Reviewed and approved by Samuel Corso, licensed Texas insurance agent.

Published July 29, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026

Windstorm insurance in Texas — who needs a separate policy, and how TWIA works

This guide covers where wind and hail coverage sits for a Texas home, what a Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) policy takes to get, when an inspection certificate comes into it, and what the regulator says about timing and claims.

The short version. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) says in What is windstorm insurance? that homeowners insurance along the Texas coast might not cover wind and hail and that you'll need a separate windstorm policy. That page says a TWIA policy takes being in TWIA's service area, a turndown from an insurance company, and an inspection and certificate, which TDI's inspections page says most homes and properties must have.

The sections below quote TDI and TWIA pages as they read on October 1, 2026.

Where the line falls

Whether a Texas home needs a separate windstorm policy depends on where it is, according to TDI's What is windstorm insurance?. For anywhere in Texas except along the coast, that page says you probably have wind and hail coverage in your homeowners policy, although you may have a different deductible for windstorm damage.

For the coast, the same page says: "If you live along the coast, your homeowners insurance might not cover wind and hail damage. You'll need to buy a separate windstorm policy." It adds that many people get this coverage from a TWIA policy, and it suggests asking your agent about your options.

A second TDI page, What you need to know about windstorm inspections, describes the area: "Properties in 14 coastal counties and in parts of Harris County east of Highway 146 are in a designated catastrophe area." It goes on to say that homeowners in these areas may not be able to get private insurance that covers windstorm and hail damage. TWIA's Coverage & Eligibility page names the 14 first-tier coastal counties as Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio and Willacy, and says the designated area currently includes these 14 counties and parts of Harris County east of Highway 146.

TDI's wording is "might not" and "may not". Being in the designated area does not by itself tell you which policy carries your wind and hail coverage, so it is something to check on your own policy documents or with your agent.

What windstorm insurance actually covers

TDI defines windstorm insurance for Texas homeowners this way in What is windstorm insurance?: "Windstorm insurance pays to repair or rebuild your house if it's damaged by hail or wind, from a tornado, thunderstorm, or hurricane." The page adds that some people call it hurricane insurance.

TDI's definition is wider than hurricanes, since its list includes hail and wind from a tornado or thunderstorm. The terms, deductibles and exclusions that apply to a given home come from the policy itself.

Wind and flood are treated as separate policies in TDI's chart Home, flood, wind: Which policies do you need?. The table below gives the chart's wording.

A storm can bring wind, hail and rising water together, so a coastal home may involve more than one of these policies. Holding a homeowners policy does not by itself answer the wind and hail question on the coast.

Is it required?

Texas does not make windstorm insurance a legal requirement, according to TDI's windstorm page. That page adds that if you live near the coast and have a mortgage, your lender will likely require you to have windstorm coverage.

So where a requirement exists, TDI's page points to the lender. If you have a mortgage on a coastal home, your loan documents or your lender can tell you what applies to you.

How you qualify for a TWIA policy

A TWIA policy has eligibility conditions, and both TDI and TWIA publish them. TDI's Other ways to get auto, home, and wind insurance in Texas lists TWIA among the state-designated insurers of last resort and says TWIA sells wind and hail coverage for coastal residents who have been turned down by an insurance company.

A TWIA policy is bought through your insurance agent, according to TDI's windstorm page, which lists three conditions:

1. Live or own a business in TWIA's service area.
2. "Have asked an insurance company for wind and hail coverage and been turned down."
3. Get an inspection and certificate showing that your home or business was built or renovated according to certain construction codes.

TWIA's own Coverage & Eligibility page words the second condition differently: "Applicants must have been denied coverage by at least one authorized insurer actively writing or renewing windstorm and hail coverage in the designated area". TDI's page speaks of an insurance company and a turndown, while TWIA's page speaks of at least one authorized insurer and a denial.

The TWIA page lists further criteria. It says properties must be certified by TDI (WPI-8 or WPI-8-E) or by TWIA (WPI-8-C) as built to applicable building codes, with limited exceptions. It says properties in flood zones V, VE, or V1-30 that were constructed, altered, remodeled, or enlarged on or after September 1, 2009 and that can obtain flood insurance through the NFIP must provide proof of flood insurance coverage. It also says properties must meet TWIA's other underwriting requirements, including being kept in insurable condition, and that TWIA regularly inspects properties as part of its underwriting.

The flood and inspection points are put more generally on TDI's last-resort insurers page. It says that, depending on where you live, you might need flood insurance before you can get a TWIA policy, and that you also might need a home inspection by an engineer or windstorm inspector.

Read together, these pages describe TWIA as coverage that comes after a turndown or denial.

What TDI says about the inspection requirement and roof replacements

A certificate of compliance is part of TWIA eligibility for most properties, according to TDI's What you need to know about windstorm inspections: "To buy a TWIA policy, most homes and properties must have a certificate of compliance verifying that the structure meets applicable building codes and can withstand high winds and hail."

That TDI page says TDI issues two types of certificate, and whether the construction is ongoing or completed decides which one applies.

On cost, the same TDI page says that because a completed structure is more difficult to inspect for building code compliance, it may cost more.

The requirement reaches beyond new homes. The TDI page says: "Most new construction, roof replacements, major repairs, and other alterations require an inspection and certificate of compliance." Because roof replacements are on TDI's list, a new roof on a coastal home may bring an inspection and certificate with it.

The TDI page gives these examples of projects that do not require an inspection:

• Roof repairs of less than 100 square feet that don't involve decking.
• Painting, carpeting, cabinets, and other non-structural items.
• Repairs or replacement of fences, gutters, decorative shutters, steps, and screen doors.
• Plumbing and electrical repairs.
• Replacement of glass in windows or doors.

