In a Virginia home sale, a wood-destroying insect inspection can be triggered by two separate things: the purchase contract and the loan program. They have different rules, different deadlines, and different consequences — and it is common for both to apply to the same transaction without anyone connecting them.
This page maps the whole process. Each step links to the detail.
This is general information, not legal advice. Contract forms, program rules, and county designations change. Confirm anything that affects your transaction with your agent, lender, or attorney.
The one thing that surprises people
Virginia follows caveat emptor — let the buyer beware.
Under the Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act (Va. Code § 55.1-700 et seq.), the statement a seller delivers is not a disclosure of defects. It says the seller makes no representations about the property's condition and that inspections are the buyer's responsibility. A seller may not lie or actively conceal, but has no general duty to volunteer what is wrong.
That single fact changes how everything below should be read. The contract clause and the loan requirement are not extra protections layered on top of a disclosure regime — in Virginia they are close to the whole of it.
Two separate triggers
| Contract trigger | Loan program trigger | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | the wood-destroying insect clause in the sales contract | VA, FHA, or USDA program rules |
| Applies when | the clause is in your contract and not deleted | the loan type and property location require it |
| Who pays | the seller, under the standard Northern Virginia form | depends on the program and negotiation |
| If not satisfied | breach of contract | the loan cannot close |
| Removed by | an "as is" clause | nothing — program rules are not negotiable between the parties |
The distinction matters most when the two conflict. You and the seller can agree to a repair credit instead of completed work; a loan program that requires clearance before funding will not accept that arrangement.
The sequence in a typical transaction
1. Contract is signed. If it is the standard Northern Virginia form and the condition clauses have not been removed, the seller owes a report.
2. Inspection is ordered. The report must be dated no more than 90 days before settlement. Earlier is better — a finding needs time to resolve.
3. Report is issued on national form NPMA-33, recording visible evidence in accessible areas.
4. If the report is clean, the obligation is satisfied. Read the obstructions section anyway — that is where a clean report reveals its limits.
5. If live insects or damage are found, the seller pays for treatment and for repair of the damage identified, and provides written evidence before settlement.
6. If the loan program requires clearance, the lender will not fund until it has documentation, regardless of what the parties agreed privately.
7. If settlement slips past about 90 days, expect the lender to require re-inspection.
Where to go from here
The termite clause in the Northern Virginia purchase contract — what the standard form actually obligates: the 90-day report window, seller-paid treatment and repair, written evidence before settlement.
The NPMA-33 report: what it says and what it doesn't — how to read the form, why the obstructions section matters more than the conclusion, and why a clean report is not a warranty.
Live termites found before closing: what happens next — the four ways this resolves, whether the buyer can walk away, and why a lender rule can override a private agreement.
VA loan wood-destroying insect requirements in Virginia — why the answer depends on your county, and who is allowed to pay since the 2022 rule change.
FHA and USDA requirements — appraiser-triggered inspections, and the two extra forms that apply to new construction.
What the inspection costs in Virginia — realistic ranges for inspection, treatment, and repair, and what drives each.
Buying "as is" in Virginia: what you give up — why an inspection under "as is" is an exit decision rather than a bargaining position.
Damage found after closing — where caveat emptor leaves you, the two-year limitation on fraud claims, and why documenting before repairing matters.
Quick answers
Who orders the inspection? Under the standard Northern Virginia contract, the seller, at the seller's expense. Under a loan program requirement, whoever the parties agree — since June 2022 VA borrowers are permitted to pay, which was previously prohibited.
What does it cost? Roughly $65 to $200 in Virginia. Treatment is separate: commonly $500 to $2,000, more where damage is extensive.
How long is the report good for? About 90 days, matching the contract window. A delayed settlement may require re-inspection.
Does a clean report mean there are no termites? No. It means no visible evidence was found in areas the inspector could reach on that date.
Does the report cover the shed and the deck? Usually not. The contract clause addresses dwellings and garages.
When do termites swarm in Virginia? March through June, on warm days after rain. A swarm indicates an established colony, not a new arrival.
Where you are in this, by role
If you are selling
Your obligation under the standard contract covers treatment and repair of damage the report identifies, with written evidence before settlement.
Your action: order the inspection early in the contract period. The risk is not the money — it is a contractor's calendar colliding with your settlement date.
If you are buying
You are entitled to the report and to evidence of any work performed.
Your action: read the obstructions section before accepting a clean result, and verify the treating company's license using the name in the report's general information block.
If you are buying "as is"
The condition clauses are gone, and Virginia's disclosure regime will not fill the gap.
Your action: commission and pay for your own inspection inside your contingency period.
If you are refinancing
The sales contract is irrelevant; only the program rule applies.
Your action: confirm with your lender whether a report is required before ordering one.
Before you call: what costs what
An inspection and a treatment are two separate services with separate prices, and conflating them is the most common way people end up surprised by a bill.
| Typical Virginia range | What it produces | |
|---|---|---|
| Wood-destroying insect inspection and report | $65–$200 | the NPMA-33 form |
| General pest inspection | often free where the company expects to quote treatment | a verbal or written assessment |
| Termite treatment | $500–$2,000; more where damage is extensive | a treatment record |
| Structural repair | quoted by a contractor, frequently the largest of the three | an invoice, not a pest control document |
What is usually free: a quote for treatment, once a company has seen the problem.
What is usually not: the inspection report used in a real estate transaction, and any visit that produces a document rather than a price.
Ask which applies before you book. A company quoting one figure covering both inspection and treatment is not quoting what a sales contract or a lender requires.
Verify before you pay anyone
VDACS — the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services — licenses pesticide businesses and publishes an updated list of currently licensed businesses weekly, with a public lookup for confirming an active Pesticide Business License.
Commercial applicator categories are set out at 2VAC5-685-70. Wood-destroying pest control is category 7b.
VPMA, the state industry association, runs a voluntary WDI Inspector Certification and publishes a directory of inspectors who hold it.
Ask which name the license is held under. Companies frequently trade under a name different from the licensed entity.
Other sections
- Pest infestations in Virginia rentals — landlord and tenant obligations, remedies, deadlines
- What did I find? — identifying signs on sheets, walls, wood, and floors
- Termites in Virginia — species, swarm season, treatment and cost
- How to check whether a company is licensed — the public registry and what to ask