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Biloxi, Harrison County · Updated September 2026A FORTIFIED roof in Biloxi can save more than almost anywhere in Mississippi, because homeowners there pay some of the steepest wind premiums on the Coast. Biloxi also adopted the 2024 building code and a high-wind construction standard in 2025.
| Rule | What it means for your roof | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 International Building Code | Adopted in applicable part by the city council in 2025 (Ord. 2583). | City council, May to Jun 2025 |
| ICC 600 (2020) high-wind standard | Biloxi adopted the ICC standard for residential construction in high-wind regions (Ord. 2584). It isn’t the same as FORTIFIED, and it doesn’t earn a FORTIFIED discount on its own. | City council, May to Jun 2025 |
| Historic district review | Roof work in the West Central Historic District goes to the Architectural and Historical Review Commission. Recent agendas list “like for like” shingle replacements and a switch from shingles to metal. | AHRC agendas, 2024 to 2025 |
| Permit fee | $25 for the first $1,000 of project value plus $5 per additional $1,000, up to $100,000. On a $15,000 re-roof that’s about $95. | City fee schedule |
| Contractor licence | A state residential licence is required for roofing jobs over $10,000. Building division: 228-435-6270. | City of Biloxi |
| Flood zone rule | Nearly half of Biloxi is in a flood zone. If work costs 50% or more of the building’s value, it must meet new-build rules. A re-roof alone rarely hits that, but a big storm rebuild can. | City flood notice, 2021 |
None of the city’s code documents mention FORTIFIED. If you’re applying for the grant, ask the Insurance Department to confirm your address meets its building-code rule.
Katrina destroyed or made uninhabitable about 80% of East Biloxi’s housing, according to the city’s 2009 plan. Much of what stands there now was built after 2005 to newer codes. Those homes are often the cheapest to fortify.
The older neighbourhoods further west and north tell a different story. About 62% of Biloxi’s homes were built before 2000, and a fifth date from 1940 to 1969. In the historic districts, you may also need commission approval for the roof material itself.
Age shares: NeighborhoodScout from Census data, Q4 2025. Home value: US Census QuickFacts, 2020 to 2024.
Keesler AFB in Biloxi recorded 85-knot gusts. “Almost total devastation” south of the railroad near Point Cadet and Casino Row. NHC / WLBT
Harrison County in the FEMA-4081 disaster declaration. Federal Register
Biloxi recorded 56-knot sustained winds and 78-knot gusts. NHC, 2021
Heaviest rain on the Coast fell around Biloxi. NWS New Orleans
It’s getting harder and harder to justify living in this area.
A Biloxi homeowner on her insurance costs, Mississippi Today, October 2025If your wind cover is with the wind pool and you’ve held it for 3+ policy years, apply for the grant now. It covers up to $10,000 of the roof.
If not, get a quote anyway. At Biloxi premiums, paying the FORTIFIED premium yourself can pay back within a few years.
No. Biloxi adopted the ICC 600 high-wind standard in 2025, but a FORTIFIED designation needs an IBHS evaluator to document the work and issue a certificate. Only the certificate earns the discount.
Roof work in the West Central Historic District is reviewed by the Architectural and Historical Review Commission. Check with the city before choosing materials.
The city fee schedule charges $25 for the first $1,000 of project value plus $5 per additional $1,000. A $15,000 re-roof works out at about $95.
Yes, if your wind cover has been with the MWUA wind pool for three consecutive policy years. Everyone else can apply in the statewide phase, planned from 1 January 2027.
With wind and hail premiums of $5,000 to $6,000 a year reported for $250,000 homes, a 20% wind pool credit is worth roughly $1,000 to $1,200 a year.
We’ll pass your details to one FORTIFIED-certified roofer serving Biloxi. Also see FORTIFIED roofs in Gulfport and what it costs.