Which Texas counties require windstorm certification

Entire counties: Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Willacy. [1]

Partial: Harris County, limited to the parts of La Porte, Morgan's Point, Pasadena, Seabrook and Shoreacres inside city limits and east of State Highway 146. [1] [2]

Not included, despite how often people assume otherwise: Montgomery, Liberty, Waller, Fort Bend, and the rest of Harris County including Houston proper. [1]

Aransas County: yes, the whole county is in the designated catastrophe area, so a new house needs windstorm certification for TWIA coverage. [1]

Brazoria County: yes, the whole county is in the designated catastrophe area, so a new house needs windstorm certification for TWIA coverage. [1]

Calhoun County: yes, the whole county is in the designated catastrophe area, so a new house needs windstorm certification for TWIA coverage. [1]

Cameron County: yes, the whole county is in the designated catastrophe area, so a new house needs windstorm certification for TWIA coverage. [1]

Chambers County: yes, the whole county is in the designated catastrophe area, so a new house needs windstorm certification for TWIA coverage. [1]

Galveston County: yes, the whole county is in the designated catastrophe area, so a new house needs windstorm certification for TWIA coverage. [1]

Jefferson County: yes, the whole county is in the designated catastrophe area, so a new house needs windstorm certification for TWIA coverage. [1]

Kenedy County: yes, the whole county is in the designated catastrophe area, so a new house needs windstorm certification for TWIA coverage. [1]

Kleberg County: yes, the whole county is in the designated catastrophe area, so a new house needs windstorm certification for TWIA coverage. [1]

Matagorda County: yes, the whole county is in the designated catastrophe area, so a new house needs windstorm certification for TWIA coverage. [1]

Nueces County: yes, the whole county is in the designated catastrophe area, so a new house needs windstorm certification for TWIA coverage. [1]

Refugio County: yes, the whole county is in the designated catastrophe area, so a new house needs windstorm certification for TWIA coverage. [1]

San Patricio County: yes, the whole county is in the designated catastrophe area, so a new house needs windstorm certification for TWIA coverage. [1]

Willacy County: yes, the whole county is in the designated catastrophe area, so a new house needs windstorm certification for TWIA coverage. [1]

Harris County: only the parts of La Porte, Morgan's Point, Pasadena, Seabrook and Shoreacres inside city limits and east of State Highway 146. Houston proper and the rest of the county: no. [1] [2]

Montgomery, Liberty, Waller and Fort Bend counties: no, none is in the designated catastrophe area. [1]

To qualify for wind and hail insurance through the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), new structures and alterations, additions or repairs in the area must be built and inspected to the building specifications TDI has adopted. [1] TWIA requires a certificate of compliance, the WPI-8 or one of its variants, on structures built or changed on or after January 1, 1988. [2]

TWIA is where homeowners go when they cannot get wind coverage privately. [4] If you are building outside the designated area, there is no WPI-8 to get and no benefit to pretending otherwise.

You apply to TDI with Form WPI-1 before construction begins. [3] This is the step people miss: work finished without inspections needs a post-construction inspection by an appointed engineer, and TDI notes that a completed structure is harder to inspect and may cost more. [3] [4]

Inspections happen during the work, by either a TDI inspector or a TDI appointed Texas licensed professional engineer. [3]

The appointed engineer should submit the WPI-2 inspection forms to TDI, and once all the inspections are approved, TDI issues the WPI-8 certificate of compliance. [3]

TDI inspectors do not charge an inspection fee, and they can inspect non-structural work, including most repairs, alterations and re-roofs. [3]

TDI does not regulate or track appointed engineers' inspection rates. [3] The price depends on the engineer and the job, so get a written quote before construction starts.

Budget it as a line item from the start if you are building in the designated catastrophe area and will want TWIA coverage. [1]