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TWIA (Texas Windstorm Insurance Association)

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 13, 2026

What TWIA is

TWIA describes itself as a not-for-profit insurance company offering windstorm and hail insurance to home and commercial property owners who can't get this coverage in the regular market because of hurricane risk. It is governed by Chapter 2210 of the Texas Insurance Code and calls itself "a source of insurance used as a last resort." TWIA was established in 1971, and its board of directors is appointed by the Texas Commissioner of Insurance.

Standard homeowners insurers often exclude wind and hail along the Texas coast, and mortgage lenders usually require that coverage. That gap is what TWIA fills. TWIA calls itself "only a piece of the insurance puzzle" and tells policyholders to talk to their agent about coverage for flood, fire and other risks.

This site is not TWIA and is not affiliated with it. For your policy, go to twia.org or call (800) 788-8247. [1][3][7][15][16]

Who is eligible

TWIA lists these requirements:

1. Location. The property must be in the area the Commissioner of Insurance designated: all 14 first-tier coastal counties (Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio and Willacy) and parts of Harris County east of Highway 146. 2. A declination. You must have been denied coverage by at least one authorized insurer actively writing or renewing wind and hail coverage in that area. The law also requires evidence of one declination every three calendar years before a TWIA policy renews. 3. Building code certificate. The property must be certified as built to the applicable windstorm building code (a WPI-8, WPI-8-E or WPI-8-C), with limited exceptions (below). 4. Flood insurance, if required. Properties in flood zones V, VE or V1-30 that were built, altered, remodeled or enlarged on or after Sept. 1, 2009, must show proof of flood insurance if it's available through the National Flood Insurance Program. The law applies this to initial and renewal coverage. 5. Insurable condition. The home must be in good repair, with no unrepaired damage or hazardous conditions. TWIA inspects properties in person or with aerial imagery, and can re-check eligibility at any time. [2][10]

Windstorm certificates (WPI-8) and the exceptions

State law requires TWIA-insured property to be certified as meeting the windstorm building code. Since June 1, 2020, all certificates of compliance are issued by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) through its Windstorm Inspection Program. Work that typically needs a certificate includes new structures, additions, windows, entry and garage doors, patio covers, decks, a new roof or major roof repair, and re-siding a large part of a wall. Painting, plumbing, gutter work, fence repair and temporary storm repairs don't.

Find existing certificates with TDI's WPI-8 search or, for TWIA-issued WPI-8-C certificates (2017 to May 2020), the TWIA certificate lookup. TDI's windstorm line is (800) 248-6032.

Two exceptions in the law:

- Homes built from 1988 to June 18, 2009 without a certificate may still qualify, but pay a 15% surcharge on top of the premium. TWIA said 16,516 policies carried this waiver as of March 31, 2026. - A home insured on or after June 19, 2009 by a private insurer that canceled or nonrenewed it may qualify without the certificate, if no work was done after the cancellation. In that case the law sets the premium from the private market's wind rate plus a 10% surcharge.

Buildings from before 1988 can also qualify without inspection in some cases set by the law. [8][10][17][18]

What TWIA covers and what it doesn't

TWIA policies cover only windstorm and hail damage. By law no other perils, such as fire or theft, are covered, and TWIA policies don't cover flood damage. Flood coverage comes from a separate policy; see our sister site FloodHawk. Residential policies cover dwellings, personal property and manufactured homes.

Maximum limits for policies issued or renewed in 2026, per the Texas Commissioner of Insurance's October 2025 order and TWIA's fact book:

For 2026, the commissioner turned down TWIA's proposed increases except for manufactured homes. For 2027, TWIA's board proposed on Aug. 4, 2026 to raise the limits (dwelling to $1,832,000). In Commissioner's Order No. 2026-10171 (Oct. 1, 2026), the commissioner again disapproved the increases for dwellings, unit contents and commercial property, so for policies issued or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2027 those limits stay at $1,773,000, $374,000 and $4,424,000. The manufactured-home limit rises to $123,000.

Residential policies renewing on or after Sept. 1, 2026, get an automatic dwelling coverage increase of about 3% under TWIA's Automatic Adjusted Building Cost endorsement. Your premium and the dollar amount of a percentage deductible rise with it; you can ask your agent for a different limit before renewal.

