Pests when buying, selling or insuring a home

What a termite inspection can and can't tell you

In California, state law sets the minimum for a termite inspection as a visual search of accessible areas. Difficult infestations may only be found by removing walls, paneling and stucco, or with ladders and scaffolding.^[2]

Texas describes the same limits for a wood destroying insect inspection: a licensed person looks for visible evidence in areas that are readily accessible and where infestation is most likely, and nothing is broken apart, dismantled or removed. The report isn't a warranty that wood destroying insects are absent, and it isn't a structural damage report; the inspector isn't expected to be a construction expert.^[7]

Arizona law puts it the same way: the report is evidence of insects and conducive conditions that were visible and accessible to the inspector at the time, and it is not a guarantee about the structure after the inspection date.^[9]

• Inspectors look for feeding damage, shed wings, fecal pellets and kickout holes for drywood termites, and for mud tubes and damaged wood for subterranean termites.^[2][3]
• Six-sided fecal pellets are diagnostic for drywood termites, but pellets alone can't show whether an infestation is active or how far it extends.^[2]
• Winged termites swarming indoors almost always indicate an infestation that needs treatment.^[1]
• These reports cover more than termites. North Carolina's buyer's guide lists subterranean termites, powderpost beetles, old house borers, carpenter ants and sometimes carpenter bees as insects commonly noted.^[8]
• North Carolina's report doesn't have to show damage or how far it goes, but if it says insects or their evidence are in the wood, assume there is some damage and have a building expert look at it.^[8]
• Wood rot, wildlife, roof leaks, plumbing and electrical problems are outside the report. North Carolina points buyers to home inspectors, contractors or engineers for those.^[8]
• Termites can show up soon after a clean inspection. North Carolina's guide notes they need only a 1/32 of an inch crack in a mortar or expansion joint to get in, and can build tubes at about two and one-half inches per hour.^[8]
• In Arizona, a person may not complete a wood-destroying insect report on a property they own or occupy.^[9]

Lenders, state forms and when a report is required

Many sales include a wood-destroying insect report because the state, the lender or local custom calls for one. North Carolina's agriculture department says its WDIR 100 report is required on almost every residential structure sold there.^[8][10]

HUD's Homeownership Center reference guidance for FHA loans (archived by HUD in 2012) said the appraiser notes any evidence of wood-boring insects, and a further inspection is required at the lender's discretion, when state or local law requires it, when it is customary in the area, or when there is evidence of decay, pest infestation or suspicious damage. FHA rules change, so confirm the current requirement with your lender.^[10][11]

• Which form: in that HUD guidance, a required report on an existing home used the National Pest Management Association's NPMA-33 Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report, unless the state has its own mandated form. HUD listed 14 states with their own forms: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.^[10]
• Nevada's Department of Agriculture prohibits any form other than the Nevada Wood Destroying Pests Inspection Report in that state, under NAC 555.430.1. North Carolina says its WDIR 100 is the only legal form for reporting wood-destroying insects in structures for sale.^[12][8]
• Timing: the same HUD guidance said a clear report covers all improvements within the property lines and is valid for 90 days from the first inspection date.^[10]
• New homes: for new construction in areas prone to termite damage, HUD guidance had the builder complete a subterranean termite builder's guarantee form (HUD-NPMA-99-A; older pages call it HUD-NPCA-99-A) giving a 1-year guarantee, with a second form (HUD-NPMA-99-B) from the pest control company when the soil was treated with a termiticide.^[10][11][12]
• HUD's Atlanta center also mapped termite risk: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Puerto Rico were Termite Infestation Probability Zone 1 ('very heavy'), and Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee were Zone 2 ('moderate to heavy').^[11]

Don't expect a 'clear' report on an older house

North Carolina's buyer's guide says a so-called clear report is not required to complete a sale, and lenders and buyers shouldn't expect one: the report's job is to record all visible evidence, and older homes there often have some. Like a used car with a few dents, an older home may come with some insect damage.^[8]

• If damage is present, North Carolina says it's the buyer's responsibility to make sure it is repaired, or evaluated and accepted as of no structural consequence by a qualified contractor or engineer.^[8]
• Get the report early in the transaction, and read it carefully, including the introductory statements and the conditions printed on the back.^[8]
• Note the areas the report lists as inaccessible. Inspecting them may mean removing walls, which can cost extra.^[8][2]
• If the inspector finds an infestation, it's up to the buyer or seller to arrange treatment. North Carolina suggests buyer and seller agree on a treatment plan before the work is done.^[8]

What you can check during a showing

• Pencil-wide mud tubes on foundation walls, piers, sill plates and joists, especially in crawl spaces and basements.^[3][1]
• Shed wings around windows and doors, and small piles of six-sided drywood termite pellets.^[1][2]
• Wood touching soil, mulch or firewood against the foundation, and leaks or poor drainage that keep soil by the house damp, all of which raise termite risk.^[4][3]
• Signs of rodents and other pests: droppings, gnaw marks, and smudge marks where rats rub their fur along beams, pipes and walls.^[5]

