By Tyler Gilger, Vice President, Field Operations · Updated · 11-minute read
Reviewed by a ValueGuard Master Inspector · Based on 94,000+ inspections since 1997 · Add ValueGuard as a preferred source on Google
The short answer
A termite inspection, also called a wood-destroying insect (WDI) inspection, is a visual check of a home’s accessible areas for evidence of termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, wood-boring beetles and the conditions that invite them. In Greater Philadelphia it is usually added to a home inspection, takes about an hour, and is reported on the NPMA-33 form most lenders accept. ValueGuard’s starts at $160.
- Pennsylvania law doesn’t require one, but the standard PA agreement of sale lets buyers make the purchase contingent on it, and some loans (VA in particular) require one.
- The eastern subterranean termite is found throughout Pennsylvania. Winged swarmers appear between February and June.
- Findings fall into three groups: active evidence, old damage or past treatment, and conditions that make future activity more likely. Each one calls for a different next step.
- More than half of ValueGuard’s home inspection clients add a termite inspection, and wood-destroying insect activity or damage appeared in 13.5% of our 1,999 most recent residential reports.
In this guide
- What is a termite inspection?
- Do Philadelphia-area homes need one?
- What does a termite inspector look for?
- What are the signs of termites in a house?
- Active, old or at-risk: what the findings mean
- What a termite inspection can’t see
- Is a termite inspection required in Pennsylvania?
- How much does it cost and how long does it take?
- What happens if termites are found?
- Homebuyer termite inspection checklist
- Key statistics
- FAQ
You step into the basement and smell damp wood, cool soil, and something faintly musty.
Upstairs, the house looks charming. The porch has character. The original floors are beautiful. Your offer was accepted.
But what is happening inside the wood you cannot see?
A certified termite inspection answers that question with evidence before you buy. The goal isn’t to scare you. It’s to replace assumptions with facts, so you can move forward with clarity, confidence, and peace of mind.
What is a termite inspection?
A termite inspection is a visual examination of a home’s readily visible and accessible areas for evidence of wood-destroying insects and the conditions that attract them. Professionals usually call it a wood-destroying insect (WDI) inspection, because it looks for more than one kind of insect.
In a real estate transaction, the results are usually recorded on the NPMA-33 Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report, the standard form published by the National Pest Management Association. FHA, VA and conventional lenders accept it.
Under the standard Pennsylvania agreement of sale, a buyer’s wood infestation report must come from an inspector certified as a wood-destroying pests pesticide applicator, and the inspection is limited to readily visible, accessible areas. ValueGuard’s termite inspections are performed by certified inspectors to that standard.
Do homes in Greater Philadelphia need a termite inspection?
For most buyers, yes. It is usually money well spent. Your Philadelphia-area home has a story, and wood-destroying insects may be part of it.
Greater Philadelphia has an unusually varied housing stock: historic Philadelphia rowhomes, twins, stone farmhouses, older colonials, and newer suburban construction. Many of these homes share features that deserve a careful look:
- Wood framing and structural floor systems
- Older basements, cellars and crawlspaces
- Moisture around foundations
- Porches, decks, steps and attached garages
- Wood siding and trim near the ground
- Plumbing penetrations and foundation openings
- Previous leaks, drainage issues or damp soil
Older construction isn’t automatically a problem. Many older homes are exceptionally well built. But age, moisture and hidden wood create opportunities for wood-destroying insects. According to Penn State Extension, the eastern subterranean termite (Reticulitermes flavipes) is found throughout Pennsylvania, and most infestations start in basements and cellars. That is exactly where rowhomes and older colonials tend to hold moisture.
Our own data shows how often it comes up. Across 1,999 ValueGuard residential reports from September 2025 to September 2026, wood-destroying insect activity or damage was documented in 13.5% of homes. That finding is recorded only when the buyer adds a termite inspection, so the real share of homes with evidence is higher. (For the full list of what we find most often, see the 10 most common home inspection problems in Philadelphia.)
What does a termite inspector look for?
