Veterans Mortgage Wood Destroying Organism Inspections

A proper termite and WDO inspection consists of several steps, which may not necessarily occur in this order:

An inspection of the exterior of the home, looking for signs of termite activity (such as termite shelter tubes, shown in the picture on the left), as well as conditions conducive to termite and other WDO infestation (such as wood that is too close to the ground, dead tree stumps by the house, improper grading, leaky gutters or downspouts, or tree branches overhanging or touching the home). The inspector will also look for evidence of infestation by other wood-destroying insects.

An inspection of the interior of the home, with special emphasis on the basement, garage, door and window frames, and other areas that are particularly prone to WDO infestation. This part of the inspection will be both visual and physical, and typically involves visually inspecting, tapping, probing, and sounding susceptible wood. The inspector will also be looking for live termites or other insects, dead termite “swarmers”, other evidence of infestation (tubing, frass, signs of prior treatments, etc.), damaged wood, and conditions conducive to infestation (such as excessive moisture levels).

This is reported on a standardized inspection form developed by the NPMA and adopted by various state and federal agencies, and may sometimes include additional documents attached by the inspector to clarify the inspection findings.