A Texas windstorm certificate of compliance is the document that proves a coastal building meets the wind-resistance standards required for insurance through the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA). The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) issues it as Form WPI-8 for new or ongoing construction and Form WPI-8-E for completed construction. Without a valid certificate, most properties in the state’s designated catastrophe area can’t get a TWIA policy.1Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Windstorm Certification You get one by filing Form WPI-1, having a qualified inspector verify the work meets the applicable building code, and receiving the certificate from TDI.
Where the Certificate Is Required
The requirement applies to properties in the state’s catastrophe area. Under Texas Insurance Code Section 2210.003, that area covers fourteen coastal counties: Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, and Willacy. It also includes the portion of Harris County east of State Highway 146, plus the city of Seabrook west of Highway 146.2State of Texas. Texas Insurance Code Chapter 2210 The Seabrook inclusion is easy to overlook if you’re only thinking about the Highway 146 dividing line.
If your property sits inside these boundaries, TWIA will require a certificate before writing a policy.3Texas Department of Insurance. What You Need to Know About Windstorm Inspections
Which Projects Need a Certificate
Most new construction, roof replacements, major repairs, and other alterations that affect a building’s wind resistance require inspection and certification.3Texas Department of Insurance. What You Need to Know About Windstorm Inspections The practical test is whether the work changes the structural envelope or load path. Adding a room, replacing a roof, or swapping out windows and their frames all qualify. If you’re unsure, err on the side of an inspection. Skipping one can leave the property uninsurable through TWIA.
Repairs That Don’t Require an Inspection
TDI publishes a list of work that falls below the certification threshold. These are generally cosmetic or minor repairs that don’t affect wind resistance:
- Interior work such as painting, carpeting, refinishing, or replacing cabinets and non-load-bearing partitions
- Routine plumbing and electrical repairs, including preformed flange replacement
- Gutter repair or replacement, fence repairs, and fascia repairs
- Roof repairs under 100 square feet that don’t involve decking or framing
- Pre-storm protective measures and temporary post-storm repairs
- Decorative shutter replacement, storm or screen door replacement over an existing exterior door, stair and wheelchair ramp repairs, and wall covering replacement affecting less than 10% of a wall’s surface
Window glass and exterior door replacement also skip the inspection requirement, but only if the frames stay in place and the replaced area is less than 10% of that wall’s surface.4Texas Department of Insurance. Home Repairs That Don’t Require a Windstorm Inspection Touch the frames or cross the 10% threshold and certification is back on the table.
How to Get the Certificate
File Form WPI-1
The process starts with Form WPI-1, the Application for Certificate of Compliance. The form captures the project address, structure type, and scope of work.5Cornell Law Institute. Texas Administrative Code 28 – 5.4603 Windstorm Inspection Forms Design documents have to account for the wind pressure standards that apply at your specific location under the building code TDI has adopted.6Texas Department of Insurance. Adopted Building Codes
Hire a Qualified Inspector
Inspections can be performed by a TDI-employed windstorm inspector or by an appointed Texas-licensed professional engineer. TDI publishes a searchable list of appointed qualified inspectors, along with the types of inspections each performs, through its online windstorm system.7Texas Department of Insurance. Appointed Inspectors For smaller projects, a TDI field office may be able to inspect directly, so it’s worth contacting the office nearest the project to ask.
TDI does not regulate the fees appointed engineers charge.8Texas Department of Insurance. What Is the Windstorm Inspection Process Rates vary with size and complexity, so get quotes from more than one inspector before committing.
Inspection and Issuance
For ongoing construction, the inspector makes site visits as work progresses, checking structural connections, bracing, and the building envelope against your approved design. When the work is finished and the inspector is satisfied, they submit a final report to TDI through the state’s electronic portal. If everything meets code, TDI issues the WPI-8.3Texas Department of Insurance. What You Need to Know About Windstorm Inspections
WPI-8 vs. WPI-8-E
Two current certificates cover different situations:
- WPI-8 is issued for new and ongoing construction, where a qualified inspector observes the work as it happens.
- WPI-8-E is issued for completed construction. If the work finished before an inspector was involved, a Texas-licensed professional engineer can evaluate the structure after the fact and submit findings to TDI.
Both certificates carry the same weight for TWIA eligibility.3Texas Department of Insurance. What You Need to Know About Windstorm Inspections The WPI-8-E route tends to cost more and take longer, because the engineer may have to open walls or use other methods to verify hidden connections. Getting inspected during construction is almost always the smoother path.
You may also come across a WPI-8-C. That was a certificate issued by TWIA (not TDI) for completed improvements between January 1, 2017, and May 31, 2020. Since June 1, 2020, all certificates of compliance come from TDI.1Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Windstorm Certification
Why the Certificate Matters for TWIA Coverage
Texas Insurance Code Section 2210.251 makes the certificate the legal prerequisite for TWIA insurability. It demonstrates that the structure complies with the applicable building code and can be insured by the association.9State of Texas. Texas Insurance Code 2210-251 Without it, TWIA treats the property as uninsurable and won’t write a new policy or renew an existing one.1Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Windstorm Certification
If TWIA is off the table, coverage has to come from the private market, where coastal windstorm premiums typically run much higher. That gap can add thousands of dollars a year to your insurance for as long as you own the property, which usually makes the inspection cost the smaller of the two numbers.
Two Narrow Exceptions
TWIA recognizes two situations where a property can be covered without a current WPI-8. Residential structures built between 1988 and June 18, 2009, that were never certified may still qualify for TWIA, but they pay a 15% surcharge on top of the standard premium. Separately, residential properties that were insured by a private-market carrier on or after June 19, 2009, and were later non-renewed or cancelled by that carrier, may qualify for TWIA even without a WPI-8 at the time of cancellation.1Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Windstorm Certification Outside these two situations, no certificate means no TWIA policy.
Looking Up a Certificate Before You Buy
TDI’s online windstorm system lets anyone search for, view, and print WPI-8 and WPI-8-E certificates. You can search by certificate number, application number, or partial street address combined with a city, zip code, or county.10Texas Department of Insurance. Windstorm System Information For older WPI-8-C certificates issued by TWIA between 2017 and 2020, use the TWIA certificate lookup tool instead.1Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Windstorm Certification
Texas Property Code Section 5.008 requires residential sellers to give buyers a written disclosure of the property’s condition, but the statute doesn’t include a specific line item for windstorm certification.11State of Texas. Texas Property Code 5-008 Sellers Disclosure of Property Condition Buyers in the catastrophe area need to verify certificate status through TDI’s lookup themselves rather than counting on the disclosure form to raise it.
Run the search before you commit. A coastal property without a certificate in good standing can leave you paying the 15% TWIA surcharge if it qualifies for the older-home exception, arranging a post-construction engineering review to get a WPI-8-E, or paying private-market rates while you sort it out.