Depending on the inspection scope and reporting requirements, a WDI inspection looks for visible evidence of five different problems. They aren’t interchangeable, and the difference matters because each one leads to a different next step.
| What it is | What it does to wood | Typical evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Subterranean termites | Eat it, usually from the inside out, entering from the soil | Pencil-width mud tubes, discarded wings, hollowed wood lined with soil |
| Carpenter ants | Excavate it to build nests (they don’t eat it) | Smooth, clean galleries; coarse sawdust-like frass |
| Carpenter bees | Bore into exposed wood to lay eggs | Perfectly round ½-inch holes in fascia, trim, decks and railings |
| Wood-boring beetles | Their larvae tunnel through it | Small round or oval exit holes, fine powdery frass |
| Wood decay (fungal rot) | Weakens it through moisture, not insects | Softness, staining, cracking, fungal growth |
In short: termites eat wood, carpenter ants hollow it out, carpenter bees drill into it, beetle larvae tunnel through it, and decay rots it without any insect involved.
What are the signs of termites in a house?
An inspector isn’t looking for one piece of evidence. They’re looking for a pattern. Common visible signs include:
- Mud tubes: pencil-width, earth-colored tunnels on foundation walls, piers, posts or trim
- Swarmers or discarded wings near windows, doors and light sources
- Hollow-sounding or weakened wood, sometimes with soil packed inside the galleries
- Small exit holes, either round or oval
- Frass, either coarse or powdery
- Damaged or excavated wood in sill plates, joist ends, steps or porch framing
- Moisture-related staining, softness or fungal decay
- Conditions that give insects access, such as wood touching soil
When do termites swarm in Pennsylvania?
Penn State Extension reports that winged termites emerge between February and June in Pennsylvania, usually around doors and windows because they’re drawn to light. Shed wings on a basement windowsill in spring are often the only visible sign of a colony. If you’re touring homes in spring, look at window sills and basement floors.
Active, old or at-risk: what do termite inspection findings mean?
A termite inspection doesn’t hand you a simple “good” or “bad” label. It separates three conditions that tell three very different stories.
1. Active evidence
Fresh mud tubes, live insects, current swarmers, recent frass or newly damaged wood. This doesn’t mean you have to walk away. It means you need to understand the extent, get appropriate professional advice, and decide how the finding affects treatment, repairs, financing and negotiation.
2. Previous treatment or old damage
Old damage, repaired framing, bait stations, treatment drill holes in concrete, or paperwork from a pest-control company, with no visible active activity on inspection day. That history isn’t the same as an active infestation, but it is part of the home’s story. Ask what happened, when, and whether the work was completed and warrantied.
3. Conditions that make future activity more likely
Sometimes there is no insect evidence at all, but the inspector sees conditions that raise the risk:
- Wood touching or close to soil. Penn State notes that wood within 18 inches of soil is especially vulnerable.
- Persistent basement or crawlspace moisture
- Leaking plumbing or poor drainage
- Downspouts discharging at the foundation
- Firewood, lumber or debris stacked against the house
- Inaccessible crawlspaces or blocked foundation walls
- Unsealed openings at plumbing and utility penetrations
These aren’t proof of termites. They are warning signs worth fixing, and most are inexpensive to correct once you own the home.
What areas does a termite inspection cover, and what can’t it see?
A professional WDI inspection is a methodical review of accessible areas. Your inspector will typically examine:
- Basement and crawlspace areas
- Sill plates and joist ends
- Wood near the foundation and accessible structural framing
- Attic framing
- Attached porches, decks, steps and garages
- Window and door areas
- Plumbing and utility penetrations
- Moisture-prone locations and wood near soil
Thorough, but not invasive
It’s worth being clear about the limits. A visual termite inspection covers only areas that are visible, accessible and reasonably safe to inspect. Your inspector won’t open finished walls, pull up flooring, dismantle built-ins, or disturb hidden construction.
