TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE
TDI - CERTIFIED VIP INSPECTOR - #8502091252
 (214) 642-7853 or (214) 284-9130

                               Voluntary Inspection Program (VIP)

VIP Inspection Can Open Door to Home Insurance

Consumers occasionally have trouble finding affordable property insurance because some insurers fear their homes will generate too many claims. Insurance companies may label these homes "uninsurable."  In many cases, these homes are in older rural or inner-city neighborhoods.

Texas´ Voluntary Inspection Program (VIP) offers owners of well-maintained homes a way to show insurers that they deserve coverage.  Under the VIP, a home receives a "certificate of insurability" if it passes an inspection by a credentialed inspector, qualified by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). 

A certificate of insurability creates a presumption your home is insurable. If you have a certificate, an insurance company can´t refuse to sell or renew a policy because of your home's condition unless the insurer reinspects it and describes the deficiencies in writing.

2009 inspection fees are $102.80, plus an additional $51.40 if you need a follow-up inspection to verify corrections of problems identified the first time around. An inspector may charge, in addition to the inspection fee and the follow-up fee, a reasonable fee for mileage for each trip. The mileage shall not exceed the current federal standard mileage rate is 55 cents per mile.

Once you have a certificate of insurability, it´s good for three years so long as you don´t make substantial changes to your property. If that happens, an insurer can require an additional inspection. An insurance company may also require a written statement from you that there have been no significant changes to the property since it was inspected.

To receive a certificate of insurability, a home must meet a list of reasonable standards issued by the TDI. These include, but aren´t limited to: 

• good maintenance, with no unrepaired damage and no accumulation of trash, brush, or debris in the yard.
• wiring in good working condition, with no flickering lights or evidence of overheating.
• no curled, cracked, or significantly deteriorated roof coverings, or missing shingles.
• plumbing, heating, and cooling systems in good condition and free from leaks.
• space heaters and hot water heaters properly vented and not too close to walls and furniture.
• no unfenced swimming pools, hot tubs, fish ponds, bodies of water, or trampolines.
• property accessible to fire-fighting equipment.
• no signs of active termites or unrepaired insect damage.

Many homes can easily meet the standards for a certificate of insurability.