Termite Inspection: What It Covers, Costs and When You Need One

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Most buyers hear about a termite inspection for the first time when a lender or agent asks for one a week before closing. That timing is rarely ideal. A termite inspection, more formally called a wood-destroying insect (WDI) inspection, is a focused visual check for termites, carpenter ants, wood-boring beetles and the damage they leave behind. It is narrower than a general home inspection, usually performed by a licensed pest professional, and documented on a standard form that lenders and title companies recognize. This guide explains what the inspection covers, what it cannot see, who should do it, what it typically costs and how much termite pressure Colorado Front Range homes actually face. Cost figures here are industry ranges, not quotes, and they shift by market and season.

Part of our Specialty Home Inspections guide — start there for the full picture →

What Is a Termite Inspection?

A termite inspection is a visual examination of a home’s readily accessible areas to look for evidence of wood-destroying insects, past or present, along with conditions that invite them. The inspector walks the exterior perimeter, the foundation, the crawl space or basement, the garage, attached decks and porches, and accessible portions of the attic. The goal is to answer three questions: is there visible evidence of active infestation, is there evidence of a past infestation or prior treatment, and is there visible damage to wood members?

The finished product is a short report, often only two pages, rather than the 40-page narrative a general home inspector produces. In real estate deals, that report is usually the NPMA-33 form, described below. Outside a transaction, a homeowner may simply receive a written findings sheet and a treatment proposal.

Inspections typically take 30 to 90 minutes for a single-family home. Size, the number of outbuildings and how easy the crawl space is to enter all affect the clock.

What inspectors look for

• Mud tubes: pencil-width tunnels of soil and saliva that subterranean termites build up foundation walls, piers and plumbing penetrations to reach wood while staying protected from dry air.
• Damaged wood: galleries that follow the grain, wood that sounds hollow when tapped, or surfaces that crumble under a probe.
• Swarmers and discarded wings: winged reproductive termites emerge in spring, and piles of shed wings near windowsills or doors are a common clue.
• Frass: the pellet-like droppings associated with drywood termites, or the fine sawdust pushed out by carpenter ants and powderpost beetles.
• Evidence of prior treatment: drill holes in slabs or patios, bait stations around the perimeter, or treatment stickers in the utility area.
• Conducive conditions: wood-to-soil contact, firewood stacked against siding, mulch piled over the foundation line, leaking hose bibs, poor grading and damp crawl spaces.

The NPMA-33 Form and When Lenders Require a WDI Report

The National Pest Management Association publishes the Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report, widely known as the NPMA-33. It became a common standard because lenders and government loan programs wanted a uniform document instead of dozens of company-specific forms. The form records the property address, the inspector and company, the areas inspected, the areas that were obstructed or inaccessible, and a set of check boxes covering visible evidence, visible damage and prior treatment.

A few points about the NPMA-33 trip up buyers:

• It reports what was visible on the inspection date. It is not a warranty that the home is termite-free.
• It does not estimate repair costs or confirm structural soundness. If damage is noted, a contractor or structural engineer evaluates the wood.
• Some states use their own form in place of, or in addition to, the NPMA-33. Ask the inspector which form your lender expects.

Which loans ask for one?

VA-guaranteed loans are the best-known case. The VA has historically required a WDI report in areas it considers to have elevated termite risk, and the specific requirement depends on where the home sits and on current VA guidance, so the lender is the authority for any given file. FHA loans generally do not require a termite inspection by default, though an appraiser who notes evidence of infestation can trigger one. Conventional lenders vary. Some ask for a WDI report as a matter of policy in higher-risk regions; others leave it to the buyer.

Even when nobody requires it, many buyers order one anyway. A clean WDI report costs less than a single structural repair, and it adds a second set of eyes in areas such as crawl spaces where general inspectors sometimes have limited time. If you are still assembling your inspection team, the guide to hiring a home inspector walks through how to sequence the general inspection with specialty checks like this one.

Who Performs a Termite Inspection?

Two kinds of professionals commonly show up for this work, and the difference matters.

