The Commissioner of Insurance, has adopted, effective March 21, 2006, a new rule allowing the appointment of qualified persons to conduct windstorm re-roof inspections of residential structures in Jefferson and/or Chambers counties of Texas for a temporary period. New §5.4606 specifies the qualifications, requirements and procedures for these inspector appointments. The appointments will be valid until December 31, 2006, unless extended by the Texas Department of Insurance (Department) based on demonstrated need in Jefferson or Chambers counties.
The following persons are eligible to apply for an appointment as a temporary qualified inspector pursuant to §5.4606:
(1) A person who is certified as a coastal construction inspector by the International Code Council and who has at least two years of construction, design or inspection experience on buildings or structures located in high wind areas; this may include a person employed full-time by a municipality of this state who meets the qualifications as stated in this paragraph; or
(2) A Texas registered architect with construction, design or inspection experience on buildings or structures located in high wind areas; or
(3) Any person with experience, education, or training in programs at an accredited university which shall include at a minimum successful completion of at least two years of technical or university training in the field of civil or architectural engineering, the field of architecture, or the field of construction technology or construction science and at least two years of construction, design or inspection experience on buildings or structures located in high wind areas.
A person applying for an appointment pursuant to this rule must complete and file an application on a form prepared, maintained, and which can be obtained from the Department and must submit other documentation as required by the rule. Upon receipt of an application, applicants will be notified by the Department if they are eligible for appointment. Applicants may not begin inspecting and certifying residential re-roofs until they receive notice of their appointment.
Persons appointed under §5.4606 will receive an orientation handbook that will provide the necessary information and guidelines for participation in the temporary qualified inspector process. They will also receive a "Roof Inspection and Certification Procedures" handbook for assistance in ensuring that any re-roof applications they inspect comply with the windstorm building code requirements.
The Commissioner's Order and full text of the new rule may be accessed on the Department's web site at: www.tdi.state.tx.us/orders/. Refer to Order Number 06-0219.
The application form for temporary inspector appointment is available from the Windstorm Inspections Section of the Inspections Division, Texas Department of Insurance, 333 Guadalupe, P.O. Box 149104, Mail Code 103-3A, Austin, Texas, 78714-9104 and the Texas Department of Insurance website at www.tdi.state.tx.us.
Any questions regarding this bulletin may be directed to Sam Nelson at 512-322-2212 or Welch Watt at 512-322-2235.
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Alexis Dick
Deputy Commissioner, Inspections Division
Texas Department of Insurance