If treatment is recommended

• Get at least three inspection reports, and check each company's license and complaint record with the state regulator, such as California's Structural Pest Control Board.^[2]
• Avoid firms that pressure you to sign right away with specials or scare tactics. The quality of the job depends more on the technician than on the salesperson.^[1]
• Spot treatments for subterranean termites are usually a gamble, and most reputable firms won't warrant them.^[1]
• Warranties usually stay in force only while the customer keeps paying the annual renewal.^[1]
• In Texas, a company proposing termite treatment must give you disclosure documents with the bid and before treating: a diagram of the structure, the label of the pesticide to be used and its proposed concentration, full warranty details, definitions of the treatment types, and the signature of a licensed termite applicator or technician.^[7]
• Read what the warranty includes. Texas requires it to list the areas covered if it's not the whole structure, the warranty period, renewal options, whether the company will retreat or also repair new termite damage, and anything the owner might do or not do that would void it.^[7][1]
• In North Carolina, if treatment is done for a sale, a copy of the written agreement and any warranty must be attached to the WDIR.^[8]
• Texas allows retreatment for subterranean termites only with clear evidence of reinfestation or a disrupted soil barrier; routine annual retreatment is prohibited. Termites can still be in the walls six to eight weeks after a proper treatment.^[7]

When a report or treatment goes wrong

State structural pest agencies license the companies and take complaints about inspections and treatments. If talking to the company doesn't resolve a termite treatment problem, Texas's Structural Pest Control Service can take a complaint and send an inspector, and it can pass along settlement offers, but it can't make a company pay damages or settle contract disputes. In North Carolina, questions about a WDIR go to the Structural Pest Control Division of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.^[7][8]

• Don't repair the damage or have the house treated before the state inspector has looked at it; Texas says a more thorough investigation is possible while damage is still visible, and a few more days won't add significant termite damage.^[7]
• North Carolina treats an inaccurate report as serious: issuing a later 'no evidence' report on a house where insects had already reached the wood would violate its structural pest control rules and could be considered fraud.^[8]
• Arizona requires the inspecting company to keep a copy of every wood-destroying insect report for three years.^[9]

Insurance and pest damage

Home policies pay for sudden damage such as fire, storms and theft, not damage that happens over time. The Texas Department of Insurance lists rodent or insect damage and wear and tear among the things a home policy won't cover, and suggests inspecting the house, roof and attic for holes you can patch.^[6]

Common questions

Is a termite inspection the same as a home inspection?

No. A wood-destroying insect report covers visible insect evidence and conditions that favor termites. Structural, electrical, plumbing and roof problems belong to a home inspector, contractor or engineer.^[8][7]

Does an FHA loan always need a termite inspection?

Not always. HUD's FHA guidance has tied it to evidence of infestation or damage, state or local requirements, local custom or the lender's choice. Ask your lender.^[10][11]

How long is a termite report good for?

HUD's FHA guidance gave a clear report a 90-day validity from the first inspection date. The report only describes what was visible on that day.^[10][9]

Will homeowners insurance pay for termite damage?

Usually not. The Texas Department of Insurance says home policies won't pay when rodents and insects chew on a house, or for damage that happens over time.^[6]

Sources

1. University of Kentucky Entomology, “ENTFACT-604: Termite Control: Answers for Homeowners (revised March 2026).” entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef604 (accessed 2026-11-10)
2. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Drywood Termites (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/drywood-termites/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
3. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Subterranean and Other Termites (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/subterranean-and-other-termites/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
4. University of Kentucky Entomology, “ENTFACT-605: Protecting your Home Against Termites (revised March 2026).” entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef605 (accessed 2026-11-10)
5. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Rats (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/rats/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
6. Texas Department of Insurance, “Five things your home policy won't cover (updated April 10, 2025).” www.tdi.texas.gov/tips/what-your-home-policy-wont-cover.html (accessed 2026-11-10)
7. Texas Department of Agriculture, “Termite FAQs (Structural Pest Control Service).” texasagriculture.gov/Regulatory-Programs/Pesticides/Structural-Pest-Control-Service/Termite-Fumigation-Applications/Termite-FAQs (accessed 2026-11-10)
8. North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Structural Pest Control Division, “A Home Buyer's Guide for the Wood-Destroying Insect Information Report (WDIR).” ncagr.gov/divisions/structural-pests-and-pesticides/structural-homebuyers-guide-to-wdir-brochure/open (accessed 2026-11-10)
9. Arizona State Legislature, “Arizona Revised Statutes 3-3633: Wood-destroying insect inspection reports.” www.azleg.gov/ars/3/03633.htm (accessed 2026-11-10)
10. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “HOC Reference Guide: Pest Control, page 1-23 (content archived November 2, 2012).” archives.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/ref/sfhp1-23.cfm (accessed 2026-11-10)
11. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “Appraisal and Property Requirements: ATL-HOC Tip Zone (archived).” archives.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/ref/atlhoctip.pdf (accessed 2026-11-10)
12. Nevada Department of Agriculture, “PC Notices and Letters, including FHA/VA and HUD correspondence.” agri.nv.gov/Plant/PEST/Correspondence_FHA/VA_HUD (accessed 2026-11-10)