"Free termite inspection" and "termite inspection cost" sound like opposite searches, but they are the same question: what does a termite inspection cost, and what do you get for it? A routine inspection from a pest control company is often free. A standalone inspection, or the official report a home sale needs, usually is not. Here is what each one costs, what a thorough inspection should include, and the paperwork South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia use at closing.
A routine termite inspection is often free when a pest control company does it to recommend treatment or protection. Vinx inspections are free. A paid standalone inspection usually costs about $50 to $275, with averages of roughly $100 to $130 in the published cost guides below.
A home-sale report, which Vinx doesn't issue, costs more because it is an official form: the CL-100 in South Carolina, the WDIR-100 in North Carolina and, in Virginia, the NPMA-33 that lenders accept. One national guide puts real estate termite inspections at about $62 to $277.
Free Inspection, Paid Inspection or Home-Sale Report
These three get called "a termite inspection," but they are different jobs with different prices.
| Type | Why you get it | Typical cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free company inspection | You suspect termites, or want protection | $0 | A look at the house and a recommendation or quote for treatment |
| Paid standalone inspection | An independent check, with no sales pitch attached | About $50 to $275 | A findings report; no obligation to buy treatment |
| Home-sale report | A buyer, lender or sales contract asks for it | About $62 to $277 in one national guide | The state's official form (CL-100, WDIR-100) or the NPMA-33, signed by a licensed inspector |
The ranges come from published cost guides that collect quotes: Yelp lists a typical termite inspection at $50 to $275 with an average of about $100, and LawnStarter lists an average of about $130, from $0 to $277, with real estate inspections at $62 to $277. LawnStarter's range for Charlotte, the closest city it lists to our area, is $0 to $221. Be careful with state-by-state tables online; one widely shared table lists South Carolina at $33 and Louisiana at $1, which tells you how thin the underlying data can be.
When we researched the termite plans people buy in our own markets, a Columbia homeowner reported paying at least $100 for the termite letter at closing, on top of a fee to move the existing termite plan into the new owner's name.
Why So Many Termite Inspections Are Free
A pest control company inspects for free because the inspection is how it prices treatment or a protection plan. There is nothing wrong with that, and it is how we work too: termite treatment is quoted after a free inspection, because the price depends on the home's linear footage, construction and what the inspector finds.
What matters is that a free inspection is still a real inspection. The EPA's advice on selecting a pest control service is to get several estimates, since most companies give them free and most pest problems can wait a few days. It also lists warning signs, including a special price if you sign today, pressure to sign immediately and a price quoted per gallon of termiticide. If an inspector finds termites, ask to see the evidence, and get a second free estimate before you commit to a large treatment.
What a Thorough Termite Inspection Covers
North Carolina's Department of Agriculture describes the standard well in its homebuyer's guide to the wood-destroying insect report: a careful visual examination of all accessible areas of the building, plus sounding of accessible wood near slab and masonry contact, including permanently attached decks and porches. It applies to any good inspection, free or paid.
- Outside the house. The foundation for mud tubes, wood touching soil, mulch piled against siding, gutters and downspouts that soak the soil, and attached decks and porches.
- The crawl space or slab edges. Joists, sill plates and piers in a crawl space; expansion joints, plumbing and slab penetrations on a slab house.
- Inside the house. Baseboards, door and window frames, the garage, and under kitchen and bathroom sinks, because plumbing lines are a common way in.
- The attic, where it can be safely reached.
- A written report that shows what was found and which areas could not be inspected. The NCDA notes inspectors must mark inaccessible areas, and checking inside walls may require removing materials, for an extra fee.
So yes, a termite inspector should come inside your home. An inspection that is only a walk around the outside misses the places termites are most often found.
What Homeowners Say Goes Wrong
The complaints about termite inspections are rarely about price. In the comment sections of termite inspection videos we reviewed, the recurring problem was inspections that were too quick to find anything. One homeowner wrote that after more than 20 years on a termite contract, the company had never once gone into the attic. Another described an inspector who walked around the outside without bending down, went up to the attic and was gone in 20 minutes. A pest professional with more than 30 years in the Myrtle Beach area said he is still surprised by "inspectors" who never go inside a home.
