Ask whether you need a termite bond in South Carolina and you'll hear different answers from a pest control company, a lender and a closing attorney. They're answering different questions: one about the law, one about the loan, one about your house. This guide separates the three, using the state's own termite regulation (S.C. Code Regs. 27-1085), guidance from Clemson's Department of Pesticide Regulation, which enforces it, and the North Carolina and Virginia rules where they differ.
No. South Carolina law does not require a homeowner to have a termite bond, and the termite paperwork lenders ask for at closing is a CL-100 inspection report, not a bond. Clemson's Department of Pesticide Regulation says lenders require the inspection before they will lend, and it recommends that the buyer order it.
A bond is optional, but for most South Carolina homes it is worth having, because standard homeowners insurance does not cover termite damage. A retreatment-and-repair bond is the one to want: a retreatment-only bond pays to treat termites again, not to fix what they ate. The only termite warranty state rules require comes with a new house: a pre-treated new home gets a one-year transferable warranty, with renewals offered for five years.
Who Requires What in South Carolina
Four different documents get called "the termite paperwork" in a South Carolina sale. Only two are required by law, and neither of those is a bond on an existing home.
| Document | Required by state law? | Who actually asks for it |
|---|---|---|
| Termite bond (contract or warranty) | No. Regs. 27-1085 sets rules for what a contract must say, not a duty to buy one | Nobody has to. Some buyers ask the seller to keep one in force and transfer it |
| CL-100 (Official South Carolina Wood Infestation Report) | No statute requires one for every sale. The regulation controls how it's done whenever one is issued "in connection with a sale or mortgage" | Lenders. Clemson DPR calls it the report "required in most real estate transactions" and recommends the buyer obtain it |
| Seller's property condition disclosure | Yes, for most sales of 1 to 4 unit homes (S.C. Code 27-50-40) | State law. The owner must address present wood-destroying insect or organism infestation, and past infestation whose damage hasn't been repaired, or mark that they make no representations |
| New-construction termite warranty | Yes, for new single-family homes pre-treated for subterranean termites (Regs. 27-1085(H)(4)) | Nobody has to ask. The company that does the pre-treatment must issue it |
So when a buyer's agent says "we need the termite letter," they mean the CL-100. When they say "does the house have a bond?", that's a negotiating question, not a legal one. The disclosure law has exemptions, including the first sale of a never-occupied home and sales where both parties agree in writing to skip the form.
What a Termite Bond Is in South Carolina, and the Two Kinds
"Bond" is the Southern name for what South Carolina's regulation calls a subterranean termite control "contract or warranty." Despite the name, it isn't a surety bond or an insurance policy. It's a service agreement with a licensed pest control company. North Carolina's Department of Agriculture puts it plainly: these agreements "are not an assurance that termites will not return." Clemson's Department of Pesticide Regulation describes the same two types that North Carolina does.
| Retreatment only | Retreatment and repair | |
|---|---|---|
| If termites return | The company treats again at no added charge | The company treats again |
| New damage | Not covered. NCDA&CS: the company has no obligation to "repair, replace, or correct any damage" | Repaired or paid for "up to a certain amount" (NCDA&CS), for damage from a re-infestation during the warranty period (Clemson DPR) |
| How common | "The most common practice in the industry" (NCDA&CS) | "Not all companies offer repair warranties, and not all structures will qualify" (Clemson DPR) |
| Damage that existed before | Not covered | Usually not covered. That's why the starting condition needs to be on paper |
Clemson DPR's advice to homeowners is direct: "The most useful contracts cover damage, namely treatment and repair."
What South Carolina's regulation says about a bond
- Formosan termites must be addressed in writing. Any subterranean termite contract or warranty must state whether Formosan termites are covered, and whether that coverage is retreatment only or includes repair. Clemson lists Formosan termites as established in 16 South Carolina counties, including Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, Richland and Lexington.
- No set inspection frequency. Inspections must follow "the terms of the warranty or the termiticide label," whichever calls for more frequent inspection. Clemson DPR notes that homes are generally inspected once a year, and some firms inspect higher-risk homes, such as coastal homes where Formosan termites are common, more often.
