Can a home inspector do termite inspections?

A termite report is the common name for a wood destroying insect report. The usual national form is the NPMA-33, from the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). Its guidelines for completing the NPMA-33 say the form must be used on WDI inspections for HUD and VA guaranteed sales. HUD is the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and VA is the Department of Veterans Affairs. The form is also typical for conventional sales.

The form counts four kinds of insects: termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and reinfesting wood boring beetles. It reports what is visible on the inspection date. NPMA says the inspector is not a damage expert, and the report states that it is not a structural damage report. Some states use the wider term wood destroying organism (WDO), which also takes in wood decay fungi.

Two lines on the form show who is expected to sign it. One asks for the company's state license to do pest control or pest inspection. The other asks for the inspector's certification, registration, or license number from the state pest control agency. Where a state mandates its own form and excludes all others, that form replaces the NPMA-33. Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina all write a state form into rule.

The three federal home loan programs each set a rule for when the report is needed. These were read on October 29, 2026:

• VA. The VA appraiser requirements page was last updated July 11, 2025. It requires wood-destroying insect information statewide in 29 states and in listed counties of 8 more. In an unlisted state, an inspection is needed only if the appraisal notes specific issues. Oregon and Washington are not listed.
• FHA. HUD's Handbook 4000.1 has the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) appraiser look at the foundation and perimeter for wood destroying pests. Evidence of infestation, including a prior treatment, makes the appraisal subject to inspection by a qualified pest control specialist.
• USDA. The Department of Agriculture's guaranteed loan handbook requires a termite or pest inspection when the lender, appraiser, inspector, or state law requires one.

Before an FHA loan is insured, the lender has to confirm the file holds the NPMA-33 or the state mandated infestation report, as applicable. A home inspection report is not one of the two.

This table lists 11 states, as of October 2026. It is not every state. Each row links the rule that names who may issue the report:

Oregon is the exception in this table. Its rule on what "inspect" means leaves out pest control exams for wood destroying organisms, except during an inspection for a real estate transfer. Its contract rule makes the inspector state whether the inspection includes a WDO inspection and whether one is available for a fee. Treating the problem is a separate matter. The Oregon Department of Agriculture licenses anyone who applies pesticide on another person's property.

Rules change, and this list is a starting point. Before offering the service, read the current rule from the state agency in the table or ask that agency directly. For the home inspector side of each state, see the state requirements pages.

Neither national standard asks a home inspector to look for termites. The ASHI Standard of Practice says the inspector is not required to determine the presence of wood destroying organisms. The InterNACHI Standards of Practice leave out insects and other pests the same way. Texas writes it into 22 TAC 535.227: the inspector is not required to determine whether termites are present.

The structure itself is still in scope. ASHI has the inspector inspect the foundation and framing, and report components that are significantly deficient or unsafe. InterNACHI requires reporting observed wood in contact with or near soil. For how the two standards compare, see home inspection standards of practice.

Washington's statute is more specific. A licensed home inspector without a pest license may refer only to rot or conducive conditions. Identifying insects or their damage goes to a licensed structural pest inspector. The pest control law says the same from its side, in RCW 15.58.206. A 2009 guidance sheet from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) adds the detail:

• A note about possible insects or damage has to stay general, with no location, description, or conclusion.
• WSDA gives one sentence an inspector may use: possible evidence was seen, and a licensed pest professional should evaluate it.
• Report check boxes that show the inspector looked for wood destroying insects are prohibited.

The route runs through the state pest control agency, not the home inspector board. In Arizona, Florida, and South Carolina, the credential also has to sit under a licensed pest control business. Washington requires a company license for a full inspection. Three examples, as of October 2026:

• California. The Structural Pest Control Board's field representative steps start with a $75 exam application. The exam runs through PSI Exams, and the license itself costs $45 after a pass and Live Scan fingerprinting.
• Washington. The structural pest inspector license costs $85, plus $25 or $58 each time exams are taken. It renews every year and needs proof of insurance or a bond. A full WDO inspection for a sale also needs a structural pest inspection company license.
• Florida. An inspector carries an identification card applied for by the licensed company, and must be its employee, not an independent contractor. The findings go on the state's form FDACS-13645.

Washington's license also carries its own insurance rule. For it, see whether home inspectors need E&O insurance.

Other inspectors skip the pest license and refer the report to a licensed pest company. For other add-on services and the credential each takes, see home inspector add-on services that make the most money.