Termite inspection cost: $0 to $250, WDO reports (2026)

National figures. A free inspection is usually a sales visit; a formal report for a sale or a lender is priced.

Do this now: before the termite inspection

1. Say what the report is for. A lender or sale report (WDO, NPMA-style form, or a state form such as South Carolina's CL-100) is priced and dated; a free inspection is not a report.
2. Clear access. HomeGuide says the inspector checks the foundation, crawl space, basement, attic, garage, the exterior perimeter and visible wood, so move stored items off foundation walls and open the crawl space and attic hatches.
3. Leave evidence alone. Texas A&M says to leave part of any mud tube for the inspector.
4. Ask how long it takes. HomeGuide: 30 minutes to 2 hours for most homes.
5. Ask what the report covers and how long it is valid. HomeGuide: 30 to 90 days, and most lenders accept reports up to 90 days old.

Is it urgent? When an inspection is on the clock

Three cases put an inspection on a deadline: a VA loan on a home in a termite-probability zone, a sale contract with an inspection period, and swarmers found indoors, which Texas A&M calls a reliable signal of infestation. Reports are valid 30 to 90 days in HomeGuide's figures, so order one inside the window your lender or contract sets, not months ahead. Outside those cases, HomeGuide's schedule is once a year, or every 6 to 12 months with past problems or a warm humid climate; UC IPM suggests every 3 to 5 years for homes with a termite history.

How much does a termite inspection cost?

A termite inspection costs $0 to $250 for most homes in HomeGuide's 2026 guide and $75 to $325, typically about $100, in This Old House's. The spread is the report: HomeGuide prices a preventative inspection at $100 to $250, a real estate sale inspection at $100 to $325, a loan-required inspection at $50 to $200 and a WDO inspection at $150 to $300. Size matters a little, about $75 for 1,000 sq ft and $200 or more for 3,000 (HomeGuide). Texas A&M says inspections are often free unless you need a formal report for a real estate transaction, and HomeGuide notes a free inspection is commonly tied to considering that company's treatment. We publish costs and what the sources say the signs mean; we do not inspect homes or say whether a home needs treatment. A pest control company licensed in your state does that on site.

Termite inspection cost by region

HomeGuide, November 2025.

Inspections run $75 to $250 across the Southeast and Southwest and $100 to $300 on the West Coast in HomeGuide's regional figures. City pages carry local rules: pest control in Houston, pest control in San Antonio, pest control in Dallas, pest control in Austin, pest control in New York, pest control in Atlanta, pest control in Charlotte, pest control in Denver.

WDO inspection for a home sale: what the report covers

A WDO inspection costs $150 to $300 in HomeGuide's figures and covers wood-destroying organisms, not just termites: termites, wood-boring beetles, carpenter ants and wood-decay fungi, depending on the state's form. HomeGuide says the inspector checks the foundation, crawl spaces, basement, attic, garage, exterior perimeter and visible wooden structures for mud tubes, damaged wood, live termites, droppings, and conditions such as moisture or wood-to-soil contact; a report is typically valid 30 to 90 days, and South Carolina's CL-100 is valid 30 days. Who pays is local custom and negotiation (HomeGuide). The inspection is not the treatment; if the report finds activity, HomeGuide puts treatment at $500 to $8,000 and the termite treatment cost guide has the method prices.

VA loan termite inspection: where it is required and who pays

For a VA loan, the Lender's Handbook (VA Pamphlet 26-7, Chapter 12, Topic 33) requires a wood-destroying insect inspection report on the Notice of Value when the property sits in an area the USDA Forest Service Home and Garden Bulletin 64 map rates "very heavy" or "moderate to heavy" for termite probability, and whenever the appraiser reports visible signs of insects, fungus or dry rot. Stacked high-rise condos are exempt; a detached shed given no value can be left out of the report. Since VA Circular 26-22-11, effective June 15, 2022, the VA permits the borrower to be charged the inspection fee any time the Notice of Value requires it, and to pay for repairs the report identifies with an itemized invoice. HomeGuide prices loan-required inspections at $50 to $200 and says VA and FHA loans frequently require them, with FHA requiring one only in areas rated slight to moderate or higher on the USDA maps. Your lender confirms which zone the house is in.

Inspection vs termite bond

An inspection is $0 to $250 once; a termite bond is $500 to $2,000 a year in HomeGuide's figures and bundles annual inspections with treatment if termites are found. HomeGuide also lists a termite contract or warranty at $500 to $2,500 up front plus $150 to $500 a year to renew, and Terminix and Orkin annual plans at $400 to $1,500 and $500 to $1,600. For a buyer, the sale report answers today's question; a bond is an ongoing contract with renewal terms to read, and the termite treatment cost guide covers the Alabama Terminix settlement over renewals and missed inspections.

What a termite inspector looks for

• Mud tubes on the foundation, piers and plumbing penetrations: UC IPM calls them the most commonly seen evidence of subterranean termites.
• Wood that is thin at the surface and punctures easily with a knife or screwdriver, with galleries that follow the grain (UC IPM).
• Swarmers or shed wings at windows and sills (Texas A&M), and six-sided fecal pellets below tiny kick-out holes for drywood termites (UC IPM).
• Moisture and wood-to-soil contact (HomeGuide); NPMA's rule is a one-inch gap between soil and wood.
• Past treatment: drill plugs in the slab or bait stations in the yard are signs a prior owner treated.

The signs of termites guide shows what each of these looks like. Start at the pest control hub or compare the pest control cost table. Calls go to an independent pest control company that serves your area and takes this kind of job; hours vary and the company quotes its own inspection or first-visit fee. How calls work.