Policy shifts roofers should watch

By The Coffee Shops™. 

Updates on mortgage insurance rules, tariffs and regulatory reform as of March 2026. 

Currently, there are a variety of federal level polices that are getting debated and developed that could change the way contractors handle insurance, material costs, workplace management and jobsite planning. In a March 2026 government relations update, Tile Roofing Industry Alliance (TRI Alliance) lobbyist Craig Brightup gave a helpful overview of some of these polices:  

1 – Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac  

One of the most direct updates for roofing professionals involves homeowner insurance rules connected to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) regulates Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Federal Home Loan Banks, which are government-sponsored enterprises that provide more than $8.5 trillion for U.S. mortgage markets. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage rules for coverage have been revised and now allow the use of Actual Cash Value for roofs rather than the previous full Replacement Cost Value coverage.  

2 – IEEPA tariff refunds 

Brightup also noted movement on tariffs. On February 20, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued a 6-3 decision that President Trump’s tariffs using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were not legal. After this decision, President Trump then replaced those tariffs with 10% tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which are limited to 150 days unless extended by Congress.  

Craig does not believe this extension will happen and instead explains that the administration is using that window to pursue replacement tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.  

At the same time, a judge on the Court of International Trade has given Customs and Border Protection until April 20 to develop a refund system for more than 300,000 entities that paid International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs. 

3 – Regulatory reform 

Regulatory changes are also underway.  

The National Labor Relations Board withdrew Biden’s joint-employer rule and reinstated a Trump 1.0 rule under the National Labor Relations Act. The Wage and Hour Division is expected to publish a new joint-employer rule under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Family and Medical Leave Act, while the Department of Labor released a proposed rulemaking to rescind Biden’s independent contractor regulations and replace them with Trump 1.0 regulations. 

Other updates included a letter from 15 Republican senators urging the secretary of labor to “ditch” the Biden Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Rule, the Environmental Protection Agency revoking a 2009 greenhouse gas endangerment finding and a DHS shutdown that began February 13 after Senate Democrats balked at funding the department over Immigration and Customs Enforcement issues. 

Learn more about these developments by reading Craig’s article.