TDI's inspections page suggests asking your contractor how they will meet the requirements for an inspection and get a certificate of compliance. Asking before work starts is useful because TDI describes the WPI-8 as the certificate for ongoing construction, inspected while the work is underway.

TWIA's Windstorm Certification page says the certificate must be provided to TWIA before the property can be eligible for TWIA coverage, and that without one the property may be considered uninsurable and ineligible for coverage with TWIA. It also lists two exceptions. One is that residential properties with construction from 1988 to June 18, 2009 that are not certified may still be eligible for TWIA coverage and must pay a 15% surcharge based on, and in addition to, their policy premium. The other is that residential properties insured on or after June 19, 2009 by an insurer in the private market, then non-renewed or cancelled by that insurer while missing a required WPI-8, may be eligible for TWIA coverage.

Existing certificates can be looked up. According to TDI's inspections page, you can check for a WPI-8 or WPI-8-E on the TDI Windstorm website, and that certificates issued by TWIA (WPI-8-C) between January 1, 2017, and May 31, 2020, are found through the TWIA certificate lookup tool. TWIA's certification page says that as of June 1, 2020, all certificates of compliance are issued by TDI.

What TDI says about buying a TWIA policy before a hurricane

TDI tells readers on two pages not to wait until the last minute to buy wind and hail insurance. The windstorm page says: "You can't get a TWIA policy if there's a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico." The last-resort insurers page puts it as TWIA not selling you a policy if there's a hurricane on the way.

Neither TDI page gives a date or a number of days, so the exact cutoff for a given storm is a question for TWIA or your agent. Since eligibility also involves a turndown and, for most properties, a certificate, checking your wind coverage before a hurricane is in the Gulf can leave room for those steps.

If you have to file a TWIA claim

Filing a TWIA claim is similar to filing a homeowners claim, according to TDI's windstorm page. The page says that after a storm you call TWIA, file your claim online, or contact your agent to start your claim.

That page gives two time limits. It says you have one year from the storm to file a claim. On disputes it says: "You have 60 days from the date TWIA accepted your claim to dispute the claim amount and ask TWIA for an appraisal."

For a problem with a TWIA claim, the TDI page says to call TWIA first. If the issue is not resolved, it says TDI's Texas Coastal Outreach and Assistance Services Team can assist with TWIA questions and complaints, and it gives TDI's phone number as 800-252-3439.

These are TDI's summaries, and your TWIA policy and TWIA itself are where the terms for a specific loss are set out. For the general process on a home policy, see how to file a hail or storm damage claim in Texas.

What to do with this

These are steps you can take to find out where wind and hail coverage sits for a Texas coastal home.

• Find out which policy carries your wind and hail coverage. Look at your policy documents or ask your agent whether it is inside your homeowners policy or on a separate windstorm policy.
• Check for a certificate if you've replaced a roof or done major work. TDI's inspections page says you can check for a property's WPI-8 or WPI-8-E on the TDI Windstorm website.
• Check before a hurricane is in the Gulf. TDI's windstorm page says you can't get a TWIA policy if there's a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Ask your agent about your options. That is TDI's suggestion on the same page, which also lists a turndown among the conditions for a TWIA policy.

If you can't say which policy covers wind and hail on your home, finding out is a useful first step.

Key facts

Each fact below is as the named page read on October 1, 2026.

• Homeowners insurance along the coast might not cover wind and hail damage, according to TDI's What is windstorm insurance?, which says homes anywhere else in Texas probably have that coverage in the homeowners policy, possibly with a different deductible for windstorm damage.
• TDI's What you need to know about windstorm inspections says properties in 14 coastal counties and in parts of Harris County east of Highway 146 are in a designated catastrophe area, where homeowners may not be able to get private insurance that covers windstorm and hail damage.
• Texas does not make windstorm insurance a legal requirement, per TDI's windstorm page, which adds that a lender will likely require windstorm coverage if you live near the coast and have a mortgage.
• Three conditions for a TWIA policy appear on TDI's windstorm page: living or owning a business in TWIA's service area, having asked an insurance company for wind and hail coverage and been turned down, and getting an inspection and certificate. TWIA's Coverage & Eligibility page words the second as a denial by at least one authorized insurer actively writing or renewing windstorm and hail coverage in the designated area, and says certification applies with limited exceptions.
• For properties in flood zones V, VE, or V1-30 that were constructed, altered, remodeled, or enlarged on or after September 1, 2009 and that can obtain flood insurance through the NFIP, TWIA's eligibility page says proof of flood insurance coverage must be provided.
• Most homes and properties must have a certificate of compliance to buy a TWIA policy, according to TDI's inspections page, which also says most new construction, roof replacements, major repairs, and other alterations require an inspection and certificate.
• On timing, TDI's windstorm page says you can't get a TWIA policy if there's a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, and TDI's Other ways to get auto, home, and wind insurance in Texas says TWIA won't sell you a policy if there's a hurricane on the way.
• On TWIA claims, TDI's windstorm page says you have one year from the storm to file a claim, and 60 days from the date TWIA accepted your claim to dispute the claim amount and ask TWIA for an appraisal.

Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, What is windstorm insurance?, What you need to know about windstorm inspections, Other ways to get auto, home, and wind insurance in Texas, and Home, flood, wind: Which policies do you need?; Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, Coverage & Eligibility and Windstorm Certification.

Take the next step

Before you compare home policies, know which policy carries your wind and hail coverage and what deductible applies to it. Questions about TWIA eligibility, certificates or a TWIA policy go to TWIA, TDI or the agent who handles that policy. For the rest of your home insurance, how the wind and hail deductible works explains the out-of-pocket side, and how to choose home insurance in Texas covers what else to compare.

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