Status, in one line
Live and funded — but it opens county by county on a first-come, first-served basis, and a given county's funding window can close within hours of opening.
How the money actually works
Strengthen Alabama Homes (SAH) is funded by Alabama's insurance industry, not the state's general tax budget. It covers 100% of the cost to upgrade an existing roof to the IBHS FORTIFIED Roof (or FORTIFIED Silver) standard, up to $10,000 per household. There's no income limit — eligibility is based on the home and the work, not the homeowner's earnings. If the total project cost runs higher than $10,000, the homeowner covers the difference; the grant money goes straight to the contractor after the home passes its FORTIFIED certification, not to the homeowner.
Who qualifies
- Owner-occupied, single-family primary residence in a participating Alabama county
- Condominiums and mobile homes are not eligible
- The finished work must meet the FORTIFIED Roof or FORTIFIED Silver standard, confirmed by a certified evaluator
The part that trips people up: it opens county by county
SAH doesn't run as one continuous statewide fund — each county's allocation opens on its own schedule, and the portal closes the moment that county's funds are claimed. Being a few minutes late to a county's opening can mean waiting until the next round. Two upcoming openings as of this writing:
- Mobile County — October 6, 2026, 9:00 AM
- Baldwin County — October 8, 2026, 9:00 AM
Check the official program site for your specific county's current schedule before the window you're planning around — these dates move.
Before you apply
- You'll pay a FORTIFIED Evaluation fee out of pocket (typically in the low hundreds of dollars) — this is separate from and not covered by the $10,000 grant.
- You'll need bids from three SAH-approved contractors before your grant amount is finalized.
- Grant approval happens before work begins — you shouldn't start construction expecting reimbursement after the fact.
How to apply
Find your county
Two Alabama counties have a standing, recurring quarterly schedule — the others below opened once outside that rotation:
Sources
- Strengthen Alabama Homes (official program site) — grant terms, eligibility, and application process.
- Smart Home America — program administrator background and county opening schedule.
- IBHS FORTIFIED standard — the construction standard the grant requires the finished roof to meet.
Last reviewed: August 28, 2026