- Records last at least 5 years. The company must keep warranty, treatment, waiver and inspection records for 5 years or the life of the warranty, whichever is longer.
- Treatment standards apply to every method, liquid, bait or a combination, unless you sign the state's Official Waiver of Standards form before work begins. If your contract includes a waiver, know what was skipped.
- Renewal price isn't regulated. Clemson DPR says it "varies depending on the company's assessment of the risks involved and the type of warranty offered."
The one warranty the state requires: new construction
When a new single-family home is pre-treated, the pest control company must give the builder (or the owner, if known) a one-year transferable warranty "covering the repair of damage due to subterranean termites and retreatment of the infested portions of the property." For the first five years after treatment, the company must offer each owner renewals on its regular terms, and must offer to transfer the warranty to a buyer, as long as it has stayed in effect through each owner. A renewal must offer at least retreatment coverage; repair coverage is the company's choice.
Two catches surprise buyers. First: "Failure of the homeowner to renew in any one year relieves the business of any future responsibility for renewals." Skip one year and the right to renew under this rule is gone. Second, the requirement doesn't extend to homes with rigid foam board insulation below grade, untreated wood below grade, too little ground clearance, rooms added after the pre-treatment, soil disturbed by later remodeling or landscaping, or crawl spaces sealed with spray polyurethane foam.
The CL-100: What It Is, Who Orders It, and What It Isn't
The CL-100 is the trade name for the Official South Carolina Wood Infestation Report. Here's what the regulation and Clemson DPR actually say about it, including three points most pest company pages get wrong.
- Who can issue it: someone currently licensed in Category 7A (structural pest control) and covered by a pest control business license. The report must be signed, dated and carry both license numbers.
- What it covers: visible infestation and damage from termites and other wood-destroying insects anywhere in the accessible structure, plus wood-decay fungi and moisture problems below the first main living-area floor, which in practice means the crawl space or basement. Clemson DPR notes the fungus check doesn't include window sills, soffits or anything above that floor.
- Moisture readings are mandatory. The inspector must take wood moisture readings in the crawl space. Readings at or above 20%, or standing water in the crawl space or around the foundation, count as excessive moisture under the regulation.
- Who orders it: Clemson DPR recommends the purchaser, so that the person with the strongest interest in full disclosure is the one paying for the report. Who pays in your deal is set by the purchase contract.
What it isn't, despite what you may read elsewhere:
- It isn't a warranty, and it doesn't obligate anyone to fix anything. The regulation says the report "is not a warranty against future infestation," and places no obligation to correct reported damage or infestation on the company that issued it. If a seller has to treat or repair, that duty comes from the purchase contract or the lender, not from the CL-100.
- It has no legal 30-day expiration. You'll often read that a CL-100 is "valid for 30 days." No validity period appears anywhere in Regs. 27-1085. Lenders and closing attorneys commonly want a recent report, so confirm the window with your lender rather than assuming a state deadline.
- It isn't a "clearance letter." Clemson DPR calls that nickname inaccurate, because the report "does not necessarily 'clear' a structure." It also says most South Carolina homes over 10 years old can be expected to have some wood-destroying organism damage. The law requires the report to be accurate, not clean.
Where a bond and a CL-100 meet: if damage turns up, Clemson DPR says a qualified builder should judge whether repairs are needed, and the builder's invoice goes to the mortgage company with the report. If live termites turn up, the treating company's invoice goes with it. DPR also says it's appropriate for a company that has just treated the house and issued a contract to report "no infestation," even before the colony has died out. That's one practical reason sellers put a house under a bond before closing.
Bait (Sentricon) or Liquid: Does It Change the Bond?
