Whether a VA loan requires a wood-destroying insect report on a Virginia property depends on the county, not the state. Virginia straddles more than one zone on the VA's termite infestation probability map, so the same loan program can require a report in one county and leave it to the appraiser in another. Since June 2022, the borrower is permitted to pay for it — which was previously prohibited.
This is general information, not legal or lending advice. Program rules and county designations change, and your lender applies them. Confirm your specific requirement with your lender before ordering anything.
Why the answer is "it depends on your county"
The VA bases the requirement on termite infestation probability zones. Where the probability is designated moderate to heavy or very heavy, a wood-destroying insect report is generally required.
Virginia is one of the states whose counties fall across more than one zone. North Carolina, Tennessee, and Oklahoma share this characteristic. That is why blanket statements — "Virginia requires it" or "it's only if the appraiser flags it" — are both wrong depending on where the property sits.
The requirement can also be driven by conditions attached to the Notice of Value on your specific property.
Practical consequence: do not rely on a general article, including this one, to decide whether you need a report. Ask the lender about the specific property address.
Who may pay — and what changed in 2022
Before June 2022, VA borrowers were not permitted to pay for the termite inspection. The cost fell to the seller, the lender, or the agent. That rule caught out buyers in markets where sellers refused.
In June 2022 the VA changed it. Now the buyer, seller, lender, or real estate agent may pay the inspection fee.
The change extends to repairs: VA borrowers are also permitted to pay for repairs needed to meet Minimum Property Requirements.
Why this still matters in Virginia. Under the standard Northern Virginia sales contract the seller already owes the report and the treatment. So in a typical contract purchase the program change is invisible — the contract is stricter than the program. It becomes decisive when the contract clause has been deleted "as is", or in a refinance, or where the seller refuses.
What the report must show
A licensed pest control operator completes national form NPMA-33, recording visible evidence of wood-destroying insects and visible damage in accessible areas.
Where live activity or damage is found, the loan cannot close until the condition is resolved and clearance is documented. The finding does not usually kill the purchase — it sets a sequence: treat, repair if needed, document, then fund.
Timing: the 90-day trap
The report is generally treated as valid for about 90 days. If your closing extends beyond that window, the lender may require a re-inspection before final approval.
This is the single most common avoidable expense on these transactions. If your settlement date moves, ask the lender immediately whether the report will still be accepted.
The 90-day figure also aligns with the Northern Virginia contract's own requirement that the report be dated no more than 90 days before settlement, so in a contract purchase the two windows usually move together.
How the program rule interacts with your contract
These are separate obligations, and they can conflict.
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| Contract requires report, program does not | seller owes it under the contract |
| Program requires report, contract deleted "as is" | you need it for the loan regardless |
| Both require it | one report satisfies both |
| Parties agree to a post-closing credit | the program may still require completed work before funding |
That last row is where transactions break. A credit arrangement negotiated between buyer and seller does not bind the lender. Confirm the lender's position before papering an addendum that leaves work undone at settlement.
Refinancing
Some VA refinance transactions carry the requirement as well. There is no sales contract in a refinance, so no one owes you anything — you order it and you pay for it.
Ask the lender whether it is required before assuming either way.
New construction
New construction is handled through a different set of forms rather than a standard inspection report. See our page on FHA and USDA requirements, which covers the builder's guarantee and service record forms used for new builds.
Where you stand, by role
If you are the VA buyer
Your requirement depends on the county and on any conditions in the Notice of Value.
Your action: ask your lender, giving the specific property address, whether a wood-destroying insect report is required — and ask early enough that a finding still leaves time to resolve it before your closing date.
If you are the seller in a VA transaction
Under the standard Northern Virginia contract you owe the report, the treatment, and the repair of damage identified, with written evidence before settlement — independently of what the VA requires.
Your action: do not wait for the lender to raise it. The contract obligation is usually broader than the program requirement, and the timeline is yours to manage.
If you are refinancing with a VA loan
No contract obligates anyone. If your lender requires the report, the cost is yours.
Your action: confirm the requirement, then order the report yourself from a licensed firm.
If your contract is "as is"
The seller owes nothing on condition. If the program requires a report, you still need one.
Your action: order and pay for it within your contingency period, and treat the result as your own decision rather than a negotiation.
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.
Common misunderstandings
"VA loans always require a termite inspection." The requirement depends on the property's location and on the Notice of Value conditions.
"Virginia always requires it." Virginia's counties fall in different probability zones. The county decides.
"The buyer can't pay for it." True before June 2022, not since.
"The seller has to pay because it's a VA loan." In Virginia the seller usually pays because of the contract, not because of the program.
"We can handle treatment after closing." Not if the program requires clearance before funding.
"An old report is fine." Roughly 90 days is the working limit; a delayed closing can require re-inspection.
What to ask your lender
- Is a wood-destroying insect report required for this specific property address?
- Is the requirement from the zone designation, or from a condition on the Notice of Value?
- Will you accept the report the seller provides under the contract, or do you require your own?
- How close to settlement must the report be dated?
- If the closing date moves, at what point do you require a re-inspection?
- If live activity is found, do you require completed treatment before funding, or will you accept an escrow arrangement?
That last question is the one that determines whether a credit is even possible.
What to ask the inspection company
- Does your price include the completed NPMA-33 form?
- Under what name is your Virginia pesticide business license held?
- What areas will you be unable to access, and what would gaining access require?
- If live activity is found, is re-inspection after treatment included?
- How quickly is the written report delivered?
What to have ready before you call
Property address, county, year built, foundation type, settlement date, loan type, and whether your lender has already stated that a report is required.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost? Commonly $75 to $150 for the inspection under a loan-program requirement; Virginia inspection pricing generally runs $65 to $200 depending on region and property size.
Who chooses the company? Whoever is paying, ordinarily. Under the standard contract that is the seller.
Does the VA require a specific form? The wood-destroying insect report is recorded on national form NPMA-33.
What if the seller refuses to pay? Since June 2022 the buyer may pay. Whether the seller is obligated is a contract question, not a program question.
Does a past infestation disqualify the property? No. What matters is whether the condition is resolved and documented.
Verify before you pay anyone
VDACS publishes an updated list of licensed pesticide businesses weekly, with a public lookup for confirming an active Pesticide Business License. Wood-destroying pest control is category 7b under 2VAC5-685-70.
Ask which name the license is held under — trade names often differ from the licensed entity.
VPMA maintains a directory of inspectors holding its voluntary WDI certification.