Which roofing rules apply where you build or re-roof

The map, region by region

Start with the table, then follow the guide for the region you care about.

Florida's high-velocity hurricane zone

The Florida Building Code defines the high-velocity hurricane zone as Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Inside it, every roofing component, system and assembly must hold a valid and current product approval, and the permit application itself must be executed by a licensed contractor. Miami-Dade County's Product Control Section reviews roofing along with windows, doors, shutters and cladding. The Florida HVHZ guide covers product approval, the Notice of Acceptance and the TAS test protocols behind each approval.

The Texas coast

The Texas Department of Insurance runs a windstorm inspection program for properties in 14 coastal counties and parts of Harris County east of Highway 146. From April 1, 2026, TDI requires windstorm certificate applications to be certified to the 2024 IRC or the 2024 IBC. The certificate is what makes a building eligible for coverage through the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, and TDI lists roof replacements among the work that usually needs one. The Texas windstorm guide names the counties, the forms and who may inspect.

Everywhere else: the IRC and your local adoption

Outside those two programs, look for the International Residential Code as your state or city has adopted it. The IRC leaves key numbers to the jurisdiction, which sets out its design wind speed, ice barrier requirement and other climate criteria in Table R301.2. Section R905.2.4.1 requires asphalt shingles to be tested to ASTM D7158 and labeled with the wind class that the local design wind speed calls for. Ask your building department which edition it enforces, then read the IRC wind and hail guide for the sections that matter to a roof.

Above code: FORTIFIED and the grants that pay for it

IBHS describes FORTIFIED as a voluntary construction and re-roofing program aimed at high winds, hail, hurricanes and tornadoes. A FORTIFIED Roof calls for a sealed roof deck, ring-shank nails in an enhanced pattern and shingles with the top wind ratings, ASTM D3161 Class F or ASTM D7158 Class H. Alabama, Louisiana, Oklahoma and South Carolina run grant programs tied to FORTIFIED roofs, and North Carolina's coastal insurance pool has offered its own grants. The FORTIFIED guide compares what each program's page says.

The National Roofing Directory's encyclopedia explains what a FORTIFIED roof is, and its directory carries entries for IBHS FORTIFIED and NC FORTIFIED.

Hail: the gap in the house codes

The wind sections above do not set a hail rating for a house roof. A search of the full text of the 2024 IRC's roof chapter and building planning chapter finds no hail-resistance requirement for residential roof coverings. The 2024 IBC's Section 1504.7 does require low-slope roof coverings to resist impact damage in tests such as ASTM D4272 or FM 4470's foot-traffic test. Florida's HVHZ test protocols include a TAS 114 appendix titled as a test for susceptibility to hail damage. For most homes, hail ratings arrive through products and programs instead; NRD's entry on Class 4 impact-resistant shingles explains the label.

Working to these codes

If you own the building, check the contractor's license where your state requires one; NRD's roofing licensing guide points to each state's rules. Then shortlist roofers in the find-a-roofer directory, and keep the NRD Storm Center handy for storm season.

If you roof to these codes for a living, you can claim your listing on the National Roofing Directory. Its Verified level means a person checks your phone, email, website, logo, services, rating, insurance and license, as the membership levels page sets out. Code and storm news comes in The Roofing Wire, a free weekly issue with a Storm Watch email of NWS alerts for the states you pick.

Frequently asked questions

Do Florida's HVHZ roofing rules apply outside Miami-Dade and Broward?

Section 1512.2 of the Florida Building Code applies the HVHZ roofing requirements in the HVHZ, or where a jurisdiction has adopted their use under section 553.73 of the Florida Statutes. Elsewhere in Florida, the rest of the 8th Edition governs.

Is a FORTIFIED roof required by any building code?

No. IBHS calls FORTIFIED a voluntary program. Some grants do require the designation before they pay: Oklahoma's program, for example, requires a FORTIFIED Roof High Wind designation with the Hail Supplement.

Where do I find the design wind speed for my address?

Under the IRC, your jurisdiction records it in Table R301.2. On the Texas coast, TDI points applicants to the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool to find the wind speed for a location.