Less than you might think. Clemson DPR says there is now "essentially no difference" between the warranty protection companies offer with baits and with liquid treatments. What changes is what you're paying for each year.
| Liquid termiticide | Bait system (such as Sentricon) | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | A continuous treated zone in the soil around and under the house, made by trenching and drilling. It isn't meant to wipe out the colony in the ground (Clemson HGIC) | Stations in the ground every 10 to 20 feet around the building. Workers carry the bait back and share it, which can reduce or even eliminate a colony (Clemson HGIC) |
| What's left in the soil | A residual barrier whose life varies with soil and climate | No residual chemical in the soil (Clemson HGIC) |
| The trade-off | More drilling and disturbance at the start | Termites must find and feed on the stations before control begins, and some damage may happen meanwhile (Clemson DPR) |
| What the yearly fee buys | Typically an annual inspection and retreatment when needed | Station checks "at relatively frequent intervals," with bait replaced when it's damaged or no longer eaten (Clemson DPR). The service visits are the protection |
Because South Carolina ties inspection frequency to the warranty or the product label, whichever is more frequent, a bait contract's visit schedule matters as much as its repair terms. Ask how often stations are checked and what happens to coverage if a payment lapses. Vinx's own termite protection uses the Sentricon bait system, with Sentricon TotalDefense starting at $35 a month; for what a full treatment costs, see how much termite treatment costs.
What a Termite Bond Costs: What Homeowners Report
Bond prices aren't published or regulated. Here's what homeowners in the region report paying, from Reddit threads (via Google search excerpts):
| Where | What they reported |
|---|---|
| Charleston (2026) | A bond taken over with the house, now "400+/year for the once a year service" |
| North Charleston | A quote of $1,350 for the first year, for a house with no termites |
| Columbia | "I pay about 500 a year" |
| South Carolina | "$500 a year" with a national company |
| A 27-year-old house | "Up to $600+ a year," with no termite finds in all that time |
| A new build | Builder paid the first year, and the renewal rose about 25% in two years |
The pattern: the first year costs the most, because it includes the initial treatment or bait installation. Renewals after that ran from about $400 to over $600 a year in these reports, and they can rise. Clemson DPR's advice when comparing bids is to look past the up-front price to "the annual fees to maintain the coverage," and to compare like with like: a retreatment-only renewal and a retreatment-and-repair renewal aren't the same product.
So, Do You Really Need One? A Decision Guide
Start with what happens without one. The Insurance Information Institute says a standard homeowners policy "will not cover damage due to lack of maintenance, mold or infestation from termites or other pests." Termite damage is on you.
Opinions in the region split hard. The top reply in a 2026 Charleston thread on bond prices called bonds "almost completely useless," pointing out they only cover subterranean termites. On the other side, one homeowner wrote that a company "paid for all $50,000 of the repairs because my parents had a termite bond with them." Both can be true. It depends on the contract.
A bond is worth the most when:
- It includes repair coverage with a meaningful dollar limit, not a few hundred dollars.
- You live in one of the 16 Formosan counties, which take in the whole coast and parts of the Midlands. Check the Formosan line in the contract. See drywood vs. subterranean termites in the Carolinas.
- The house has a crawl space, wood near the soil or past termite activity.
- You plan to sell. As one South Carolina commenter put it, "almost any buyer in the south is going to want a termite bond."
- Your home is under 5 years old and was pre-treated. Renewing keeps the state-required warranty alive; skipping a year ends the right to renew it.
It's worth less when it's retreatment only, when nobody actually inspects the house, or when your real risk is drywood termites and the contract only covers subterranean ones.
How to Transfer a Termite Bond When You Buy or Sell
For an existing home, whether a bond transfers is set by the contract. Clemson DPR advises asking about "the provisions for transferring the coverage to a new owner" before you sign, and notes that lifetime and transferable warranties "are less common than they were in years past." Ask the company before you list or before you close.
- Keep it active. The new-home warranty can only be transferred if it has stayed in effect through each owner. Many ordinary contracts have a similar condition, so check yours.
- Ask for the paperwork: the contract, the treatment record, the inspection history and the foundation diagram. In South Carolina the company must keep these for at least 5 years.
- Confirm the type. A repair bond is a real asset to a buyer. One Alabama homeowner noted that if you have the retreatment-and-repair kind, "it is cheaper to keep it and transfer it to the new owner."
- Ask about a transfer fee and whether the new owner gets a fresh inspection.
- Don't treat the bond as a substitute for the CL-100. A lender still wants the inspection report; the bond is the ongoing agreement.
