Jefferson County Garage Door Windstorm Checklist: TDI Rules, WPI-8 and Product Lookups

How to check your address, find a property's WPI-8, look up a door's TDI product evaluation, and what to ask before a door goes in.

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All of Jefferson County is in TDI's windstorm program area, and garage doors aren't on TDI's list of repairs that skip an inspection, so ask your insurance agent before a door is replaced.

SETX Garage Door is a referral website, not a garage door company. We send your request to one independent local garage door company. You never pay us; companies we refer you to may pay us for referrals. We don't do inspections, give insurance advice, or decide whether any door or installation complies with a code. This page explains the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) program and the two public lookups so you can ask better questions.

Quick reference

Question	What TDI's pages say	Where to check
Is my address in the program?	Jefferson County is on TDI's catastrophe area map; the whole county counts. Orange County is not on the map.	TDI designated catastrophe area map
Does a garage door job need an inspection?	Not on TDI's no-inspection list; TDI's garage door handout says to ask your insurance agent	Your agent; TDI at 800-248-6032
Which building code applies?	Applications filed from April 1, 2026 use the 2024 IRC or 2024 IBC	TDI adopted codes page
How must a garage door be tested?	ASTM E 330-14 or ANSI/DASMA 108-17	TDI product evaluation FAQ
What goes on the door's label?	Product name, manufacturer, series or model number, design pressure rating	TDI product evaluation FAQ
Where is a property's certificate?	TDI Windstorm System certificate search; TWIA lookup for Jan 2017 to May 2020	TDI Windstorm System
Where is a door's evaluation report?	TDI Windstorm System product evaluation reports (TDI and third-party)	TDI Windstorm System

Step 1: Confirm your county is in the program

TDI's designated catastrophe area map shows 14 coastal counties, from Cameron in the south to Jefferson in the northeast, plus part of Harris County. TDI's adopted-codes page says that except for Harris County, "the entire county" of each county on the map is part of the windstorm program. So any address in Jefferson County is inside it. If you're not sure which county a property is in (city limits and county lines don't always match), check the appraisal district record.

Vidor and the rest of Orange County don't appear on TDI's map. Homeowners there should ask their own insurer what it requires.

TDI's adopted-codes page also says these areas didn't change when it moved to the 2024 codes, and that construction must be in a designated catastrophe area to be eligible for coverage through the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA).

Step 2: Know what TDI says about garage doors

TDI's pages give several garage-door-specific points:

Why doors matter. TDI's opening-protection FAQ says garage doors are "particularly vulnerable to high winds" because of their long spans and light materials.
Testing. TDI's product evaluation FAQ says garage doors "must be tested in accordance with either ASTM E 330-14 or ANSI/DASMA 108-17," and that products tested to ASTM E 330-14 must be tested to 1.5 times the design pressure.
Labels. TDI requires certain products, including garage doors, to carry a label with the product name, manufacturer, series or model number and design pressure rating.
Windborne debris. For impact testing, TDI accepts reports under several standards, including ANSI/DASMA 115 for garage doors.
Glass. TDI's FAQ says glass panels should be rated to ASTM E 1996, and its garage door handout says to consider an impact-resistant door if the one you pick has glass.
Installation. The handout says garage door assemblies must be installed "in strict accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions and their tested high wind application," and that approved doors typically come with installation drawings.

Inspections. TDI says most new construction, roof replacements, major repairs and other alterations need an inspection. Its no-inspection list covers things like storm doors, fence repairs, gutters and some glass replacement, but not garage doors. A WPI-8 is issued for work inspected while it's underway; a WPI-8-E is for completed work, and TDI notes that inspecting finished work "may cost more." That's why timing matters: ask before the old door comes out.

Step 3: Look up a property's WPI-8

TDI's Certificate Search is public. It's useful when you're buying a house, checking past work, or giving an installer background.

Open the Certificate Search on TDI's Windstorm System.
Search by address (street number, street name, city and county) or by application or certificate number. There's no ZIP code field.
Open a result. The details can include the application status, certification date, inspections performed, and design data such as wind speed, exposure category and "Protection of Exterior Openings."
For certificates TWIA issued from January 2017 to May 2020, TDI points to TWIA's own lookup tool instead.