Licensed pest control professionals

Most WDI reports for real estate transactions are completed by pest control companies. Pest professionals spend their working day identifying insects, so they tend to recognize subtle evidence, such as aged mud tubes or bait stations from a prior contract, that a generalist might miss. In Colorado, commercial pest control businesses operate under the state’s pesticide applicator program run by the Colorado Department of Agriculture; buyers should confirm a company’s current license status directly rather than relying on a website badge. Rules about who may sign a WDI report for a lender differ from state to state, so confirm locally.

The trade-off is that many pest companies also sell treatment. A company that inspects and then quotes a $1,500 treatment has a built-in incentive. That does not make the finding wrong, but a second opinion is reasonable before paying for a full-structure treatment.

Home inspectors with WDI qualifications

Some home inspectors hold the credentials needed to perform WDI inspections and will add one to a general inspection for a modest fee. A general home inspection on its own usually notes visible signs of wood-destroying insects as a courtesy but does not substitute for a WDI report. Standards of practice from groups such as ASHI and InterNACHI generally exclude wood-destroying organism identification from the base inspection. If you want one person on site, ask the inspector directly whether they can issue an NPMA-33 that your lender will accept. The site’s walk-through on how to hire a home inspector includes a list of add-on services worth asking about.

Termite Inspection Cost: Typical Ranges

Prices below are broad national industry estimates for a single-family home and change by region, home size and access. Treat them as a starting point for comparing quotes, not as a price list.

Treatment, when needed, is a separate and much larger number. Liquid soil treatments and bait systems commonly run from several hundred dollars to a few thousand depending on the linear footage of foundation, the product and the warranty terms. Repairs to damaged framing are priced separately again by a contractor.

Buyers in Colorado often schedule radon and WDI checks on the same day. For a combined look at those two line items, see the breakdown of termite and radon inspection cost.

What pushes the price up

• Square footage above roughly 3,000 square feet
• Detached garages, sheds, decks and fences the lender wants included
• Tight or partially inaccessible crawl spaces
• Same-day or weekend scheduling near a closing deadline
• Rural travel distance outside a company’s normal service area

Termites in Colorado: How Much Risk Is There?

Termites do live along the Front Range. The species most often found in Colorado are subterranean termites, which nest in soil and travel to wood through mud tubes. Drywood and Formosan termites, the species behind much of the damage in Florida, Louisiana and parts of California, are generally not considered established threats here.

Compared with the Southeast, termite pressure in Colorado is usually described as moderate to light. Cold winters, low humidity and alkaline, dry soils slow colony growth. That does not mean zero risk. Infestations turn up in older neighborhoods of Denver, Lakewood, Aurora, Colorado Springs and Pueblo, and lower-elevation areas with irrigated landscaping can give colonies the moisture they need. Homes with these features deserve a closer look:

• Wood siding or trim that runs down to grade
• Sprinkler heads spraying the foundation every summer evening
• Damp, vented crawl spaces with wood debris left from construction
• Older decks or porches with posts set directly in soil
• Basement finishing that hides the foundation wall

Carpenter ants are often the more common wood-destroying insect complaint in foothill and wooded areas west of Denver and Boulder. A WDI inspection covers them too, which is one reason the report remains useful even in a lower-termite region.

Moisture is the common thread. Crawl spaces that stay damp tend to attract both termites and fungal decay, which is why some owners pair a WDI finding with crawl space moisture work. The batch guide on crawl space encapsulation cost covers what that kind of upgrade involves.

Limits of a Visual Termite Inspection

A WDI inspection is non-invasive. Inspectors do not open walls, pull up flooring, move stored belongings or remove insulation. That leaves real blind spots:

• Framing behind finished basement drywall
• Sill plates covered by rigid foam or batt insulation
• Areas under carpet, built-in cabinets and appliances
• Inside wall cavities where plumbing penetrates the slab
• Crawl space sections with less than about 18 inches of clearance
• Areas blocked by stored items, snow cover or landscaping

The NPMA-33 asks the inspector to list obstructed and inaccessible areas. Read that section closely. A report that says “no visible evidence” but lists half the basement as inaccessible tells a very different story from one with full access.

Some companies offer tools that extend the inspection, such as moisture meters, infrared cameras or acoustic detectors. These can point to likely activity behind a surface but still do not confirm it without a closer look. Ask whether such tools are used and whether they cost extra.