North Carolina and Virginia: What's Different
| South Carolina | North Carolina | Virginia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bond required by law? | No | No. NCDA&CS lists a no-guarantee option among the agreements a company may offer | No state requirement found. Virginia's disclosure law tells buyers to do their own due diligence, including a home inspection |
| Report used in a sale | CL-100, which also covers decay fungi and moisture below the first floor | WDIR 100, which NCDA&CS calls the only legal form for this purpose. It doesn't report wood rot, though 20% wood moisture must be noted as a condition conducive to termites | No state form of its own. Lenders generally use the national NPMA-33, which covers insects only |
| What the contract must say | Whether Formosan termites are covered, and how | Must be in writing, with the license number, a foundation diagram showing active or inactive infestation and visibly damaged wood, the reinspection interval and the total price | No contract-content rule found. Virginia certifies termite applicators in a separate wood-destroying pest subcategory (7b), so ask whether yours holds it |
North Carolina's guide also says most service agreements there run for one year after the initial treatment, and that a "clear" WDIR isn't required for a sale to close.
Read the Contract for These 8 Things
- Retreatment only, or retreatment and repair? If repair, what's the dollar limit?
- Which termites? Subterranean only, or drywood too? In South Carolina, the contract must state the Formosan coverage.
- How often are inspections, and what areas are excluded as inaccessible?
- What's the starting condition? Get existing damage written on the diagram, so a later claim isn't brushed off as "old damage."
- What voids coverage? Moisture problems, wood-to-soil contact, foam insulation below grade and additions are common exclusions.
- What happens if you miss a renewal? Is there a grace period?
- How much can the renewal rise each year?
- Can it be transferred, and at what cost?
When the Company Says It's Not Covered
The two most common disputes are "that's old damage" and "that's excluded." An attorney at Campbell Law, a firm that handles termite damage claims nationwide, addresses the first in a YouTube video on termite company excuses. His point: dead termites don't eat wood, so if a house has been under bond for years and the damage was never disclosed to the owner, it happened "on their watch." That's the argument for getting the starting condition documented.
Hidden construction is the other trap. A 2018 FOX 5 Atlanta investigation on YouTube (about 80,000 views) covered two Gulf Coast homes that had termite bonds but were infested by Formosan termites hidden behind spray foam insulation. One, a house in Orange Beach, Alabama, was called a total loss. Georgia's agriculture department had warned that spray foam can hide termite damage and live termites. That family sued, and the pest control company disputed the claims. South Carolina's new-home warranty rule already excludes foam board insulation below grade and crawl spaces sealed with spray foam, so ask how any foam on your house affects coverage.
If you find damage, take photos, keep every renewal and inspection record, and get the company's answer in writing. North Carolina's advice applies everywhere: "do not panic." Termites won't cause significant structural damage in a matter of weeks, and you have time to read the contract and get a second opinion. In South Carolina, Clemson's Department of Pesticide Regulation investigates substandard termite treatments and inaccurate wood infestation reports. If you're not sure whether you have activity now, start with how to tell if your home has termites, and for timing see how often to have a termite inspection.
Our termite control service handles inspections, treatment and ongoing protection across South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. In coastal South Carolina, see termite control in Charleston.
Key Takeaways
- South Carolina law doesn't require a termite bond. Lenders want a CL-100 inspection report, which is a different document.
- A bond is a service contract, not insurance, and homeowners insurance doesn't cover termite damage. That gap is the case for a bond.
- Retreatment only is the most common type. Retreatment and repair is worth more, up to its dollar limit.
- The CL-100 isn't a warranty, puts no repair duty on anyone, and has no 30-day expiration in the regulation. Repair duties and timing come from the contract and the lender.
- In South Carolina, the contract must say whether Formosan termites are covered, and a pre-treated new home gets a one-year transferable warranty with 5 years of renewal rights. Miss one renewal and that right ends.
- Bait and liquid bonds offer similar warranty protection; with bait, the station checks are what you're paying for.
- North Carolina uses the WDIR 100 and requires a written contract with a diagram; Virginia has no state form, and lenders generally use the NPMA-33.