So hidden damage may not be visible. Stored belongings, insulation, finished basements and ceilings, tight crawlspaces and wall coverings can all limit what can be seen. A clear report means no visible evidence was found in the accessible areas on that day. It doesn’t guarantee there’s no hidden activity or that none will appear later.
A WDI inspection also isn’t a structural engineering report. If significant damage turns up, a structural engineer, licensed pest-control professional or qualified contractor may need to evaluate it further. Knowing these limits up front means you know exactly what the inspection can and can’t tell you.
Is a termite inspection required to buy a house in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania law does not require one. Whether you need one depends on your contract and your loan:
- Agreement of sale: The standard Pennsylvania Association of Realtors agreement of sale lets buyers choose a wood infestation inspection as one of their inspection contingencies. If you waive it, you lose the ability to act on termite findings under the contract.
- VA loans require a WDI report in many parts of the country, including Philadelphia, and statewide in Delaware.
- FHA and conventional loans may require one if the appraiser notes evidence of infestation or if the lender requires it locally.
- Timing: NPMA-33 reports are commonly treated as valid for about 90 days, but each lender sets its own window.
Ask your lender early whether a WDI report is required, which form they accept, and how recent it must be at closing. It’s a five-minute question that can save days.
How much does a termite inspection cost, and how long does it take?
At ValueGuard, a termite (WDI) inspection starts at $160 and costs less when bundled with a home inspection. Final pricing depends on the home’s size, age and layout. Most take about an hour and can be done during the same visit as your home inspection, so there’s no second appointment. See current pricing on our inspection pricing page.
Put that next to the stakes: the National Pest Management Association estimates termites cause about $5 billion in property damage in the U.S. each year, and standard homeowners insurance generally doesn’t cover termite damage.
What happens if the termite inspection finds something?
A finding isn’t automatically a deal-breaker. But finding wood-destroying insects after closing leaves you with fewer options and no leverage. Before closing, you can:
- Get a treatment proposal. Under the standard PA agreement of sale, if the inspection finds active infestation, the buyer may obtain a treatment proposal from a certified wood-destroying pests pesticide applicator.
- Get damage evaluated. If there’s damage from active or past infestation, the buyer may get a written report from a contractor, home inspector or structural engineer, along with a repair proposal.
- Negotiate. Ask for treatment, repair, a credit, or documentation of past work, using your inspection contingency.
- Reconsider. Decide whether to proceed based on facts, not guesswork.
Termite findings can affect your repair budget, your inspection contingency, your leverage, and questions from your lender or insurer. That’s the practical value of the inspection: you find out before the responsibility becomes yours.
Your homebuyer termite inspection checklist
Before you close, ask these eight questions:
- Was the home ever treated for termites or other pests? Ask for treatment records, invoices, warranties and clearance letters.
- Is there a transferable warranty? Confirm what it covers (retreatment only, or repairs too), when it expires, and whether it transfers to you.
- Is the evidence active, old or inconclusive? Don’t assume all damage means current activity, or that old damage doesn’t matter.
- Where exactly was it found? Damage in trim is very different from damage in joists, sill plates or other structural wood.
- Is moisture contributing? Ask whether leaks, drainage, condensation or damp soil are feeding decay or attracting insects.
- What couldn’t be inspected? Understand what was blocked, finished over or unsafe to reach.
- Does a pest professional need to evaluate it or quote treatment? An inspection documents visible evidence. Treatment plans and invasive evaluations may need a licensed specialist.
- Does your lender require an NPMA-33 or another WDI report? Confirm before inspection day so your transaction doesn’t lose time.
Why buyers choose ValueGuard for termite inspections
Since 1997, ValueGuard has completed more than 94,000 inspections for buyers throughout Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, Berks and Lancaster Counties, as well as New Castle County, Delaware.
- Buyer-focused reporting. You get clear information about what was observed, exactly where, and what may need more attention, with photos.
- No pressure if we find something. If there’s evidence of wood-destroying insects, you’ll get a complimentary, no-obligation treatment proposal. You’re free to compare it with quotes from any licensed company, and your report documents what we saw either way.
