Quick answer: Colorado Senate Bill 26-155, signed June 4, 2026, creates the Strengthen Colorado Homes Enterprise, a state program that will give homeowners grants to install hail-resistant roof systems. The program is funded by a fee on homeowners insurers that starts in 2027, so no grants are available yet. Colorado's insurance commissioner has said grants could land around $7,500 to $10,000. According to Excel Roofing, a Colorado and Wyoming roofer since 1993, homeowners who need a roof now should not wait on the grant, and should instead install a Class 4 roof, keep the product and installation records, and ask their insurer about an impact-resistant roof discount.
Updated October 2026. Program details will change as the enterprise board adopts rules.
Colorado homeowners have watched insurance premiums climb for years, and hail is the biggest reason. The Colorado Division of Insurance found that hail damage makes up an average of 26 to 54 percent of an annual homeowners premium, and that hail mitigation could save consumers an average of $82 to $387 per year.
In 2026, the legislature responded with Senate Bill 26-155. The law creates a grant program for hail-resistant roofs and requires insurers to pass resilient roof savings on to homeowners. Excel Roofing hears questions about it from homeowners every week, so this guide explains what the law actually does, what is still undecided, and what a homeowner should do with a roof that needs attention before the grants exist.
What SB 26-155 Does
SB 26-155 creates the Strengthen Colorado Homes Enterprise inside the Colorado Division of Insurance. The enterprise runs a grant program that helps homeowners retrofit their homes with resilient roof systems designed to stand up to hail and wind.
- Who pays for it: Beginning in 2027, insurers that sell multiperil homeowners policies in Colorado pay a fee equal to 0.5 percent of the premium they collected in the prior year. The law does not allow insurers to add a surcharge to policyholders to cover the fee.
- How much money: Total fee revenue is capped at $100 million over the first five fiscal years. The Colorado Sun reported that first-year revenue is expected to be about $30.2 million.
- Where the money goes: At least 85 percent of fee revenue must go to grants for Colorado homeowners. The enterprise can also fund training and certification for the contractors who install and certify resilient roofs.
- Who runs it: A seven-member board that includes the Colorado Insurance Commissioner and members with expertise in home hardening, resilient roofing, insurance, and consumer and county interests.
- Insurance discounts: Insurers must show in their rate filings that savings from resilient roofs are passed through to homeowners as discounts or lower premiums.
When Will Grants Be Available?
Not yet. The insurer fee does not begin until 2027, and the board still has to adopt rules for applications, eligibility, qualifying roofs, and inspections. In July 2026, the Colorado Sun reported that the board was expected to be in place by the end of 2026, which means the earliest grants could start is 2027.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| June 4, 2026 | SB 26-155 signed into law |
| Late 2026 (expected) | Seven-member enterprise board seated |
| 2027 | Insurer fee begins; earliest possible grant awards |
| No sooner than January 1, 2027 | Insurers begin annual reporting on resilient roofs, discounts, and hail and wind claims |
| July 1, 2028 | First annual enterprise report due |
Excel Roofing recommends that homeowners treat the grant as a future incentive rather than a reason to delay. A roof that is leaking or already hail damaged will not get cheaper while it waits, and Colorado hail season returns every spring.
Who Will Qualify for a Grant?
The final eligibility rules belong to the board, but the law sets the starting point. Grants must prioritize homes that are the applicant's primary residence. The board will also weigh other criteria, including the applicant's income, the age of the roof, and the size of the home. The enterprise will analyze hail loss data across Colorado to target the areas where resilient roofs save the most.
Based on the law as written, the homeowners most likely to rank high are owner-occupants with older roofs in hail-prone areas of the Front Range, along with lower-income households who would struggle to pay for an upgrade on their own.
How Much Could a Grant Pay?
No dollar amount is set in the law. Colorado Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway told the Colorado Sun that grants could be around $7,500 to $10,000 to help people fortify their roofs against hail.
Conway also explained the thinking behind that range. Industry estimates put the added cost of upgrading a standard roof to a fortified roof on a 2,000-square-foot home at $3,000 to $5,000, so a grant could cover all or most of the upgrade cost. It will not pay for an entire new roof, and it is designed as an incentive to choose a more resilient system when a roof is replaced.
For context, Excel Roofing's published 2026 Denver metro pricing shows the gap between a Class 3 and a Class 4 asphalt shingle on a 30-square roof at roughly $2,100 to $2,850, which falls inside the upgrade range Conway described. Full pricing is in Excel Roofing's Colorado roof cost guide.
What Counts as a Resilient Roof?
The board will set the standards for qualifying roof systems by rule, and those standards are meant to be something insurers can rely on. An earlier version of the bill pointed to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) FORTIFIED program or a similar science-based, verifiable certification, with the final choice left to the board.
The IBHS FORTIFIED hail standard tests full-size roofs with 2-inch ice balls, and the roof must survive two impacts in the same spot. Metal roofs are tested with 2-inch steel balls, and IBHS notes that metal may still show cosmetic dents after impacts it survives.
