If your home is in the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) designated catastrophe area, new or replacement exterior doors and windows generally need to be inspected for compliance with the windstorm building code. The result is a certificate of compliance, and according to TDI, most homes need one to buy a policy through the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA). TWIA covers wind and hail for many coastal homeowners who cannot get that coverage from a private insurer.
If you are replacing a front door, adding a patio door, or building new on the Texas coast, here is what windstorm certification is, how it affects your insurance, and what to check before you buy.
What Is Windstorm Certification?
TDI runs the windstorm inspection program for the Texas coast. When a home in the designated catastrophe area is built, repaired, or altered, the work is inspected against the applicable building code. If it complies, TDI issues a certificate of compliance. There are two types:
- WPI-8: Issued for ongoing construction. The inspection is done while the work is underway, by a TDI-appointed Texas licensed professional engineer or a TDI windstorm inspector.
- WPI-8-E: Issued for completed construction. The inspection is done after the work is finished, by a Texas licensed professional engineer. TDI notes that inspecting a finished project is more difficult and may cost more.
The certificate covers the work, not a product brand. A certified door or window is one that was installed according to an approved product evaluation and passed inspection. The product has to qualify, and the installation has to match what was tested.
Where Does It Apply?
The TDI designated catastrophe area covers 14 coastal counties: Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, and Willacy. It also covers parts of Harris County east of Highway 146.
If you are unsure whether your address is included, check the TDI designated catastrophe area map or call TDI at 800-248-6032 before you start a project.
Will My Home Be Covered by Insurance Without a Windstorm Certificate?
For TWIA coverage, the certificate matters. TDI states that to buy a TWIA policy, most homes and properties must have a certificate of compliance verifying the structure meets applicable building codes. Uncertified work can put that eligibility at risk.
For private insurance, requirements vary by insurer. Many coastal homeowners carry TWIA precisely because private wind and hail coverage is limited or unavailable near the coast.
The certificate matters beyond your own policy, too:
- Selling your home: Buyers who need TWIA coverage, and the lenders financing them, often ask for windstorm certificates on the home and on any replaced doors and windows.
- Mortgage requirements: Lenders typically require wind coverage on coastal properties, and that coverage can depend on the certificate.
You can look up a property's existing certificates on the TDI windstorm website. Certificates issued by TWIA (WPI-8-C) between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2020 are searched through TWIA's certificate lookup tool.
Does Replacing a Door or Window Need Certification?
In the catastrophe area, generally yes. TDI states that most new construction, major repairs, and other alterations require an inspection and a certificate of compliance. Replacing an exterior door or window is an alteration.
TDI's list of work that does not require inspection includes replacing the glass in windows or doors, and repairing or replacing screen doors. That means swapping a cracked pane usually does not need an inspection, but replacing the whole door or window does.
Ask your contractor how they will handle the inspection before work begins. An inspection during construction, leading to a WPI-8, is usually simpler than an inspection after the fact.
Is There Such a Thing as "TDI Approved" Windows and Doors?
Not exactly. TDI does not approve or endorse products. It publishes product evaluations, including its own and third-party evaluations such as Florida Product Approvals, so inspectors and contractors can confirm a product was evaluated to the required standards. TDI also notes that a listing on its site does not by itself prove an installation complies with the windstorm building code.
When you see "TDI approved," read it as "listed in TDI's product evaluations." Then confirm that the specific product, size, and installation method match the evaluation.
Why Rated Doors and Windows Matter in a Hurricane
A broken window or blown-in door does more than let rain in. Once a large opening is breached, wind rushes into the house and pushes outward on the walls and roof from the inside, while suction pulls on the roof from the outside. That combination is a common cause of major structural damage in hurricanes.
Rated doors and windows are tested against two threats:
Wind pressure:
Sustained positive and negative wind pressure, cycled thousands of times to simulate a hurricane.
Windborne debris:
A strike from flying debris, followed by the same pressure cycling, with the opening still holding.
Where impact protection is required, the choice is impact-rated products or approved shutters. Impact-rated doors and windows protect the opening without anyone putting up panels before a storm.
What to Check Before You Buy
- Confirm your address is in the catastrophe area. If it is, plan for inspection from the start.
- Ask for the evaluation number. A qualifying product has an evaluation report number you can look up in TDI's product evaluation listings.
- Match the design pressure. The product's rating must meet or exceed what your home's location and opening size require.
- Match the size and configuration. Evaluations cover specific tested sizes and configurations, not a whole product line.
- Follow the installation instructions. The anchors, spacing, and glass must match the evaluation, or the installation will not pass.
- Line up the inspection before work starts. Confirm who is scheduling the inspector, and keep the certificate with your home records.
PINKYS Impact Steel Doors and Windows Are Listed With TDI
Three PINKYS impact products are listed in the Texas Department of Insurance Third-Party Product Evaluations:
- Air Series Fixed Window, FL48057
- Air Series Swing Door, FL48058
- Iron Swing Door, FL48059
Each listing is backed by a Florida Product Approval evaluated to the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone provisions of the Florida Building Code, among the most demanding hurricane requirements in the country. The products were tested for missile impact and cyclic wind pressure to the Florida TAS protocols and ASTM E1886/E1996. The glazing uses a SentryGlas (SGP) laminated interlayer by Kuraray.
Approved sizes, design pressures, and installation documentation are on the PINKYS HVHZ-approved steel doors and windows page. PINKYS provides the evaluation reports and installation instructions your installer and inspector will need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a windstorm certificate to get TWIA insurance?
For most homes, yes. TDI states that to buy a TWIA policy, most homes and properties in the designated catastrophe area must have a certificate of compliance verifying the structure meets applicable building codes.
Does replacing my front door require windstorm certification?
Generally yes. In the designated catastrophe area, replacing an exterior door or window is an alteration that requires inspection and a certificate of compliance. Replacing only the glass in a door or window does not.
Are there "TDI approved" windows and doors?
TDI does not approve or endorse products. It lists product evaluations that inspectors use to confirm a product was evaluated to the required standards.
Which Texas counties require windstorm inspections?
The 14 coastal counties in the TDI designated catastrophe area (Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, and Willacy), plus parts of Harris County east of Highway 146.
What is the difference between a WPI-8 and a WPI-8-E?
A WPI-8 is issued for ongoing construction inspected while the work is underway. A WPI-8-E is issued for completed construction inspected after the work is finished. Both are TDI certificates of compliance.
Are PINKYS doors and windows listed with TDI?
Yes. The PINKYS Air Series Fixed Window (FL48057), Air Series Swing Door (FL48058), and Iron Swing Door (FL48059) are listed in the TDI Third-Party Product Evaluations.
Build for the Texas Coast With PINKYS
PINKYS designs and fabricates custom steel doors and windows for coastal homes, with impact products listed in the TDI Third-Party Product Evaluations. Start A Specification to request evaluation documents for your project.
Related: HVHZ Florida Product Approval · What "Miami-Dade Approved" Actually Means · Glass Configurations · Safety Glazing
Windstorm requirements can change. Confirm current requirements with TDI and your insurer before starting a project.
