Class 4 Shingle Insurance Discount in Arkansas: How to Ask Your Agent

Yes, many insurers in Arkansas give a discount for a roof with UL 2218 Class 4 impact-rated shingles, but no Arkansas law makes them give one for Class 4 shingles alone, and the size of the credit varies by company. The only way to know your number is to ask your agent before you pick shingles, and to get your premium quoted both ways. A separate rule does apply here: since July 1, 2026, Arkansas law requires insurers to offer an actuarially justified discount on a home certified to the IBHS FORTIFIED standard. This guide gives you the questions to ask, the papers to send and the difference between the two.

This is general information to help you know what to ask. It is not insurance advice. Your own policy and your insurance company decide what is covered and what discounts apply.

Class 4 shingles and a FORTIFIED roof are not the same thing

• A Class 4 shingle is a product rating. UL 2218 is the impact test, and Class 4 is its highest rating. Whether your insurer gives a credit for it, and how much, is up to that insurer.
• A FORTIFIED Roof is a whole-roof construction standard from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS). IBHS says it calls for ring-shank nails in an enhanced pattern, a sealed roof deck, a wider drip edge with a fully adhered starter strip, and a roof cover that meets the top wind ratings. Its optional hail supplement adds impact requirements. The home is checked by a certified evaluator and gets a designation.

	Class 4 shingles	FORTIFIED Roof
What it is	A shingle's UL 2218 impact rating	A construction standard for the whole roof, checked by an evaluator
Arkansas discount rule	None required by law; each insurer decides	Required if actuarially justified, on policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2026 (Act 427 of 2025)
Proof insurers usually ask for	Invoice naming the product, the rating label, any insurer form	The FORTIFIED certificate of compliance

What Arkansas law says, in plain words

Act 427 of 2025, the Strengthen Arkansas Homes Act (Arkansas Code 23-88-601 to 610), was signed on April 3, 2025. The parts that matter at renewal time:

• For a home certified compliant with the current FORTIFIED standard, an insurer shall provide a premium discount or rate reduction if the discount is actuarially justified, and must apply it once it receives a copy of the certificate of compliance. The amount still comes from the insurer's own rate filing.
• For a single-family home that is not FORTIFIED, insurers must offer an optional endorsement that pays to upgrade the roof when a covered claim requires a roof replacement.
• Both apply to policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2026.
• The Act also creates a state grant program for FORTIFIED upgrades through the Arkansas Insurance Department. When we checked on November 12, 2026, Smart Home America's Arkansas page listed the program as "Coming Soon", with applications not yet open.

Nothing in the Act requires a discount for Class 4 shingles on their own. That credit, where it exists, comes from the insurer.

When to call your agent

Call twice: once before you choose a roof, and once after it is on.

Call 1: before you sign for a new roof

This is the call that decides whether an upgrade to Class 4 makes sense for you. Ask these questions and write down the answers, with the agent's name and the date:

1. Do you give a discount or premium credit for a roof with UL 2218 Class 4 shingles?
2. Can you quote my premium with my current roof, with a standard architectural shingle and with a Class 4 shingle, so I can see the dollar difference?
3. Does a Class 3 shingle earn any credit, or only Class 4?
4. Do you keep a list of approved products? If so, is the shingle I am considering on it?
5. What proof do you need after the roof is installed, and is there a form?
6. Does the discount come with any change to my coverage, such as a cosmetic damage exclusion or a different roof payment schedule? Please show me the endorsement.
7. Do you give a discount for a FORTIFIED Roof designation, and do you offer the roof upgrade endorsement under Act 427?
8. When does the credit start: right away, or at my next renewal?
9. What is my wind and hail deductible in dollars, and does the new roof change it?

Question 6 matters. Some policies treat hail dents that do not affect how a roof sheds water differently from damage that does. Read any roof endorsement before you count on a discount. Our post on cosmetic vs functional hail damage explains the difference.

Call 2: after the roof is installed

Your insurer will not know about the new roof unless you tell it. Call or email your agent, say the roof is done, and send the proof they asked for in call 1. Then check your next renewal or revised declarations page to make sure the credit and the new roof age are on it. A newer roof also matters on its own: since 2023 Arkansas has allowed roof payment schedules on roofs 7 years or older, which our post on older roofs and insurance in Arkansas covers.