- One visit, one team. Add a termite inspection to a Philadelphia home inspection for a more complete picture of the property. Every report is reviewed by a Master Inspector and delivered by the next business day, often the same day.
- Backed by our reputation. 1,600+ five-star reviews across Google, Yelp and Angi, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Learn more about ValueGuard termite and WDI inspections, or explore our home inspection services. Selling instead? A pre-listing inspection surfaces termite issues before a buyer’s inspector does.
Key statistics: termite inspections in Greater Philadelphia
- ✔ 55% of ValueGuard home inspection clients added a termite (WDI) inspection over the 17 months ending August 2026, the highest attach rate of any add-on service.
- ✔ Wood-destroying insect activity or damage was documented in 13.5% of 1,999 ValueGuard residential inspection reports (Sept 2025–Sept 2026), even though it’s recorded only when a termite inspection is ordered.
- ✔ The eastern subterranean termite (Reticulitermes flavipes) is found throughout Pennsylvania. Most infestations begin in basements and cellars (Penn State Extension).
- ✔ Pennsylvania termites swarm between February and June (Penn State Extension).
- ✔ Wood within 18 inches of soil is especially vulnerable to subterranean termites (Penn State Extension).
- ✔ Termites cause an estimated $5 billion in U.S. property damage each year (National Pest Management Association).
- ✔ The standard PA agreement of sale requires the buyer’s wood infestation report to come from an inspector certified as a wood-destroying pests pesticide applicator.
- ✔ ValueGuard termite inspections start at $160, typically take about an hour, and are reported on the NPMA-33 form.
Journalists and bloggers are welcome to cite these figures with a link to this page.
Frequently asked questions
What is a termite inspection?
A termite inspection, also called a wood-destroying insect (WDI) inspection, is a visual check of a home’s readily visible and accessible areas for evidence of termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, wood-boring beetles and wood decay, plus the moisture and soil-contact conditions that attract them. For real estate transactions it is usually reported on the NPMA-33 form.
Is a termite inspection required to buy a house in Pennsylvania?
No. Pennsylvania law does not require one. The standard Pennsylvania agreement of sale lets buyers make the purchase contingent on a wood infestation inspection, and some lenders, especially for VA loans, require a WDI report. Ask your lender early which form they accept and how recent it must be.
How much does a termite inspection cost in Philadelphia?
ValueGuard termite (WDI) inspections start at $160 and cost less when bundled with a home inspection. Final pricing depends on the home’s size, age and layout.
How long does a termite inspection take?
Most termite inspections take about an hour and can be done during the same visit as your home inspection.
What is an NPMA-33 form?
The NPMA-33 is the standard Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report published by the National Pest Management Association. FHA, VA and conventional lenders accept it. It is commonly treated as valid for about 90 days, though each lender sets its own window.
What are the signs of termites in a house?
Common signs include pencil-width mud tubes on foundation walls, discarded wings near windows and doors, hollow-sounding or weakened wood, soil packed inside damaged wood, and damage to sill plates, joist ends, steps or porch framing. In Pennsylvania, termites swarm between February and June.
Does a clean termite report guarantee the house has no termites?
No. A clean report means no visible evidence was found in the accessible areas on the day of the inspection. Inspectors do not open walls or remove flooring, so hidden damage and future activity can’t be ruled out.
Should I walk away from a house with termite damage?
Not necessarily. Old damage that was treated and repaired is very different from active infestation in structural wood. Get the treatment history, have significant damage evaluated by a contractor or structural engineer, obtain a treatment proposal, and use your inspection contingency to negotiate.
Does homeowners insurance cover termite damage?
Generally no. Standard homeowners insurance policies usually exclude termite damage as a preventable maintenance issue, which is why finding it before closing matters.
Uncover confidence before you close
You shouldn’t have to wonder what’s happening behind the basement wall, under the porch, or inside the framing. Whether it’s a Philadelphia rowhome, a Bucks County colonial or a Montgomery County twin, the right inspection helps you see things clearly and eliminate surprises.
