Class 4 Shingles Insurance Discount Form Requirements

A Class 4 shingles insurance discount form is a short certification document your roofing contractor fills out and signs, stating that an impact-resistant product rated under UL 2218 or FM 4473 was installed across your entire roof. You submit it to your insurer with supporting proof: a packaging label, the paid invoice listing the product by name, and the contractor’s license information. The discount, typically 10% to 30% off your wind and hail premium, does not apply until underwriting approves the paperwork.

What the Form Asks For

Each carrier publishes its own version, but the content is consistent. State Farm’s “Roofing Installation Information and Certification for Reduction in Residential Insurance Premiums” is one of the most widely used templates and a reasonable guide to what any insurer will want.¹ Other insurers make their forms available through customer portals or your agent.

The form has two parts. You complete the top: property address, policy number, basic owner information. Your contractor completes the rest, and the contractor’s section is where underwriting focuses.

The contractor must certify in writing that:

The impact-resistant product was installed over the entire roof surface, including hips, ridges, and ridge vent systems. Partial coverage disqualifies the discount.
The product was not laid over existing roofing material. Qualifying metal roofs are the only exception.
The finished roof is free of defects or damage, including any pre-existing hail damage.
Every individual shingle, tile, or panel carries a separate label showing the UL 2218 or FM 4473 classification, the manufacturer’s name, and the brand name.
A packaging label has been provided to the homeowner.

That last item causes more trouble than any other. If your roofer bagged the empty packaging and sent it to the landfill before you knew to ask, you’re missing a document the underwriter expects to see.²

The contractor also provides a professional license or registration number. Leaving that field blank is a routine reason for an application to come back unprocessed.

Supporting Documents to Submit With the Form

The signed form alone is rarely enough. Build a packet before you contact your agent.

At least one packaging label from the shingle bundles that shows the UL or FM classification, product name, and manufacturer. A clear photograph is acceptable when the physical label isn’t available.
The paid-in-full invoice from the roofing contractor, with the specific Class 4 product named by brand and product line, not just described generically as “impact-resistant shingles.”
The installer’s license or registration number, which also appears on the form itself.
A certificate of completion, if your contractor provides one. Some underwriters request this as a secondary verification.

Tell your contractor before the job starts that you need these items for an insurance discount. Roofers who regularly install Class 4 products know the drill. Those who don’t may throw away the one label you needed.

What Qualifies as a Class 4 Product

Class 4 is the highest impact-resistance grade available under the two testing standards insurers recognize: UL 2218, which uses steel balls dropped from set heights, and FM 4473, which propels freezer ice balls at rigid roofing materials like slate, concrete tile, and clay.³⁴ Insurers accept either standard.

Standard three-tab asphalt shingles almost never pass. Qualifying products are usually polymer-modified (SBS rubber) asphalt shingles, certain metal panels in copper, aluminum, or steel, heavy concrete tiles, and some synthetic polymer shakes. Because a Class 4 shingle looks identical to a regular architectural shingle once installed, the labeling on the packaging is the only reliable proof the product qualifies, and it must show the UL 2218 or FM 4473 classification along with the manufacturer, date of manufacture, and brand name.⁵ One Class 4 product in a manufacturer’s catalog doesn’t mean every product in that catalog qualifies, so verify the specific line.

How to Submit the Packet

Send the completed form and supporting documents to your agent or directly to the carrier’s underwriting department. Most insurers accept uploads through a customer web portal or mobile app. Email and certified mail are usually options too. Certified mail gives you a delivery receipt, which matters if a dispute arises later about what the insurer received and when.

Processing times vary. No carrier publishes a guaranteed turnaround. When the discount is approved, it usually appears as a prorated credit on the current policy or as a reduced premium on the next renewal. If a full billing cycle passes with no adjustment, call your agent. Applications sit in queues, and a nudge often moves one along.

Common Reasons the Discount Gets Denied

Denials happen more often than homeowners expect, and most come down to paperwork rather than the roof itself.

Blank fields on the form, an unsigned contractor section, or a missing license number. Review every line before submitting.
The product isn’t on the carrier’s approved list. Insurers maintain their own lists, and not every Class 4 shingle appears on every list. Check before installation if the discount is a deciding factor.
Partial coverage. If Class 4 shingles cover the main field but standard shingles were used on hips, ridges, or starter courses, the form’s “entire roof surface” certification fails.
Overlay installation. Laying new Class 4 shingles over an existing roof disqualifies the discount with most carriers. The old roof must come off first.
No packaging label on file. Without a label from the actual product packaging, you’re asking the underwriter to take the contractor’s word alone, and some won’t.

If a denial arrives, ask for the specific reason in writing. Most are fixable by resubmitting the missing piece. If the reason looks wrong, escalate to a supervisor or ask your agent to intervene. The first reviewer isn’t always the one with the deepest knowledge of impact-resistance underwriting.

Applying for a Roof That’s Already Installed

You don’t need a brand-new roof to apply. If Class 4 products are already on your home, you can still request the discount, but the documentation burden shifts to you. You’ll need the same certification form completed and the same product verification.

If the original installer is still in business, request a copy of the installation records and product specifications. If the labels are long gone and the contractor has closed, a qualified roof inspector may be able to identify the product by examining the manufacturer markings on individual shingles.

Condition matters. The contractor signing the form attests the roof is “free of defects or damage,” so an older Class 4 roof with significant granule loss, visible hail damage, or other deterioration may not pass review even if the original product qualified.²

1
State Farm. Homeowner Insurance Discounts
2
State Farm. Roofing Installation Information and Certification for Reduction in Residential Insurance Premiums
3
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. Relative Impact Resistance of Asphalt Shingles
4
GlobalSpec. FM 4473 – Impact Resistance Testing of Rigid Roofing Materials by Impacting with Freezer Ice Balls
5
Texas Department of Insurance. Products Qualifying for Impact-Resistant Roofing Credits