What Is a WPI-8 Certificate of Compliance?
Definition
A WPI-8 is a certificate of compliance issued by the Texas Department of Insurance stating that a specific structure, or specific work on a structure, was inspected and found to meet the applicable windstorm building code for its location. A WPI-8-E is the equivalent certificate issued by a licensed Texas professional engineer rather than through the department's process.
The certificate is a document about construction, not a policy. It exists because coverage eligibility in the coastal catastrophe area can depend on documented code compliance.
Why the program exists
Wind resistance in a building is a chain: roof covering, roof deck attachment, the connections from roof to wall to foundation, and the openings. A chain that fails at one link fails. Rather than take that on faith, Texas built an inspection and certification program around new construction, additions, and alterations in the designated catastrophe area. TDI maintains the program hub for windstorm inspections, including the certificate lookup tool.
The terminology that appears in inspection reports — uplift, load path, deck attachment, opening protection — is defined in wind retrofit basics.
The forms, in order
The program runs on a short series of numbered forms. Exact requirements change over time, so treat this as the shape of the process and confirm current detail with TDI:
- WPI-1 — the application for windstorm inspection, filed before or during the work.
- WPI-2 — the inspection verification completed by a qualified inspector appointed by the department, or documentation prepared by an engineer.
- WPI-8 — the certificate of compliance TDI issues once the submitted documentation shows the work meets the applicable code.
- WPI-8-E — the engineer-issued certificate, used when a licensed Texas professional engineer evaluates and certifies the work directly.
Inspections are performed at points where the relevant construction is still visible. Once a roof deck is covered or a wall is closed, the evidence a certificate depends on is no longer observable, which is why timing is part of the process rather than paperwork done at the end.
Where the certificate matters
TWIA lists a certificate of compliance among its eligibility requirements for structures built, altered, or repaired after the applicable dates, alongside location in the service area and a declination of wind and hail coverage by an authorized insurer. The association's coverage and eligibility page states the current requirements, and TDI's windstorm insurance explainer covers the same ground from the regulator's side. Background on the association itself is in our TWIA overview.
Private carriers are not bound to the same documentation rule, but many underwriters ask for the certificate anyway, because it is the cheapest available evidence about how a roof was actually attached.
Looking up a certificate
TDI hosts a public certificate lookup on its windstorm inspections pages. Searching by address or certificate number shows what has been issued for a property. Useful facts a lookup can establish:
- Whether any certificate exists for the structure at all.
- What scope it covers — the original dwelling, a re-roof, an addition, or a single alteration.
- The date, which tells you which code edition applied.
A common surprise for buyers on the coast: a home can have a certificate for the original construction and nothing for a later roof replacement. The two are separate pieces of work and generate separate documentation.
What to ask
- Which certificates exist for this address, and what scope does each cover?
- Was the most recent roof replacement inspected, and under which code edition?
- Will the inspection be handled through TDI's appointed inspector process or by an engineer issuing a WPI-8-E?
- At what stages of construction does the inspector need access?
For the construction standard that goes beyond code compliance and is verified by a different body entirely, see what a FORTIFIED Home designation means.