The Commissioner of Insurance, by Commissioner's Order 04-0737, has adopted, effective January 1, 2005, the 2003 Editions of the International Residential Code (IRC) and the International Building Code (IBC), as revised by the 2003 Texas Revisions to each document. The building code standards are applicable to structures constructed, repaired or to which additions are made on and after January 1, 2005 in the designated catastrophe areas along the Texas coast for which the Association provides coverage.
Amendments to §5.4009 conform the applicable time period of the 2000 IRC and IBC resulting from the adoption of the 2003 editions of the IRC and IBC from February 1, 2003 through December 31, 2004.
Along with the adoption of the 2003 Editions of the IRC and IBC, new and revised windstorm inspection forms have been adopted, effective January 1, 2005, to implement these 2003 Editions and the 2003 Texas Revisions to each document. The amendments to §5.4603 also update and streamline all the forms for Windstorm Inspections. The current WPI-2, Building Inspection Form, and WPI-2A, Building Construction Compliance Form, are deleted and there are new Inspection Verification Forms, WPI-2-BC-1 through WPI-2-BC-4, to ensure the correct certification of a structure to the applicable building specification and time period. There are also new, updated and streamlined forms WPI-1, WPI-2D, and WPI-7 to replace the current forms. The WPI-9 forms, namely the 9, 9E, and 9F are deleted. The new and deleted forms are effective January 1, 2005, and the current forms will continue to be used until such time.
There are also updated revisions, effective January 1, 2005, to the form that allows proposed changes to windstorm building requirements (BCAC Form 100-99) to conform with legislation passed by the 78th Legislature. The current form will continue to be used until such time.
The Commissioner's Order and full text of the new rule may be accessed on our web site as follows: http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/orders/index.html. Refer to Order Number 04-0737.
The 2003 Editions of the IRC and IBC are published by and available from the International Code Council, Publications, 4051 West Flossmoor Road, Country Club Hills, Illinois, 60478-5795, (Telephone: 800-214-4321).
The 2003 Texas Revisions to the international codes along with the new and revised windstorm inspection forms are 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 send via email at Sam.Nelson@tdi.state.tx.us.
Alexis Dick
Deputy Commissioner, Inspections Division
Texas Department of Insurance
Created 10-26-2004