What Equipment Breakdown Insurance Requirements Apply in Texas?

Texas requires each boiler operated in the state, unless a statutory exemption applies, to be registered with TDLR and to hold a current certificate of operation. Power boilers, unfired steam boilers, and steam collection or liberation drums of process steam generators need an annual certificate inspection and an annual external inspection. Steam and hot-water heating boilers are inspected every two years. Hot-water supply boilers and covered potable water heaters are inspected every three years. The 2025 amendments on exemptions and inspection reports took effect September 1, 2025.

What Is Equipment Breakdown Insurance?

Equipment-breakdown coverage can help repair covered machinery or building equipment after a mechanical or electrical failure. It fits businesses that depend on equipment to operate; check whether lost income, spoilage and utility failures are included. Read the national Equipment breakdown guide.

Texas Equipment Breakdown Insurance Requirements

RequirementDetails
Registration and certificateEach nonexempt boiler must be registered and hold a current certificate of operation. Post it on or near the boiler. 1,2
Power and unfired steam boilersAnnual certificate inspection and annual external inspection. 1
Heating boilersCertificate inspection every two years for steam heating and hot-water heating boilers. 1
Hot-water supply and potable heatersCertificate inspection every three years when the heater is a boiler under the chapter. 1

What Should You Watch for With Equipment Breakdown Insurance in Texas?

  • Ordinary Pressure Vessels Are Outside the Chapter

    The chapter exempts pressure vessels and process steam generators, other than steam collection or liberation drums of process steam generators. Heating boilers used only to heat a residential building with accommodations for not more than four families are exempt from the inspection and certificate sections cited in § 755.022. A breakdown policy may still cover exempt tanks and small residential boilers. 1

  • Heater Thresholds Decide Whether the Object Is a Boiler

    A hot-water supply boiler designed for 160 psi or 250°F is in the definition if heat input exceeds 200,000 Btu per hour, water temperature exceeds 210°F, or nominal capacity exceeds 120 gallons. A potable water heater at or below 160 psi and 210°F is in the chapter if heat input exceeds 200,000 Btu per hour or nominal capacity exceeds 120 gallons. Heaters under all of those limits are not boilers under this chapter. 1

  • The Inspection Agency Files Within Ten Days

    An authorized inspector must be commissioned by the executive director and continuously employed by an inspection agency. Not later than the 10th day after a certificate inspection, the agency files a report. A boiler inspected by an authorized inspector is exempt from other inspections and inspection fees under the chapter, other than a joint inspection. Section 755.027's report timing was amended effective September 1, 2025. 1,3

  • A Sixty-Month Internal Interval Is an Extension

    With approval of the executive director and the inspection agency that has jurisdiction, the interval between internal inspections of a power boiler may be extended to a total of 60 months, and longer stated limits apply to unfired steam boilers and steam collection or liberation drums, only with continuous water treatment, satisfactory inspections, and the listed records. That extension is not the default certificate interval. 1

Which Equipment Breakdown Providers Have Texas License Records?

No provider in our research has both a state license record and a listing for this coverage line. This does not establish that providers are unlicensed. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm availability with a provider when requesting a quote.

Who Regulates Insurance in Texas?

Texas Department of Insurance

TDI licenses agents and insurers, reviews company rate filings, and investigates complaints against insurance companies and people it regulates. Its complaint page states limits on what it can resolve, including disputes outside its regulatory authority. 4,5,6

Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in Texas

Reported tax rate. 4.85% of gross premium plus 0.04% SLTX stamping fee 7,8,9

When Texas is the insured’s home state, the state tax is 4.85% of gross premium; absent a compact allocation agreement, a multistate policy can be taxed on its entire premium. Policies effective on or after Jan. 1, 2024 also carry a 0.04% stamping fee; SLTX invoices the broker and says the insured pays it, and the surplus-lines insurer is not covered by the Texas guaranty association.

Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas

Questions to Ask Before You Buy Equipment Breakdown in Texas

  1. Is the object a boiler that must be registered, or a pressure vessel the chapter exempts?
  2. Which certificate interval applies: annual, biennial, or triennial?
  3. If an inspection agency has jurisdiction, will it file the report within 10 days, and is any internal interval extended in writing?
  4. What repair and lost-income terms apply to exempt pressure vessels that will not have a TDLR certificate?

Equipment Breakdown Insurance in Texas: Frequently Asked Questions

Does Texas require a boiler certificate for an ordinary pressure vessel?

No. Health and Safety Code Chapter 755 exempts pressure vessels and process steam generators, other than steam collection or liberation drums of process steam generators. Boilers still need registration and a current certificate of operation unless another exemption applies. 1

How often is a hot-water heating boiler inspected?

Steam heating boilers and hot-water heating boilers receive a certificate inspection every two years. Hot-water supply boilers and potable water heaters that fall inside the chapter are inspected every three years. 1

Equipment Breakdown Insurance Guides for Other States

Other coverage in TexasEvery coverage guide for Texas, plus the regulator and surplus-lines details.

Updated .

This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with a supporting source.

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