Until the board publishes its rules, the closest everyday benchmark is the UL 2218 Class 4 impact rating, the highest rating a roofing product can earn in that test. Excel Roofing's Good, Better, Best estimates already treat Class 4 as the line between a standard roof and a hail-resistant one:
- Class 4 asphalt shingles, such as Owens Corning Duration Storm IR and Duration FLEX IR
- Stone-coated steel, which carries a Class 4 impact rating
- Concrete tile, standing seam metal, and synthetic polymer systems with Class 4 ratings
Excel Roofing expects inspection and documentation to matter as much as the product itself. The commissioner has said the program will require inspections, so a homeowner who installs a Class 4 roof today should keep the product name, the impact rating, the installation date, and the permit record in one place.
Insurance Discounts: What Changes for Homeowners
SB 26-155 affects homeowners even if they never apply for a grant. Insurers must demonstrate in rate filings that resilient roof savings reach policyholders through discounts or reduced premiums. Beginning no sooner than January 1, 2027, insurers must also report each year how many insured homes have a resilient roof, the discount applied, and how hail and wind claims compare between homes with and without one.
That reporting matters because discounts for impact-resistant roofs vary widely from carrier to carrier today. Excel Roofing's Class 4 shingle guide explains how current discounts work and the cosmetic damage exclusions some policies attach to them.
A Rule for Contractors: No Deductible Waivers
The law prohibits a contractor that receives grant money from waiving a homeowner's deductible. That lines up with an existing Colorado rule. Under C.R.S. 6-22-105, a roofing contractor cannot advertise or promise to pay, waive, or rebate any part of a homeowner's insurance deductible. A contractor offering to cover a deductible is a red flag whether or not a grant is involved.
What Colorado Homeowners Should Do Now
- Get the roof inspected. Hail damage is often invisible from the ground. A free inspection shows whether the roof needs nothing, a repair, or a replacement, and whether an insurance claim makes sense. Excel Roofing's guide to what to expect from a roof inspection walks through the process.
- Do not delay a needed replacement for the grant. The law has not defined whether roofs installed before the program opens will qualify, so homeowners should not assume a grant can be applied retroactively.
- Choose Class 4 when replacing. A Class 4 roof is the most likely to match whatever standard the board adopts, and it can qualify for insurer discounts now.
- Keep the paperwork. Save the contract, the product certificate showing the impact rating, the permit, and the final invoice. Insurers ask for this proof before applying a discount.
- Call the insurance agent. Ask what discount the carrier gives for a Class 4 roof and what proof it requires.
- Watch the Division of Insurance. Application timing and eligibility will be announced by the Colorado Division of Insurance once the board adopts its rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Colorado SB 26-155?
SB 26-155 is a 2026 Colorado law that creates the Strengthen Colorado Homes Enterprise in the Division of Insurance. The enterprise collects a fee from homeowners insurers and uses at least 85 percent of it to fund grants that help homeowners install hail- and wind-resistant roof systems.
Can Colorado homeowners apply for a hail-resistant roof grant today?
No. The insurer fee that funds the grants begins in 2027, and the enterprise board must still adopt rules for applications and eligibility. The earliest grants are expected is 2027.
How much will a Strengthen Colorado Homes grant be?
The law does not set an amount. Colorado Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway has said grants could be around $7,500 to $10,000, which is meant to cover all or most of the added cost of upgrading to a fortified roof rather than an entire roof replacement.
Who gets priority for the roof grants?
The law requires the board to prioritize the applicant's primary residence and to consider factors including income, roof age, and home size. Final scoring rules will come from the board.
Does a Class 4 roof qualify as a resilient roof under SB 26-155?
The board has not published its standard yet. An earlier version of the bill referenced the IBHS FORTIFIED program or a similar verifiable certification. A Class 4 impact-rated roof is the closest current benchmark and is the safest choice for a homeowner replacing a roof now.
Will SB 26-155 lower homeowners insurance premiums?
The law requires insurers to show that savings from resilient roofs are passed through to homeowners as discounts or lower premiums. The Colorado Division of Insurance estimates hail mitigation could save an average of $82 to $387 per year, depending on the home and carrier.
Should a homeowner wait for the grant before replacing a damaged roof?
Excel Roofing does not recommend it. A damaged roof can leak and lead to interior damage while it waits, grant timing and retroactivity are undecided, and hail season returns every spring. Installing a Class 4 roof and keeping the documentation gives the homeowner the insurance benefit now.
Can a roofing contractor cover the insurance deductible on a grant-funded roof?
No. SB 26-155 prohibits contractors that receive grant money from waiving deductibles, and Colorado law already bars roofing contractors from paying, waiving, or rebating a homeowner's deductible.
Get a Class 4 Roof Estimate From Excel Roofing
Excel Roofing has served Colorado and Wyoming homeowners since 1993 and has completed more than 55,000 projects. As an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor since 2012, Excel Roofing installs Class 4 asphalt, stone-coated steel, concrete tile, and synthetic roofing, and every estimate shows Good, Better, and Best options side by side so the cost of a hail-resistant upgrade is clear.
Homeowners can call (303) 761-6400 or use the online scheduler to book a free inspection. Financing is available, including 12 months at 0 percent deferred interest, subject to credit approval.
Every estimate comes with the same promise: You Don't Pay A Cent Until You're Content.
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