Michigan home insurers may soon have to offer a new roof upgrade - and lawmakers want it built into policies before 2028.
Senate Bill 1130, introduced July 29, 2026 by Senator Mary Cavanagh, would add a section to Michigan's insurance code and hand property carriers a fresh product obligation. Under the bill, an insurer issuing a home insurance policy "shall offer a fortified roof endorsement" to upgrade an eligible property to "the fortified roof or successor standard" when covered damage forces a roof replacement.
Here is why claims teams should care. A fortified roof is a stronger-build standard - the bill defines "fortified" and "fortified roof" as trademarks owned by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. The endorsement would let a homeowner rebuild to that tougher standard after a loss instead of replacing like-for-like.
The coverage trigger is specific. If a policyholder has bought the endorsement and the roof needs replacing "as a direct result of a tornado, hail, or other catastrophic windstorm event that is otherwise covered by the policy," the insurer would cover "the reasonable additional cost of replacing the roof to a fortified roof standard." That duty stays "subject to the terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions of the policy and endorsement," so the endorsement layers on top of existing policy language rather than replacing it.
The upgrade also has to fit the location, matching the fortified requirements for the area where the property sits.
Two deadlines matter. The endorsement offer would apply to any homeowner policy issued or renewed after December 31, 2027. Before that, insurers would file their endorsement forms and accompanying rates with the department for prior approval by April 1, 2027 - putting product and actuarial teams on the clock ahead of the consumer rollout.
One catch: the bill would not take effect unless two related House bills are also enacted. As drafted, it names them only by request number, tying the package's fate together.
For carriers writing home policies in Michigan, the message is simple. If SB 1130 advances, a fortified roof endorsement shifts from optional add-on to required offer - with filing obligations landing first and coverage obligations following on qualifying windstorm losses.