An experienced inspector in the same thread made the point every homeowner should hear: you can do a careful inspection, find nothing, and still have termites in a place no one can see. That is why the report should list what was not accessible, and why a clean inspection is not a guarantee.
Termite Inspections for a Home Sale, by State
Buyers and lenders want a wood-destroying insect report before closing. Each state in our service area uses a different form, and who pays is set by your purchase contract, so check it with your agent or closing attorney.
| State | Report | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | CL-100 Wood Infestation Report | The standard SC REALTORS purchase contract calls for a CL-100 dated within 30 days of closing. |
| North Carolina | WDIR-100, the state's official wood-destroying insect report | Must be done by an NCDA&CS licensee or someone working under one. The state advises getting it early in the transaction. |
| Virginia | NPMA-33 | Virginia has no state form of its own; the NPMA-33 is the form lenders accept. |
South Carolina REALTORS' guidance on the CL-100 section of its contract explains the 30-day window: an older report is treated as stale because termites can do damage in less time than that. Since a delayed closing can mean paying for a new report, schedule it with your closing date in mind.
Two things none of these reports are. They are not a warranty: the NCDA says plainly that the WDIR is "not a warranty as to the absence of wood-destroying insects," and conditions can change shortly after the visit. And they are not a termite bond. A report describes the house on one day, while a bond is an ongoing contract for re-treatment and sometimes repairs. See whether you need a termite bond for how those differ.
What Happens After the Inspection
- No termites found: you get the report and, if you want ongoing protection, a quote for it. Most homes in our area should be inspected once a year; see how often to get a termite inspection.
- Termites or damage found: the inspector should show you the evidence and explain the options, usually liquid treatment or bait stations. See what termite treatment costs to compare quotes.
- Selling or buying: treatment and repairs are negotiated under the purchase contract. The NCDA notes an inspector may bid on treatment, but it is up to the buyer or seller to contract for it.
Before you book: a free inspection is worth taking, as long as it covers the crawl space or slab edges, the inside of the house and the attic, and ends with a written report. For a home sale, ask for your state's form by name and time it to your closing date.
To book a free inspection, see termite control or request a free quote. If you have already spotted something, start with the signs of termites in your house.
Frequently Asked Questions
A routine inspection from a pest control company is often free, and Vinx inspections are free. A paid standalone inspection usually costs about $50 to $275, with published averages of roughly $100 to $130. A home-sale report such as a CL-100 or WDIR-100, which Vinx doesn't issue, usually costs more because it is an official form.
Many are, because the company uses the inspection to recommend and price treatment or a protection plan. A free inspection should still cover the outside, the crawl space or slab edges, the inside of the house and the attic, and end with a written report.
Prices vary by company and home. National cost guides put real estate termite inspections at roughly $62 to $277. The standard SC REALTORS contract calls for the CL-100 to be dated within 30 days of closing, so time it to your closing date.
Yes. A thorough inspection includes the inside of the home, such as baseboards, door and window frames, the garage, and under kitchen and bathroom sinks, plus the crawl space or slab edges and the attic where it can be reached.
It describes the house only on the day of the visit. For a South Carolina sale, the standard contract wants a CL-100 dated within 30 days of closing. For your own home, most homes in our area should be inspected once a year.
Your purchase contract decides it, and it can be negotiated. Ask your agent or closing attorney which party orders the report and who pays for any treatment or repairs.
No. North Carolina's Department of Agriculture says its official report is not a warranty that wood-destroying insects are absent, and termites can show up shortly after an inspection. A termite bond is the contract that covers re-treatment.
The WDIR-100 is North Carolina's official wood-destroying insect report. Virginia has no state form, so lenders there accept the NPMA-33. South Carolina uses its own CL-100.
Sources: NCDA&CS Structural Pest Control, Homebuyer's Guide to the Wood-Destroying Insect Report; South Carolina REALTORS, SCR310 Section 11: CL100 Wood Infestation Report (2023); U.S. EPA, Tips for Selecting a Pest Control Service; Yelp termite inspection costs; LawnStarter termite inspection cost.
Photo credits: USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab, Public domain; NY State IPM Program at Cornell University, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.