Frequently Asked Questions
No state law requires one. What lenders require at a sale is a CL-100 wood infestation report, not a bond. A bond is still worth having for most South Carolina homes because homeowners insurance doesn't cover termite damage, especially a retreatment-and-repair bond. The only termite warranty the state requires comes with a new home that was pre-treated during construction.
No. The buyer's lender will usually want a CL-100 inspection, and Clemson's Department of Pesticide Regulation recommends the buyer order it. State law does require most sellers to address present or unrepaired past wood-destroying insect infestation on the property condition disclosure statement. Many buyers also ask whether a bond can be transferred, so a transferable bond can help a sale.
No. A CL-100 is a one-time report of visible wood-destroying insect damage, plus decay and moisture below the first floor, on the day of the inspection. South Carolina's regulation says it is not a warranty and puts no obligation on anyone to fix what it finds. A bond is an ongoing contract for inspections and retreatment, and sometimes repair.
South Carolina's regulation sets no expiration date. The 30-day window you often hear about is lender or closing-attorney practice, so ask your lender how recent the report must be.
A termite bond is a renewable service agreement with a licensed pest control company, which South Carolina's regulation calls a termite control contract or warranty. The company inspects your home, usually once a year, and takes the corrective action the contract promises if termites return. Most bonds cover retreatment only. Some also cover repair of new damage up to a dollar limit. It is not insurance.
Prices aren't regulated or published, and they depend on the house, the treatment and the type of bond. Homeowners in Charleston and Columbia report renewals of about $400 to over $600 a year. The first year costs more because it includes the initial treatment or bait installation, and one North Charleston homeowner was quoted $1,350 for year one.
Only if it's a retreatment-and-repair bond, and then only new damage up to the contract's limit. Retreatment-only bonds, which NCDA&CS calls the most common type, cover treating the termites again but not repairing what they ate.
It depends on the contract. Clemson's Department of Pesticide Regulation advises asking about transfer provisions before you sign, and notes that transferable warranties are less common than they used to be. For a pre-treated new home, South Carolina requires the company to offer a transfer within the first 5 years, but only if the warranty has stayed in effect.
South Carolina sets no fixed frequency: inspections follow the warranty or the product label, whichever is more frequent, and most homes are inspected once a year. Missing a renewal can end your coverage. Under the state's new-home warranty rule, skipping one year ends the company's obligation to offer future renewals.
Bait systems are sold under service contracts much like liquid treatments, and Clemson's Department of Pesticide Regulation says there is now essentially no difference in the warranty protection companies offer for the two. With baits, the regular station checks are the protection, so ask how often stations are serviced and whether the contract covers repair.
No. The Insurance Information Institute says a standard homeowners policy will not cover damage from infestation by termites or other pests. That gap is the main reason to consider a bond with repair coverage.
It depends on the contract. In South Carolina, the contract or warranty must state whether Formosan termites are covered and whether that coverage includes repair. Many bonds cover subterranean termites only, so check before you rely on one for drywood termites.
Sources: S.C. Code Regs. § 27-1085, Standards for Prevention or Control of Wood-destroying Organisms; S.C. Code § 27-50-40, Residential Property Condition Disclosure Act; Clemson University Department of Pesticide Regulation, Understanding Your Wood Infestation Report (Bulletin 16) and South Carolina Standards for the Control of Termites and Other Wood-Destroying Organisms (Bulletin 15); Clemson HGIC, Subterranean Termite Control (HGIC 2447) and FAQs: Termite Bond + Formosan Subterranean Termites; NCDA&CS Structural Pest Control, A Homeowner's Guide to Termite Control Service Agreements and Warranties and A Homebuyer's Guide to the Wood-Destroying Insect Report; Code of Virginia § 55.1-703 and 2VAC5-685-70; Insurance Information Institute, Which disasters are covered by homeowners insurance?; TermiteTom (Campbell Law), "Termite Company Excuses: 'Old Damage'", YouTube; FOX 5 Atlanta, "I-Team: Homes Ravaged by Termites Hidden Behind Spray Foam Insulation", YouTube (2018); homeowner accounts from Reddit (via Google search excerpts).
Photo credits: Alton, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.