The NPMA-33 Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report is the standardized form a licensed pest inspector completes during a home sale to document whether termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, or wood-boring beetles are present on the property. FHA and VA loans require it in most of the country, many conventional lenders request one too, and the finished report is valid for 90 days from the inspection date.
When You Need an NPMA-33
Whether the report is mandatory depends on your loan type and where the house sits.
For FHA-backed mortgages, HUD maintains a state-by-state and county-by-county list of areas where a wood-destroying insect inspection is required. Most states require it statewide. A handful of states — Alaska, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon, and Washington — have no FHA inspection requirement in any county. Others, including Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming, require it in some counties and not others.
The VA publishes its own list, which overlaps with HUD’s but is not identical. More than 30 states require an inspection for every VA loan statewide, including the entire South, most of the Midwest, and the mid-Atlantic. States like Iowa, Nebraska, and Nevada require inspections only in certain counties. Where a state isn’t on the VA’s list, an inspection is still required whenever the VA appraiser notes evidence of infestation or damage during the appraisal.
Even when neither agency requires it, a conventional lender can ask for one at its discretion. In areas with moderate to heavy termite activity, lenders almost always do, regardless of loan type. If you’re not sure where you stand, ask your loan officer before you schedule inspections.
What the Inspection Covers
The NPMA-33 is limited to four categories of wood-destroying insects. It does not cover mold, mildew, wood-decay fungi, or any non-insect organism that damages wood.
- Termites. The form does not distinguish between subterranean and drywood species. Inspectors look for live specimens, mud shelter tubes running from soil to wood, swarmer wings near windows, and frass (dry fecal pellets that drywood termites push out of infested timber).
- Carpenter ants. These insects excavate galleries inside wood for nesting but do not actually eat it. The telltale sign is coarse sawdust mixed with insect parts near baseboards or structural timbers.
- Carpenter bees. They bore smooth, round entry holes into exposed wood, particularly fascia boards, deck rails, and eaves. Sawdust beneath the holes and visible bee activity are the main indicators.
- Reinfesting wood-boring beetles. Inspectors look for tiny exit holes, fine powdery dust, and in some species, audible clicking from larvae feeding inside timbers.
The form states explicitly that the inspection covers only readily accessible areas. The inspector will not break into walls, pull up flooring, or move heavy items to reach hidden spaces. Active infestations behind drywall or beneath insulation can go undetected even during a thorough inspection.
If your state or lender also wants documentation of wood-decay fungi (dry rot and wet rot), NPMA publishes a separate Wood Destroying Organism attachment that goes with the NPMA-33. Confirm whether you need it before the inspector arrives so both forms can be completed in one visit.
The 90-Day Validity Window
The form itself states that it is invalid for mortgage purposes if not used within 90 days of the inspection date. That rule applies across FHA, VA, and conventional loans. If closing slips past day 90, you need a new inspection and a new report. The 90-day window is not a warranty; it just means the findings are considered current for that period.
The practical takeaway is timing. Schedule the inspection close enough to your expected closing date that you don’t risk a reinspection, but far enough ahead to allow for treatment if the report comes back positive.
Preparing the Property So Areas Aren’t Marked Inaccessible
Anything blocking an inspectable area gets logged as an obstruction in Section IV of the form. A lender may reject a report that lists too many inaccessible spaces, so the person selling or occupying the property should clear access before the inspector arrives.
- Crawl spaces. Remove stored items and debris. Any crawl space with less than 24 inches of clearance from the bottom of the floor joists to the ground will be marked inaccessible.
- Garage and basement walls. Pull stored boxes, shelving contents, and furnishings at least two feet away from walls so the inspector can examine the foundation and sill plate.
- Attic access. Make sure the hatch or pull-down ladder works. If the opening is too small for the inspector to enter, the attic will be recorded as inaccessible.
- Exterior perimeter. Trim vegetation touching the foundation, move firewood stacks away from the structure, and clear debris blocking exterior walls.
The form has 26 standard obstruction codes, from fixed ceilings and floor coverings to standing water, snow, and synthetic stucco. You can’t fix permanent features like in-wall insulation, but clutter, wood piles against the house, and overgrown shrubs are easy to eliminate.
Reading the Finished Report
Only a licensed pest control professional fills out the NPMA-33. Buyers and sellers don’t complete any part of it. When the report comes back, three sections matter most.
Section II: Inspection Findings
This is the section the lender cares about most. The inspector checks one of two boxes:
- Box A: No visible evidence of wood-destroying insects was observed.
- Box B: Visible evidence of wood-destroying insects was observed.
When Box B is checked, the inspector fills in three sub-fields describing what was found: live insects (species and location), physical evidence such as frass, shelter tubes, exit holes, or staining (description and location), and visible damage from wood-destroying insects (description and location). The form makes clear it is not a structural damage report. If Box B is checked, it recommends that a qualified structural professional evaluate the extent of any damage and determine what repairs are needed.
Section III: Recommendations
Based on the findings, the inspector either recommends no action or specifies treatment. When active insects are present, that usually means targeted or whole-structure treatment. The inspector may also note whether a warranty or ongoing service agreement is advisable. Lenders read this section to understand whether treatment must happen before closing.
Section IV: Obstructions and Inaccessible Areas
Every area the inspector couldn’t fully examine is logged here using the standardized obstruction codes. A few inaccessible spots are normal. A long list can prompt the lender to require a reinspection after the obstructions are cleared.
Cost and Who Pays
The inspection fee is negotiable between buyer and seller as part of the purchase contract. For a standard residential property, fees generally run between $50 and $200, depending on region and property size.
For VA loans, veterans are permitted to pay the termite inspection fee in any state under VA Circular 26-22-11. The inspection is classified as a third-party charge and is not subject to the VA’s 1-percent cap on lender fees.
Treatment is a separate expense and can be considerably higher. Professional termite treatments for an average-sized home range from roughly $300 to several thousand dollars depending on the species, severity, and method. Who pays is set by the purchase contract and local custom. In many markets, the seller covers treatment because the lender will not close until the infestation is resolved. For FHA loans, all required pest-related repairs must be completed before closing.
What to Do If the Report Finds Infestation
A Box B finding doesn’t automatically end the deal, but it adds steps. The typical sequence when active wood-destroying insects are found:
- Get a written treatment proposal. The inspector or another licensed pest control company provides an estimate specifying the target pest, the treatment method, and whether a follow-up service agreement or warranty is included.
- Assess structural damage. Because the NPMA-33 is not a structural damage report, hire a licensed contractor or structural engineer to evaluate any damage noted in Section II and determine what repairs are needed.
- Negotiate costs. Decide with the other party who pays for treatment and repairs. This often becomes a contract amendment or a credit at closing.
- Complete treatment before closing on FHA loans. Treatment must be finished and documented before the loan can close. VA and conventional lenders may impose similar conditions depending on the severity.
- Provide documentation to the lender. A treatment completion letter or certificate from the pest control company, along with any structural repair receipts, goes to the lender with the NPMA-33.
If you believe the inspector missed obvious signs of infestation that a competent professional should have caught, you may have grounds for a negligence or breach-of-contract claim. The inspector owes you a duty of care under the inspection contract, and if they failed to document visible evidence like mud tubes or exit holes and you suffered financial loss as a result, that’s the core of such a claim. These situations are rare, but the cost of undiscovered termite damage can easily exceed the cost of the inspection many times over.