Skip to content

Is a Metal Roof Right for Your Texas Home or Business?

If you live or work on the Texas Gulf Coast or in another area that has experienced hurricane-force winds, it’s important to protect your home or business with a storm resistant roofing system. When chosen carefully and installed properly, metal roofing can be an attractive and durable choice.  If you are considering a metal roof, here is some guidance to help you in your deliberations.

Step One: Get Informed

The first step in deciding whether a metal or other type of roofing system is right for your home or business is to work with a qualified building designer or reputable roofing contractor to consider the design and materials solutions that best fit the requirements of your building.    

Step Two: Choose Your Roofing Products Wisely

Working closely with your designer or contractor, choose a roofing product the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) Engineering Services lists for use along the Texas Gulf Coast. You will want to ensure that the roofing product and the installation method are in compliance with performance criteria specified in the International Residential Code for one- and two-family dwellings (or in the International Building Code for all other structures). To see whether a roofing product is listed, visit the TDI Web site at www.tdi.state.tx.us/home/roofingx.html. 

Also, talk with your insurance agent to determine whether the company covers metal roofs and to discuss the possibility of TDI-mandated discounts. If coverage isn’t available, check with the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), which may provide wind coverage that is not available in the marketplace. See www.twia.org for more information. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) also requires insurance companies to offer premium discounts for hail-resistant roofing and many metal roofing products also qualify for this discount. 

Step Three: Get a Building Permit

Check with your local building office for code requirements and to obtain a building permit before any work begins. This is an essential step in the roof-replacement process. 

Step Four: Ensure the Roofing is Properly Installed

The roofing product must be installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions and in the manner tested for wind-load resistance. If the product is not installed correctly, the roof could leak or be blown away in a storm.  Additionally, the product warranty may be revoked.

In high-wind areas, roofs must be inspected during the construction or replacement process if you want your home to be eligible for windstorm insurance through the TWIA. The inspections must be carried out by a TDI Windstorm Inspector or a Texas-licensed professional engineer appointed as a qualified windstorm inspector. The inspectors must see the work as it is being performed. This requirement applies to the Texas coastal counties of Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio and Willacy and to parts of Harris County.

Remember:      

Additional information:

Texas Department of Insurance Windstorm Inspection Program:

www.tdi.state.tx.us/wind

Texas Windstorm Insurance Association:

www.twia.org

Metal Roofing covered by Texas Windstorm Insurance Association:

http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/wind/generalquestio.html

 

Product evaluation – Roof coverings ­Formed - Metal roofing panels:

http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/wind/prod/rcformed.html

(Scroll down to manufacturer, choose a report and drawing for detailed information.)

 

Last Modified: Wednesday, 11-Aug-2010 14:46:17 EDT