The TDI windstorm inspection
In the 14 coastal counties and Harris County east of Highway 146, TDI says a TDI inspector or an appointed Texas licensed professional engineer must inspect construction and repair work. TDI inspectors take non-structural work, including most repairs, alterations and re-roofs. They come during the work, not before or after. You apply with the WPI-1 first, and TDI tries to inspect within 48 hours of the date you ask for.
What a roof inspection costs in Texas: estimates, not quotes
Our model puts a roof inspection at $70 to $375 per inspection. It's one national range with 15 percent added each side, times the Texas roofer wage ratio of 0.81, and no Texas company publishes an inspection price we could count.
A TDI inspector's visit is free. So the figure covers a private company's visit only, as a model and never a quote.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $70 to $375 per inspection | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Texas roofer wage ratio (0.81). Twelve Texas roofing companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Texas company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Roofer wage, Texas mean | $22.69 an hour | BLS May 2025 mean for Texas roofers; pay for workers, and not what an inspection costs. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (1 source), adjusted by Texas's roofer wage ratio to the US (0.81, BLS May 2025), plus the local permit fee where the city publishes one. Not a quote. Twelve Texas roofing companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. We have no counted Texas company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 23, 2026.
Who charges for the inspection
TDI inspectors don't charge an inspection fee, and TDI doesn't regulate what an appointed engineer charges. Work finished without an inspection needs a post-construction inspection by an engineer. If an inspection fails, the inspector posts a notice and comes back to re-inspect.
What the insurer looks at
The insurer inspects the roof when you apply, TDI says, and a company might not cover a roof in poor condition. On a weather claim headed for court, HB 1774 as enacted in 2017 lets the insurer ask to inspect within 30 days of the claimant's pre-suit notice; the current code may read differently.
A roofer's inspection
No Texas agency licenses roofers, so a roofer's inspection rests on the company's own record. The Roofing Contractors Association of Texas says anyone can call themselves a roofer. Ask for the certificate of insurance and phone the companies it lists, which is TDI's check for any contractor you don't know.
Inspections that should not wait
- Water has come through the ceiling since the last storm.
- Shingles have blown off and the deck shows.
- A routine look before you list the house or renew a policy.
- A comparison of two written bids for work next season.
What to line up before an inspection
- Find out whether your address is in the TDI catastrophe area on its map.
- Ask your insurer which inspection it needs, and by when.
- Call TDI's field office at 800-248-6032, option 4, if work is already under way.
Does an inspection need a permit?
The inspection itself needs none. The work after it might. Killeen inspects re-roofs during the job, once the old shingles are off and the felt paper is fully installed, before the final shingles. Houston requires plan review and an inspection for a residential re-roof, and on the coast TDI's WPI-1 comes first.
Texas has no state roofing license to check, so before any work starts, ask for the certificate of insurance and call the companies listed on it.
Questions people ask
What does a Texas roof inspection cost?
The modeled range is $70 to $375 per inspection, not a quote. A TDI windstorm inspector charges nothing. An appointed engineer sets a fee that TDI does not regulate.
When does TDI inspect a roof?
During the work, not before or after. TDI inspectors inspect re-roofs and most repairs while they are under way. You file the WPI-1 before starting, and if the work was done without it an engineer has to inspect after the fact.
Which Texas counties are in the TDI windstorm area?
Fourteen coastal counties and part of Harris County. They are Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio and Willacy, plus Harris County east of Highway 146. TDI's catastrophe-zone map shows whether an address is east of it.
Do I need a TWIA certificate for a coastal roof?
For most homes, yes, before TWIA will cover them. TWIA says Insurance Code chapter 2210 requires the property to be certified as meeting windstorm building code requirements before it's eligible for TWIA coverage, and it lists replacing a roof as work that needs a certificate.
Does an uncertified house qualify for TWIA coverage?
Sometimes, with a surcharge. TWIA says residential property built from 1988 to June 18, 2009 without a certificate may be eligible with a 15 percent premium surcharge.
- BLS Public Data API v1, series OEUS480000000000047218103 (Texas) and OEUN000000000000047218103 (US) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Roofers (SOC 47-2181), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- RooferMatch: how we estimate costs, Texas (editorial policy) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDI Windstorm Inspections: What is the Windstorm Inspection Process? Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDI: What you need to know about windstorm inspections; TDI WPI-8 fact sheet (PDF) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TWIA: Windstorm Certification Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDI: Insurance and your roof Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Texas Legislature Online: HB 1774, 85(R), enrolled version Read Oct 23, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
- RCAT: Become A Licensed Roofer In Texas (licensing page); RCAT consumers page Read Oct 23, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
- TDI: Do you know the signs of a contracting scam? Read Oct 23, 2026.
- City of Killeen: Roofing Permits Requirements; Building Projects That Require Permits Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Houston Permitting Center: Residential Roofing Permit (HPWCODE1140) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDLR home page (Regulated Industries menu) Read Oct 23, 2026.