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Who Can Inspect a Boiler in Texas? AIAs, Authorized Inspectors and TDLR
Only a commissioned inspector can carry out a certificate inspection on a Texas boiler, and that inspector works either for TDLR or for an authorized inspection agency. Which one comes to your boiler depends mostly on one thing: whether the boiler is insured.
8 October 2026
The two routes
| Insured boiler | Uninsured boiler | |
|---|---|---|
| Who inspects | An authorized inspector employed by an authorized inspection agency (AIA), usually the insurer or its designee | A TDLR deputy boiler inspector |
| Who you call | The agency named on the boiler's record | TDLR's boiler program |
| State inspects too? | Generally not, while the agency's coverage is in place | Yes, that is the state's role |
Either way the inspector must hold a TDLR commission. Under TDLR's rules, boiler inspectors must work for the department or for an AIA; there is no route for an independent, unaffiliated inspector to sign off a certificate inspection.
What an authorized inspection agency is
An AIA is an organization, typically an insurance company or an inspection company working for insurers, that registers with TDLR so that its commissioned inspectors can perform certificate inspections on the boilers it covers. Registration as an AIA carries no fee. The agency reports the inspection, and TDLR issues the certificate of operation once fees are paid and any violation has been corrected.
TDLR's own inspection staff is small by comparison: its program summary lists 14 deputy boiler inspectors, whose work is mainly uninsured boilers.
The numbers in the license file
Both sides of the system show up in TDLR's public license file, which is where this site's figures come from:
- 256 boiler inspector licenses are active. Every one of them comes up for renewal within the next twelve months, which tells you the license runs on a one-year cycle.
- 75 of them list a business address outside Texas, more than any single Texas county. Inspection agencies work nationally, and their inspectors are often commissioned in several states.
- Within Texas, Harris County leads with 26, in line with the concentration of industrial boilers around Houston.
- 22 authorized inspection agencies hold an active registration.
Boiler inspectors by county Authorized inspection agencies
How to find who inspects a specific boiler
- Open the Boiler Data Search.
- Find the boiler by its TX number, National Board number or location. The certificate lookup guide explains each field.
- Read the inspection organization on the result. That is who to contact for the next inspection.
The same search works in reverse: choose an agency in the Inspection Org list and leave the rest empty to see every boiler it inspects.
To check that an inspector is licensed
Use the TDLR license search with the license type set to boiler inspectors and the inspector's name. This is the one boiler question the license search does answer: it covers the person, never the boiler.
When an inspection is badly overdue
If a boiler covered by an AIA goes more than 90 days past its due date, TDLR may assign an alternate inspector to do it, and that inspection carries its own fee. Late inspection fees accrue daily for both the owner and the agency. The cheap path is to call the agency a month or more before the certificate expires.
Related
- How to check a Texas boiler certificate of operation
- Every TDLR search, and which one you need
- TDLR links directory
Questions
Can any licensed engineer inspect a boiler in Texas?
Not for a certificate inspection. That inspection must be done by an inspector holding a TDLR commission and working for TDLR or an authorized inspection agency.
My boiler is not insured. Who inspects it?
A TDLR deputy boiler inspector. Contact TDLR's boiler program to schedule.
How do I know which agency covers my boiler?
Look the boiler up in the Boiler Data Search. The inspection organization is shown on its record.
Sources
TDLR boiler program FAQ; Boilers at a glance (TDLR, PDF); Boiler Data Search. License counts compiled from the public TDLR license file dated 20 September 2026.
Reviewed 8 October 2026. Written by an independent site; not an official TDLR publication.
Cite this page
PermitPulled (2026). Who Can Inspect a Boiler in Texas? AIAs, Authorized Inspectors and TDLR. Retrieved from https://permitpulled.com/blog/who-can-inspect-a-boiler-in-texas
Figures compiled from the public TDLR license file and published under CC BY 4.0. Attribution required.
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