Termite Inspection Cost: Free Inspections, WDO Reports, and Second Opinions

A standalone termite inspection costs $75–$150 in 2026. A wood-destroying organism (WDO) report for a real estate transaction runs $75–$200 and is frequently required by lenders, especially on VA loans. “Free” inspections from companies that sell treatment are sales calls with a clipboard — they produce real information and carry an obvious motive, and both of those things are true at once. Prices vary by region, home size, and company.

Three different products, three different prices

What a real inspection covers

An inspection is a visual, non-invasive examination, and the scope should be stated. In a competent one, the inspector:

• Examines the foundation, crawlspace or basement, and the soil line around the structure
• Probes suspect wood where accessible — sill plates, joists, subfloor, door and window frames
• Takes moisture readings on walls and framing, especially near plumbing and exterior penetrations
• Looks at the attic where accessible, and at the roof line for signs of moisture intrusion
• Documents conducive conditions: leaks, poor grading, mulch against siding, wood-to-ground contact, crawlspace ventilation problems
• Distinguishes old damage from active infestation — a distinction many reports blur

Conducive conditions matter as much as the insects. A house with no termites and three moisture problems is a house that will have termites. A report that says “no active infestation found” and stops there has done half the work.

Who finds what

A general home inspector flags conditions — moisture stains, rot, earth-to-wood contact — and refers them. A licensed pest inspector identifies organisms and issues the WDO. Those are separate licenses in most states, and the WDO is the pest professional’s document, tied to a specific form and a specific scope. During a purchase, it is normal to have both inspections; neither substitutes for the other. The home inspector is not the person to answer whether the mud tube under the porch has live termites in it.

When to pay for an independent inspection

• Before a treatment priced above $1,000. A second opinion at $100–$200 is the cheapest insurance available in this category. If two licensed inspectors disagree about whether activity is active, that disagreement is worth knowing about before money moves.
• At purchase, particularly in the Gulf states, the Southeast, coastal California, and the Southwest, where pressure is high and lender requirements are common.
• Annually in high-pressure regions, especially if there is no active warranty on the home. Many treatment warranties require annual inspection anyway — the fee is already part of your budget.
• After a major water event, or when selling and no recent WDO exists.

Red flags of a scare inspection

Termite treatment is a $1,200–$2,500 purchase, and the sales pressure around it is real. Watch for:

• Photos you cannot verify — no date, no scale, no location identified
• Treatment quoted from the driveway, before the crawlspace is entered
• Today-only pricing, or a discount that expires when the rep leaves
• Live termites never shown to you, only described
• A recommendation for a method that does not match the species identified
• Pressure not to get a second inspection

Ask to see the evidence: the actual insects, the actual tubes, the actual damage. A legitimate inspector will show you. If access was limited — a sealed crawlspace, stored items, blocked attic — the report must say so, because a “no activity” finding on a crawlspace nobody entered means nothing.

Getting the most from the visit

Clear access to the garage, attic hatch, and crawlspace before the inspector arrives; that is often the difference between a real inspection and a walkaround. Ask for photos. Ask whether the findings are active, old, or inconclusive, and ask for the conducive conditions list separately from the insect findings. Termiticides and wood treatment products are applied according to their labels and state licensing rules, and no inspection should end with a recommendation that does not cite what was actually found. Keep the report — the next inspector, and the next buyer, will want it.