In the face of natural disasters, building better homes is a win-win for both homeowners looking to minimize home damage, as well as insurers seeking to mitigate the amount of claims filed, according to the Houston Chronicle.
State Representative Tom Oliverson, Chairman of the state House Insurance Committee, is focused on building with resiliency in mind. He’s filed legislation for the upcoming 2025 Regular Session that would create a state program to fund home retrofits and structural upgrades.
If enacted, Texas would join 10 other states that have created similar programs. These programs either award homeowners with grants for home upgrades or reduce insurance premiums. For homeowners, these programs provide significant savings and peace of mind, knowing their homes are stronger and better able to withstand nature’s forces. Insurers support these programs because it means more homes in the market are less susceptible to significant property damage, which means less claims they have to pay out.
Research conducted by the Southern Economic Journal found that stronger, more resilient homes are worth about 15 percent more compared to homes without such upgrades, exceeding the initial investment to make the home stronger. Insurers can reduce their losses by 79 percent. And building better homes means less time and less money needs to be set aside for disaster relief. A study by the National Institute of Building Standards found that for every dollar spent on mitigation, six dollars is saved in future disaster costs.
Wind uplift is one of the biggest threats to the integrity of a home, particularly the roof, during a hurricane. To address wind uplift, contractors seek to apply an unvented attic system to a home, which is created by using air impermeable insulation, like spray foam insulation, on the underside of the roof deck to seal the attic, helping to unify and solidify the roof to the house. Unvented attics also strengthen a home’s building envelope by creating a “conditioned space” for duct work and heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) mechanical equipment. This design ensures a home’s HVAC system is running optimally, increasing efficiency and reducing energy usage.
Texas lawmakers can look to Florida, a state all too familiar with natural disasters, for solutions which promote better roof design. In recent years, Florida lawmakers have passed some pivotal legislation signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis. Thanks to HB 799, passed in 2023, Florida now requires insurance companies to provide premium reductions for homes with uplift prevention solutions. HB 799 was followed up the next year with HB 267, which incentivizes the construction of unvented attics.
Lawmakers looking to incentivize stronger and sounder construction methods and practices should consider the innovative properties of building materials like spray foam insulation, which increases resiliency, reduces energy bills, and improves home comfort.