What a lookup can't tell you: whether today's door is the one that was inspected, or whether a later replacement had its own inspection. If the record lists an older door, ask the seller or your agent about any work done since.

Step 4: Look up a garage door's product evaluation

TDI's Product Evaluation Reports page lists two sets of reports: "TDI Product Evaluations" and "Third Party Product Evaluations." The table columns include product name, category, subcategory, material, manufacturer, impact resistance, report number, drawings, and effective and expiration dates.

How to use it:

Get the exact manufacturer, series or model from the quote or the door's label.
Find a matching report and note its report number and effective and expiration dates.
Check the impact resistance column if the door has glass or you want debris protection.
Open the drawings. They show how the door and its track and anchors are meant to be installed. Ask whether the installation will follow them.

Two cautions from TDI itself. Its disclaimer says "TDI does not approve the use of or endorse any product," and that linking a third-party report "does not mean that the report provides evidence that an improvement complies with the applicable windstorm building code." And its FAQ says a product missing from the index "may only mean" TDI hasn't received information from the manufacturer. A listing is a starting point, not a verdict.

Step 5: Questions to ask a garage door company

Ask	Why
What is the exact manufacturer, series and model?	You need it for the product lookup
Which TDI or third-party report covers this door, and is it current?	Reports have effective and expiration dates
What design pressure is on the label, and how did you choose it for my house?	TDI requires the rating on the label
Will the track, struts and anchors match the report's drawings?	TDI says doors must be installed per the tested high-wind application
Does the door have glass, and is it impact-rated?	TDI suggests impact resistance for doors with glass
Are you familiar with TDI's Windstorm Inspections Program?	TDI's handout lists a contractor who isn't as a warning sign
Who arranges the inspection, and when?	A WPI-8 covers work inspected while it's underway
Can I have the scope and price in writing?	TDI's handout says to get at least three written bids

TDI's handout lists other warning signs too: a contractor who only accepts cash, has only out-of-state references, wants payment before materials are on site, or offers "specials." It also says to ask for proof of insurance or a bond and not to make the final payment until the work is finished.

How this page was put together

We opened each TDI page and the two Windstorm System lookups on October 24, 2026 and described what they show. We didn't run a search on anyone's address. TDI's pages change, and its map page carries its own disclaimer that maps are for general information, so confirm anything that matters with TDI (800-248-6032 for inspections) or your agent. For background on wind ratings, see wind-rated garage doors in Jefferson County. For door prices, see garage door installation and the cost guide.

Updated October 24, 2026.

Common questions

Is all of Jefferson County in TDI's windstorm area?

Yes. Jefferson County is one of the 14 coastal counties on TDI's designated catastrophe area map, and TDI says that, except for Harris County, the entire county of each mapped county is part of the windstorm program. If your home is in Jefferson County, it's inside the area.

Is Orange County (Vidor) in the TDI windstorm program?

Orange County does not appear on TDI's designated catastrophe area map. If you live in Vidor, ask your own insurance company what it requires for a garage door.

Does replacing a garage door need a windstorm inspection?

We can't answer that for your house or policy. TDI says most new construction, roof replacements, major repairs and other alterations need an inspection, and garage doors are not on its list of repairs that don't. Its garage door handout tells coastal homeowners to ask their insurance agent. You can also call TDI at 800-248-6032.

How do I find the WPI-8 for a house I'm buying?

Use the Certificate Search on TDI's Windstorm System. Search by street number, street name, city and county, or by application or certificate number. Certificates TWIA issued from January 2017 to May 2020 are in TWIA's own lookup tool.

What does it mean if a door isn't in TDI's product list?

Not necessarily that it can't be used. TDI's product evaluation FAQ says a missing product may only mean TDI hasn't received information from the manufacturer. TDI also lists third-party evaluation reports. Ask the company for the report it's relying on.

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Last updated 2026-10-24