Most of Friendswood is in Galveston County, so a new roof there needs a state windstorm inspection to keep TWIA coverage. Call any time and you will be put through to a local, owner-run roofing company.
Call 832-662-4107Friendswood was founded by Quaker families in 1895, and it grew up as a quiet suburb well inland from the water. It does not look coastal. But most of the city lies in Galveston County, with the rest in Harris County, and Galveston County is one of the fourteen coastal counties where the Texas Department of Insurance runs its windstorm inspection program.
For a Galveston County address, that means a re-roof should be built to the coastal wind code and inspected during installation by a TDI inspector or an appointed engineer. When it passes, TDI issues a WPI-8 certificate of compliance, which the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association needs to cover the house. Many Friendswood homes carry, or may someday need, their wind and hail coverage through TWIA. A roof without the certificate can leave you unable to get that coverage, or leave a buyer unable to get it when you sell.
Harris County side of Friendswood? The windstorm program does not apply there. Check your county on your appraisal record before you sign, and put the WPI-8 in the contract if you are on the Galveston County side.
Friendswood is built along Clear Creek and Coward's Creek, and the older neighborhoods keep a lot of mature oaks and pines. Shade keeps roofs damp and streaked; leaves and needles pack the valleys; limbs come down when tropical storms come through, as they did across the city during Hurricane Beryl in July 2024. Hurricane Harvey in 2017 was mainly a flood disaster here, but its days of rain found every weak flashing joint and pipe boot too.
Older subdivisions from the 1970s and 1980s, such as Wedgewood Village and Heritage Park, are on their second or third roofs. Newer ones along FM 528 and toward Pearland are coming up on their first replacement.
Coastal wind policies often carry a percentage deductible that is bigger than people expect. Texas law requires you to pay it, and it is illegal for a roofer to offer to waive, rebate or absorb it. File the claim yourself and let the adjuster see the roof before work starts. See storm damage, hail insurance claims and the free claim checklist.
On the Galveston County side, which is most of the city, yes if you want the house to qualify for Texas Windstorm Insurance Association coverage. The re-roof must be inspected during installation and certified with a WPI-8. The Harris County part of Friendswood is outside the program.
Search your address on the Galveston Central Appraisal District and Harris Central Appraisal District sites. Your property will appear on one of them.
Your current insurer may not ask for it, but TWIA will if you ever need its coverage, and a buyer's insurer may too. Getting it during the job is far easier than certifying a finished roof later.
No. There is no state roofing license, so insurance, the windstorm certificate where it applies and local references are what protect you.
All of Friendswood, including Wedgewood Village, Heritage Park, Polly Ranch, Friendswood Lakes, the neighborhoods along FM 518 and FM 528, and nearby League City, Pearland and Alvin.
Call 832-662-4107 any time, day or night, and you will be put through to a local, owner-run roofing company that works in Friendswood.
Call 832-662-4107