Termite Inspection: What It Covers & What It Costs

A termite inspection is a systematic, room-by-room and exterior check for termites and the conditions that invite them. A basic inspection usually runs $50 to $280, and many companies offer it free when it’s tied to a possible treatment. For a home sale, expect a formal WDO report in the same $75–$150 range.

What a termite inspection actually covers

A good inspection is not a quick glance at the baseboards. A licensed inspector walks the whole property looking for live termites, old damage, and the moisture and wood-to-soil contact that termites need to thrive. Most visits take 30 to 90 minutes depending on your home’s size, foundation type, and how much of the crawl space or attic is accessible.

Inspectors are trained to read a home the way termites do. Subterranean termites, the most common and destructive type in the U.S., leave telltale mud tubes and swarmers, while drywood termites leave small piles of pellet-like droppings. A thorough inspector checks all of the following.

Areas a standard inspection includes

• Foundation and exterior perimeter — mud tubes running up the foundation, cracks, and any wood touching soil.
• Crawl space or basement — floor joists, sill plates, and support posts probed for hollow-sounding or damaged wood.
• Attic and roofline — rafters, sheathing, and areas near roof leaks where moisture collects.
• Interior rooms — window sills, door frames, baseboards, under sinks, and around plumbing penetrations.
• Garage, porch, deck, and fences — attached wood structures and any stored firewood or lumber against the house.
• Moisture sources — leaking pipes, poor drainage, and clogged gutters that keep wood damp.

How much does a termite inspection cost?

According to national cost data and industry averages, a standalone termite inspection typically costs $50 to $280, with most homeowners landing near $100. Many pest-control companies waive the fee entirely if the inspection is part of shopping for a treatment or an annual service plan, because the visit doubles as a sales estimate. The honest reasons the price moves are the same ones that move every pest-control quote: your home’s size, your region, and how accessible the crawl space and attic are.

The one inspection you’ll almost always pay for is the formal report required when a house changes hands — more on that below. Here’s how the common scenarios break down.

If the inspection turns up an active infestation, treatment is a separate cost. Spot treatments start around $230, while whole-home liquid barriers and bait systems run into the low thousands. See our full termite treatment cost breakdown and the methods explained in our guide to termite control.

WDO reports for home sales, explained

When you buy or sell a home, the inspection you’ll hear about is a WDO report, sometimes called a WDI (Wood-Destroying Insect) report or, in some states, a “termite letter.” It’s a standardized document a licensed inspector fills out, and lenders — especially for VA and some FHA loans — frequently require one before closing.

The report covers more than termites. It flags any wood-destroying organism, including carpenter ants, wood-boring beetles, and moisture-driven wood-decay fungus. Findings are typically split into two buckets:

• Section 1 — active infestation or existing damage that needs correction.
• Section 2 — conditions likely to lead to a problem (poor drainage, wood-to-soil contact, excess moisture) that should be addressed.

A clean WDO report isn’t a guarantee of zero risk — it’s a snapshot of what a trained inspector could see on that day.

Who pays for the WDO report?

It varies by market and is negotiable in the purchase contract. In some regions the seller customarily pays and clears any Section 1 findings; in others the buyer orders it as part of due diligence. Either way it’s an inexpensive line item — usually $75 to $150 — relative to the damage a missed infestation can cause.

How often should you get inspected?

Most entomology programs at university cooperative extension offices, along with the NPMA, recommend a professional termite inspection at least once a year. Annual checks catch subterranean termites early, when a spot treatment costs a few hundred dollars instead of a whole-home job costing thousands.

Adjust that baseline to your risk:

If you carry a termite bond — typically $300 to $1,000 a year — the annual re-inspection and any re-treatment are usually bundled in. That’s often the better value on homes with a history of activity or in high-pressure areas.

Signs you shouldn’t wait for the annual visit

Termites are quiet, but they aren’t invisible. Call for an inspection sooner if you notice any of these red flags, which overlap with the broader signs of a pest infestation:

• Mud tubes — pencil-width dirt tunnels on foundation walls, piers, or crawl-space wood.
• Swarmers — winged termites (or their discarded wings) near windows and light fixtures, usually in spring.
• Hollow-sounding wood — trim or joists that sound papery when tapped.
• Blistered or peeling paint and tiny “pinholes” in drywall.
• Frass — small piles of ridged, pellet-like droppings (a drywood-termite sign).
• Doors and windows that suddenly stick from warped, damaged wood.

DIY checks vs. a professional inspection

You can and should do your own walk-around between professional visits — check the foundation for mud tubes, keep firewood off the ground and away from the house, and look under sinks for moisture. But a homeowner check doesn’t replace a pro. Inspectors carry moisture meters, know how to read a crawl space, and can access places you shouldn’t. This is one of the clearest cases in our DIY vs. professional pest control comparison where the professional wins: termite damage is slow, structural, and expensive to miss.

When you do hire out, treat it like any service call. Confirm the company is licensed and insured, ask what the inspection includes, and get any findings in writing. Our 10-point checklist for choosing a pest control company walks through the questions worth asking, and our overview of how professional pest control works explains what happens after the inspection.

Frequently asked questions