The NPMA-33 Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report is a standardized form that licensed pest control professionals use to document whether a home shows evidence of termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, or wood-boring beetles. The National Pest Management Association developed it, and HUD and the VA require it for most government-backed home loans.1National Pest Management Association. Suggested Guidelines for Completing the Revised NPMA-33 Form Fourteen states use their own form instead, so the first thing to confirm is which document your lender and state actually accept.
When You Need an NPMA-33
VA Loans
The Department of Veterans Affairs publishes a state-by-state list of where a wood-destroying insect inspection is mandatory for every VA-guaranteed purchase. More than 30 states and territories are on it, including Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. Several others, including Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, and New York, require inspections only in specific counties. If your state is not on the list, an inspection is still required whenever the VA appraiser flags a concern.2U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Local Requirements – VA Home Loans
FHA Loans
The Federal Housing Administration requires a wood-destroying insect inspection in most of the country. HUD publishes a termite treatment area map that breaks the requirement down by state and county. Alaska, Idaho, North Dakota, and Oregon are fully exempt, and a handful of other states have county-level exemptions in colder or higher-altitude regions.3U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Termite Treatment Areas Even inside an exempt zone, if the FHA appraiser spots decay, pest activity, or suspicious damage, a further inspection is required.4U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HOC Reference Guide – Pest Control
Conventional Loans
Conventional mortgages have no blanket federal pest inspection rule. Each lender sets its own policy, and most skip the inspection unless the appraiser notes a concern or the property sits in a high-risk termite area. Many buyers still ask for a pest inspection as a contract contingency, which gives them room to renegotiate or walk away if the report comes back bad.
States That Require a Different Form
Fourteen states do not accept the NPMA-33 as their standard document. Inspectors in these states use a state-specific wood-destroying insect or wood-destroying organism form:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Texas
If your transaction is in one of these states, ask your inspector to confirm which form your lender and state agency will accept. HUD may still require the NPMA-33 for FHA-insured loans even in these states, so inspectors sometimes complete both.5National Pest Management Association. NPMA Forms Information
What the Inspection Covers
The NPMA-33 covers four categories of wood-destroying insects: termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and reinfesting wood-boring beetles.6U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. NPMA-33 Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report The termite category takes in every species an inspector is likely to see: subterranean termites that build mud tubes from soil to wood, drywood termites that live entirely inside the wood they eat, and dampwood termites drawn to high-moisture timber. Carpenter ants and carpenter bees do not eat wood, but they hollow it out for nests and weaken framing over time. Reinfesting wood-boring beetles leave tiny exit holes in hardwood after larvae tunnel through the interior.
The form does not cover mold, mildew, or wood-decay fungi.6U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. NPMA-33 Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report If the appraiser notices wood decay or fungal damage, FHA and VA lenders can order a separate evaluation, but that evaluation is not part of the NPMA-33.4U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HOC Reference Guide – Pest Control
How to Read the Report
The form itself is short, with five numbered sections.
Section I identifies the pest control company and the individual inspector, with license and certification numbers, the property address, and the inspection date. Lenders verify these details before they accept the report.6U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. NPMA-33 Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report
Section II records findings in three categories, each with a description and a location: live insects seen during the inspection; evidence of past or current activity such as dead insects, insect parts, frass, shelter tubes, exit holes, or staining; and visible damage from wood-destroying insects, like hollowed framing or compromised joists. The form does not require a drawn map, but the inspector has to say where on the structure each finding appeared so any follow-up treatment can target the right spots.6U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. NPMA-33 Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report
Section III is where the inspector recommends treatment if the findings call for it. The form has no field for estimated cost. That comes separately, from a quote the pest control company provides if you hire them for the work.6U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. NPMA-33 Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report
Section IV lists every part of the property the inspector could not examine, with the reason. Section V holds any additional notes, diagrams, or attachments.
What the Inspector Doesn’t Have to Look At
The NPMA-33 is a visual inspection of readily accessible areas. Inspectors look at what they can see and reach without taking anything apart. They do not move furniture, pull up carpet, remove insulation, take down wall coverings, or dismantle any part of the structure. Anything that would require that kind of work gets listed as inaccessible in Section IV.6U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. NPMA-33 Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report
Crawl spaces can be declared inaccessible if the opening is too small, if there is less than 24 inches of clearance between the floor joists and the ground, or if there is standing water or an unsafe condition. Attics follow similar rules. No ladder access or inadequate entry means the attic goes on the inaccessible list.6U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. NPMA-33 Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report The form itself keys common obstructions: dense vegetation, exterior siding, wood piles, snow, rigid foam board, synthetic stucco, duct work and wiring, spray foam insulation, stored items, and furnishings. A cluttered basement or a garage packed with boxes will leave those areas listed as inaccessible rather than inspected.
This matters. The report is not a guarantee against hidden, concealed, or future infestations, and the inspection firm cannot certify that every infestation or piece of damage has been found. It can only report what was visible and accessible on the inspection date.6U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. NPMA-33 Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report A long list of inaccessible areas is a signal to ask the seller to clear what they can and get a more thorough look before closing.
After the Inspection
Once the inspector signs the report, the buyer or their agent delivers it to the lender or title company. The report has a shelf life. Lenders typically treat it as valid for 90 days from the inspection date.4U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HOC Reference Guide – Pest Control If closing slips past that window, you’ll pay for a fresh one. Inspection fees typically run about $100 to $200, depending on property size and local market.
A clean report goes into the lender’s file and closing proceeds. A report that shows active infestation or damage complicates things. The form itself does not obligate the seller to treat or repair anything. That obligation comes from the purchase agreement and the lender’s requirements.6U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. NPMA-33 Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report Most buyers and sellers negotiate who handles the treatment. VA and FHA lenders generally will not close until the infestation is treated and a follow-up clearance confirms the property is free of active wood-destroying insects.
The pest company’s job ends with the report unless you sign a separate treatment contract. A recommendation in Section III tells the lender what needs to happen; it does not commit the inspector’s company to doing the work.
Who Pays
There is no national rule on who pays. Sellers often cover both the inspection and any required treatment, but this is a matter of negotiation and local custom, not federal law. Some purchase agreements put the cost on the buyer; others split it. On VA loans, the veteran can be charged the inspection fee when the VA’s Notice of Value specifies an inspection is needed, and veterans can also pay for repairs required to meet VA minimum property requirements.7U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. VA State Fees and Charges Deviations List Whoever orders it, the lender has to see the report before funding the loan.
New Construction Uses Different Forms
The NPMA-33 is for existing structures. New construction uses Form HUD-NPMA-99-A, a builder’s subterranean termite protection guarantee,8U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Subterranean Termite Protection Builders Guarantee – Form HUD-NPMA-99-A and Form HUD-NPMA-99-B, a treatment service record completed by the pest control company that applied chemical soil treatment.9U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. New Construction Subterranean Termite Service Record – Form HUD-NPMA-99-B If you’re buying new construction with an FHA or VA loan, those are the forms to ask about, not the NPMA-33.