Signs of Termite Activity Homeowners Can Spot

Owners who are not buying or selling can still check a few things a couple of times a year, especially in spring when swarming happens along the Front Range.

1. Walk the foundation. Look for mud tubes on concrete, block, piers and plumbing lines. Break a small section of tube; if it is rebuilt within days, the colony is active.
2. Probe exposed wood. A screwdriver should not sink easily into sill plates, rim joists or deck posts.
3. Check windowsills in spring. Small piles of identical wings are a strong swarm indicator.
4. Watch paint and drywall. Bubbling paint, pinholes or faint lines that look like water damage can be surface signs of galleries beneath.
5. Note doors and windows that suddenly stick. Damaged framing and moisture can both cause it.

Any of these warrants a professional look. Termites are not an emergency in the same way as a gas leak, but damage compounds slowly over years, and catching activity early keeps treatment and repair costs down.

Telling termites from flying ants

Swarming termites and winged ants are easy to confuse. Termites have straight antennae, a thick waist and two pairs of wings of equal length. Ants have elbowed antennae, a pinched waist and front wings longer than the hind pair. A clear photo next to a coin helps a pest professional identify the insect before a visit.

How to Schedule and Use a Termite Inspection

During a purchase, order the WDI inspection early in the inspection window, ideally within the first few days. That leaves room for a treatment quote, a contractor evaluation of any damage and a negotiation with the seller before the objection deadline.

Questions to ask before you book

• Will you issue an NPMA-33 or the form my lender requires?
• Who will sign the report, and what license or certification do they hold?
• Do you inspect detached structures, and is there an extra fee?
• Do you also sell treatment, and will you provide the report even if I decline treatment?
• How quickly will the report be delivered after the visit?
• What happens if access is limited on the day of the visit?

Reading the result

A report with no visible evidence and full access is the best outcome. A report showing evidence of a prior infestation with documented treatment is common and not necessarily a problem; ask the seller for treatment records and any transferable warranty. A report showing active infestation usually leads to a treatment requirement before closing, and lenders that require the report generally want proof of treatment. Visible damage should be evaluated by a qualified contractor, and significant damage to joists, beams or sill plates may justify a structural engineer, much as a foundation inspection does for cracking or settlement.

A worked example

Consider a 1960s ranch in Lakewood with a vented crawl space and a deck added in the 1990s. The buyer orders a general inspection and a WDI inspection on day two of a ten-day window. The pest professional finds old mud tubes on two crawl space piers, drill patterns in the garage slab indicating a past liquid treatment and no live activity. One deck post set in soil shows decay but no insect galleries. The NPMA-33 records evidence of a previous infestation, evidence of prior treatment and no active infestation, and it lists the low-clearance area under the kitchen as inaccessible.

The buyer asks the seller for the treatment invoice and learns a five-year warranty was purchased and can be transferred for a small fee. The buyer requests the warranty transfer and a repair credit for the deck post, closes on time and schedules an annual re-inspection. Total added cost: the inspection fee plus the transfer fee, far below the price of an uninformed surprise.

Preventing Termites After Closing

EPA guidance on termites emphasizes reducing the moisture and wood contact that make a home attractive in the first place. The steps are simple and cheap compared with treatment:

• Keep at least several inches of clearance between soil or mulch and any wood siding or trim.
• Store firewood away from the house and off the ground.
• Redirect sprinklers and downspouts so the foundation stays dry.
• Fix plumbing leaks and condensation lines promptly.
• Remove wood scraps, form boards and cardboard from crawl spaces.
• Use pressure-treated or naturally resistant lumber for new decks and fence posts.
• Schedule a periodic professional inspection, especially in older homes with prior treatment history.

If you do sign a treatment or bait contract, read the warranty terms. Some cover only re-treatment, while others also cover repair of new damage. The difference can be worth thousands of dollars over the life of the contract.

References

• Termites: How to Identify and Control Them — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Controlling Pests Safely — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Principles — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Standards of Practice and Consumer Resources — American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI)

Buying in the Denver metro or anywhere along the Front Range and want a vetted inspector to coordinate the general, radon and termite checks? Reach out through our contact page and we can point you to a qualified local professional.