What to send your agent

Requirements vary, but most insurers want some mix of these:

• The final invoice from your roofer, naming the shingle maker and the exact product line, not just "impact shingles".
• The rating label from the shingle wrapper or the product literature, showing UL 2218 Class 4.
• Photos of the installed roof. On a full roof replacement we take 250 to 1,000 photos of the work, and you get a link where you can view, download and keep every one of them.
• Any form the insurer uses for impact-resistant roofs.
• A FORTIFIED certificate of compliance, only if you went through the FORTIFIED program.

An example of what an insurer list looks like: State Farm publishes a "Roofing: Premium Credits Product Listing" (last revised March 1, 2026) that includes Arkansas among its states. It lists Atlas Pinnacle Impact and Atlas StormMaster Shake as Class 4 under UL 2218, and it says only products bearing the proper certification label are eligible. Every insurer sets its own rules, so ask yours, even if you are not with State Farm.

What Patriot installs and how it fits

Patriot Roofing and Restoration installs Atlas shingles as its primary line, and we are an Atlas PRO+ contractor at the Gold level. Our roof packages line up with the questions above like this:

• Guardian: a Class 4 impact-rated shingle under UL 2218, rated for hail up to 2 inches, with impact-rated hip and ridge and ice and water at the eaves, valleys and penetrations. It may qualify for a homeowners insurance discount; that varies by insurer. Backed by a 10-year Patriot Leak Free Guarantee.
• Defender: a Class 3 impact-rated architectural shingle, rated for hail up to 1-3/4 inches. Ask your agent whether Class 3 earns any credit with your company. Backed by a 5-year Patriot Leak Free Guarantee.
• Shield: a standard architectural shingle that is not impact rated. Backed by a 2-year Patriot Leak Free Guarantee.
• Armor: a 26-gauge PBR steel panel roof, rated for hail up to 2 inches. Insurers rate metal roofs in different ways, so ask how yours treats it. Backed by a 15-year Patriot Leak Free Guarantee.

See all four on our asphalt shingle roofing page and the guide to impact-resistant shingles. For how discounts and wind and hail deductibles work in general, read can impact-resistant shingles lower your insurance in Arkansas.

A good way to decide: take the yearly dollar difference your agent quotes, multiply it by the years you plan to stay, and compare that with the price difference between packages on your written estimate.

If your roof is being replaced on an insurance claim

An upgrade from what the insurer pays for to a Class 4 shingle is an upgrade you pay for. On a claim, the homeowner's share usually includes the deductible, any decking the insurer does not pay for, and upgrades. Your deductible is your responsibility under your policy: Patriot follows Arkansas HB 1308 (2025) on deductibles and never waives, absorbs or pays one. Arkansas Code 23-66-501 to 513 requires that what is sent to an insurer is true, so what your insurer is told about the work and what you paid must match what actually happened. If you have the optional Act 427 roof upgrade endorsement on a policy renewed after July 1, 2026, ask your agent how it would apply before the work starts. See storm damage repair for how we work with your insurance company.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Class 4 roof discount in Arkansas?

There is no set amount. Each insurer files its own rates, so the credit can be different from one company to the next, or zero. Ask your agent for a quote with and without a Class 4 roof to see your own number.

Does Arkansas require insurers to give a discount for impact-resistant shingles?

Not for Class 4 shingles on their own. Act 427 of 2025 requires an actuarially justified discount for a home certified to the FORTIFIED standard, on policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2026.

Will Class 3 shingles get me a discount?

Some insurers credit only Class 4. Ask yours before you choose between our Defender (Class 3) and Guardian (Class 4) packages.

Can I get the discount if my roof is already installed?

Often, yes, if you can prove what is on the roof. Find your invoice, any wrapper label or product sheet, and your job photos, and ask your agent what they accept.

Get your options in writing

Book a free storm or replacement inspection and you get the 21-Point Roof Inspection Report with photos, plus written prices for each package, so you can take real numbers to your agent. Contact us or call 501.441.2900.

This article is general information about roofing and insurance in Arkansas, not insurance advice. Coverage, discounts, deductibles and claim deadlines vary by policy and by carrier. Confirm your own coverage with your insurance agent before you make a decision.