WPI-8 Re-Roofing Checklist for Texas Roofers: Every Inspection Stage
If you re-roof homes in a TDI-designated catastrophe area, your customer's insurance depends on a WPI-8 certificate — and your reputation depends on getting every inspection stage scheduled before it gets covered up.
Why roofers own the WPI-8 process
A WPI-8 Certificate of Compliance is the document TWIA and private windstorm insurers require before they will insure a roof in Tier 1 coastal counties and the designated part of Harris County east of SH 146. Only a TDI-appointed qualified engineer can issue one. You cannot file it, and neither can the city. But the roofer controls the schedule — and missed inspection stages are the #1 reason projects end up on the retroactive, more expensive WPI-8E path.
The re-roof inspection checklist
Before work starts
- Confirm the property is in a TDI-designated area (verify the address — do not guess)
- Have the engineer file the WPI-1 appointment form
- Order materials to code: the right underlayment, fastener schedule, and opening protection
Dry-in stage (do not cover this up before inspection)
- Deck attachment and any deck replacement
- Underlayment type and lap
- Fastener pattern and nail type — this is the most-failed stage
Final stage
- Shingle or panel attachment complete
- Flashing, ridge, and edge details
- Engineer files the final WPI-2 and submits the WPI-8 to TDI
The three mistakes that cost your customer money
- Covering the dry-in before the engineer inspects. Once the underlayment is buried, the only option is a more costly completed-construction certification.
- Using non-code fasteners. The wrong nail gun setup fails decks every week.
- Starting the roof before the WPI-1 is filed. Work performed before the engineer is appointed may not be certifiable as ongoing construction.
What it costs your customer
Residential re-roof certification starts at $500 plus a per-square-foot component. Rush service (5 days from deposit to TDI submission) adds $500. Standard turnaround is about 14 days. Budget the certification into the quote — homeowners almost never say no when it is framed as the difference between an insurable roof and an uninsurable one.
The roofer's advantage
When you call the engineer before the tear-off, the whole process is routine: two inspections, a filed certificate, a happy insured customer. When you call after the roof is done, your customer pays more and waits longer — and sometimes the work cannot be certified at all.
Want a partner who answers the phone and shows up on your schedule? Call (888) 293-3162 or request a quote. We work with roofers across all 29 coastal cities we serve, with rush WPI-8 in 5 days.