Your deductible, chosen by you, has the biggest effect on your premium. Your declarations page shows it along with your coinsurance requirement. See our hurricane deductible guide. [2][9][11][12][13][19][20][21]

How to apply

You can't buy TWIA directly. A licensed insurance agent registered with TWIA must submit the application; most Texas agents can help. If you don't have an agent, TWIA points you to TDI or HelpInsure.com. The agent gathers details about the property, sets coverage amounts and discusses payment plans. Once TWIA underwriting approves, you get an offer, and payment starts the coverage.

Don't wait for a storm. TWIA stops accepting new applications, issuing new policies and increasing coverage once a storm is a hurricane inside 80 degrees west longitude and 20 degrees north latitude. Renewals without more coverage can still go through. The moratorium lifts when TWIA's general manager decides the storm no longer threatens the coast, and it can last a week or longer. TWIA's latest notice (Oct. 8, 2026) says its Hurricane Isaias moratorium was lifted and it would accept applications and issue new policies again from Oct. 9, 2026 (checked Oct. 13, 2026). [3][22][23]

Paying, cancelling and refunds

Pay in the policyholder portal or with Guest Pay on the payments page (you need your policy number and mailing ZIP code). Card payments carry a nonrefundable fee, and TWIA doesn't take payments by phone. TWIA's payment plans have no fees or interest:

A 2025 law (House Bill 2518) bans premium financing for TWIA policies issued or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2026.

Cancelling early. TWIA keeps the whole annual premium unless you cancel because you bought similar coverage elsewhere, the policyholder died, the property was a total loss, or the property was sold, and you provide proof. Coverage ends on the cancellation date even if no refund is due. [5][10][24][25]

Claims and disputes

Report a claim through the portal, by chat on twia.org, by texting "Hello" to (512) 645-2846, or by calling (800) 788-8247 any time. Key deadlines TWIA lists:

- You have one year from the date of damage to report a claim. - TWIA has 60 days after getting all requested information to accept or reject the claim, and 10 days to pay once it accepts and you've sent everything. - To dispute the amount, the usual deadline to request appraisal is 60 days from your notice letter. - To dispute a full or partial denial, you have two years after you receive the claim decision to notify TWIA that you dispute it and intend to sue. Before a lawsuit, TWIA can require alternative dispute resolution, usually mediation.

Make temporary repairs and save receipts, but don't start permanent repairs before talking with a TWIA claims examiner. TDI's COAST program (TWIA claims assistance) helps TWIA policyholders at (855) 352-6278, and you can file a complaint through TDI's TWIA complaint page. [6][7][26]

Rates, funding and assessments

TWIA's board sets rates, and the Commissioner of Insurance reviews them. TWIA must file each year by Aug. 15. It doesn't use credit scores or territorial rating, and gives premium credits for items certified to recent windstorm codes. TWIA's rates page reports an average residential premium of about $2,541 as of June 30, 2026 (its older, undated "Inside a Policy" page still says about $1,700).

On Aug. 4, 2026, the board voted unanimously to file no rate change again. TWIA's 2026 rate analysis found residential rates adequate by 9%, which it credits to 2025 laws that cut its required funding level and exempted it from certain taxes.

How big storms are paid for. A 2025 law (House Bill 3689) rebuilt TWIA's funding starting with the 2026 season. After premiums, reserves and the Catastrophe Reserve Trust Fund, TWIA can borrow up to $1 billion through state financing arrangements, repaid by a statewide surcharge on most property and casualty policies, then up to $1 billion in assessments on member insurers that they can't pass on through surcharges. For 2026, TWIA set its required funding at $4.3 billion (a 1-in-50 probable maximum loss) and bought $2.28 billion of reinsurance. The trust fund is forecast to hold about $59 million at the end of 2026. [9][10][14][18][21][27][28]

Getting back to a private insurer (depopulation)

Two voluntary programs created in 2015 let private insurers offer TWIA policyholders other wind and hail coverage: a Voluntary Market Depopulation Program and an Assumption Reinsurance Depopulation Program, in which participating insurers make offers on large numbers of TWIA policies each year. Both are voluntary for you. TWIA lists participating companies and details. You can also keep shopping; TWIA eligibility requires a fresh declination every three years. [10][29][30]

Help

- TWIA: (800) 788-8247 (option 1 claims, option 3 policy services); contact page. - TDI COAST (TWIA claim help): (855) 352-6278. - TDI Help Line: (800) 252-3439. - TDI windstorm inspections: (800) 248-6032.

For the rest of your coverage options in Texas, see our Texas page and the Texas FAIR Plan. [7][17][26]

Questions people ask