
You pay: The evaluator's fees, permits, and any construction cost above $10,000.
Hard rule: Get approved before any work starts. Work begun early forfeits the grant, with no exceptions.

Sources: SKH official FAQ,806 KAR 2:200,KY DOI announcement. Details on every claim: sources.

Why this program exists

Kentucky has faced fifteen federally declared weather disasters in six years, including the December 2021 western Kentucky tornado outbreak, the deadliest in state history, and the May 2025 Somerset–London EF4. The legislature responded in 2024 with the Strengthen Kentucky Homes Act, modeled on Alabama's long-running program: pay homeowners to build roofs that survive, and require insurers to discount premiums on homes that do.

The three things most people get wrong

It's first come, first served, not a lottery. Louisiana's similar program uses lottery rounds; Kentucky approves complete, eligible applications in the order received within your region. Applying early matters.
You cannot use your own roofer. The work must be done by a contractor from the state's approved list and certified by an independent FORTIFIED evaluator, or the grant isn't paid.
Approval comes first, always. If you sign a contract or start work before the Department of Insurance approves your application, you are ineligible. The program received over 150 applications in its first eleven days; don't let a roofer rush you into starting early.

Don't find out after your region's money is gone

Funds are split into 15 equal regional pools and awarded first come, first served. The state doesn't publish a running balance. We track program announcements and email you when anything changes: new funding, new rules, new windows.

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Start here

Do I qualify? The requirements and the common disqualifiers.
How to apply, step by step — including the order of operations that trips people up.
What it really costs — the grant, your share, and the insurance discount Kentucky law now requires.
What a FORTIFIED roof actually is — sealed deck, ring-shank nails, locked-down edges.

Kentucky Roof Grant Guide is an independent informational site. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Kentucky Department of Insurance, the Strengthen Kentucky Homes program, or the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). FORTIFIED is a program of IBHS. Always confirm program rules at skh.ky.gov before making decisions.