NPMA-33 Form: How to Fill It Out, Section by Section
The NPMA-33 wood destroying insect report explained section by section: who requires it, who may sign it, the 90-day rule, common mistakes and state forms.
Short answer: NPMA-33 is the National Pest Management Association's Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report, a two-page form dated 7/01/19 and approved for FHA and VA loans. It has five sections: general information, findings, recommendations, obstructions, and comments with signatures. A licensed pest control company completes it under its state's rules, and the report is invalid for a mortgage or settlement if not used within 90 days of the inspection. NPMA lists 14 states where the state's own form should be used instead.
If you run a pest control company, or a home inspection company with a licensed pest operator on staff, this is the form you will fill out most often for loan files. If you are a home inspector without a pest license, read this to understand what your pest partner delivers and what the lender will check. Facts are as of September 2026.
What the NPMA-33 is
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Official name | Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report |
| Form number and date | Form NPMA-33 (7/01/19), 2 pages |
| Older editions | "Previous editions are obsolete after 12/31/19" |
| Issuer | National Pest Management Association (NPMA). Copyrighted; no reproduction without NPMA permission |
| Approved for | "This form is approved for FHA and VA loans" (printed on the form) |
| Insects covered | Termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, reinfesting wood-boring beetles |
| Not covered | Mold, mildew, and non-insect wood-destroying organisms |
| Validity | Invalid for securing a mortgage or settling a transfer if not used within 90 days of the inspection date. "This shall not be construed as a 90-day warranty." |
NPMA says the current version was last updated in 2019. If a lender or title company sends back a report on an older layout, that is why.
Who requires the NPMA-33
The form exists because lenders want a standard answer to one question: is there visible evidence of wood-destroying insects? Who asks for it depends on the loan.
| Requirement source | What it says |
|---|---|
| FHA (HUD Handbook 4000.1, last revised 8/12/2026) | The lender must confirm the file contains the NPMA-33 "or the state mandated infestation report, as applicable." For existing properties, the lender must confirm the property is "free of wood destroying insects and organisms." |
| FHA appraiser | Must observe the foundation and perimeter for evidence of wood-destroying pests. If there is evidence or notification of infestation, including a prior treatment, the appraisal is made subject to inspection by a qualified pest control specialist. |
| FHA new construction | A Wood Infestation Report unless the county is on HUD's termite treatment exception list, with forms HUD-NPMA-99-A (builder's guarantee) and HUD-NPMA-99-B (service record) |
| VA | WDI information required statewide in 29 states, the District of Columbia and five territories, and in listed counties of Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah and Wisconsin. Elsewhere not required "unless specific issues are noted in the VA appraisal report" |
| Conventional lenders and purchase contracts | Set by the lender or the contract. Check the loan conditions for each file |
For the VA, check the current list on VA's local requirements page for jobs in states where only some counties are listed. The list was last updated July 11, 2025, as of September 2026.
For more on how the appraiser's role differs from the inspector's, see FHA home inspection criteria.
Who may complete an NPMA-33
NPMA does not license anyone. Its forms page says state governments "are the final authority" on who may inspect and report.
The form itself shows who is expected to sign it. Section I asks for the company's pest control business license number and the inspector's "Certification, Registration, or Lic. #". In practice that means a licensed pest control business and an inspector credentialed under that state's structural pest control rules.
For a home inspector, the consequence is simple. If your state requires a pest license to report on wood-destroying insects, as Texas, Florida and California do, you cannot sign an NPMA-33 on your home inspector license. Our WDO vs WDI guide covers those state rules and how inspectors partner with pest companies.
The NPMA-33, section by section
Section I. General Information
Company name, address and phone, the company's business license number, the date of inspection, the property address, the inspector's name, signature and license number, and the structures inspected.
Get right: list every structure you inspected, including a detached garage or shed if it was in scope. If the buyer assumes the whole property was covered and you only looked at the house, this line is your evidence.
Section II. Inspection Findings
Two choices, based on a careful visual inspection of the readily accessible areas:
- A. No visible evidence of wood destroying insects was observed.
- B. Visible evidence of wood destroying insects was observed, with three boxes: live insects; dead insects, insect parts, frass, shelter tubes, exit holes or staining; and visible damage.
The form says "This is not a structural damage report." It adds that if box B is checked, "some degree of damage, including hidden damage, may be present," and recommends a qualified structural professional for questions about damage. If you check visible damage, describe it and its location. Do not size the repair.
Section III. Recommendations
Either no action or treatment is recommended, or action or treatment is recommended for control of the named insects. If you checked B in Section II and recommend nothing, the form asks you to explain why.
Page 2 gives the guidelines for subterranean termites. Treatment or corrective action "should be recommended if live termites are found." If evidence of infestation is found with no documented previous treatment, treatment should be recommended even without live termites. Where there was a documented previous treatment, treatment "may be recommended" unless the structure is under warranty or a service agreement with a licensed pest control company. If that is why you recommend nothing after checking B, say so in Section III and attach the warranty or service agreement details.
Section IV. Obstructions and Inaccessible Areas
Areas by location (basement, crawlspace, main level, attic, garage, exterior, porch, addition, other), with an optional numbered key from 1 to 26 for the reason, such as fixed ceilings, stored items, insulation and spray foam insulation.
This section protects you more than any other. Page 2 of the form notes that crawl spaces with less than 24 inches of clearance from the bottom of the floor joists to the surface below may be deemed inaccessible. Record every limitation you met.
Section V. Additional Comments and Attachments
Comments, a list of attachments, the seller's signature, or the owner's if refinancing, disclosing what they know of infestation, damage, repair and treatment history, and the buyer's signature acknowledging receipt of pages 1 and 2.
Page 2. Consumer information
Page 2 explains the inspection to the buyer: what it covers, subterranean termite treatment guidelines, what obstructions mean, a maintenance advisory on integrated pest management, and a statement that the inspecting company has no interest in the property. Send both pages every time; the buyer signature confirms receipt of both.
The 90-day rule, read carefully
The form's wording is: "This report shall be considered invalid for purposes of securing a mortgage and/or settlement of property transfer if not used within ninety (90) days from the date of inspection. This shall not be construed as a 90-day warranty."
Two practical points:
- The clock starts at the inspection date, not the report date. If a closing slips, a new inspection may be needed. Put a reinspection fee in your price list so that request is not a free job.
- It is not a guarantee. The form says so. Keep your comments consistent with that, and do not promise the buyer the property will stay free of insects.
Common NPMA-33 mistakes
| Mistake | Why it causes trouble | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Using an obsolete edition | Previous editions are obsolete after 12/31/19 | Use the 7/01/19 form, from NPMA or your software |
| Using NPMA-33 in a state with its own form | NPMA lists 14 states where the state form should be used. FHA accepts "the state mandated infestation report, as applicable" | Check the state list first |
| Report used after 90 days | Invalid for the mortgage or settlement | Watch closing dates and quote reinspections |
| B checked, no recommendation or explanation | Section III asks for an explanation when evidence is found but no treatment is recommended | Explain prior treatment or other reason |
| Blank Section IV | Leaves no record of what you could not see | List areas and reasons, using the key |
| Structures inspected left vague | Invites a dispute over a detached building | Name each structure |
| Missing buyer or seller signature in Section V | The buyer signature confirms receipt of both pages | Collect signatures or note how the report was delivered |
| Treating it as a damage estimate | "This is not a structural damage report" | Describe damage location, refer repairs to a contractor |
| Copying the form into a homemade template | The form is copyrighted by NPMA | Use an authorized copy |
How NPMA-33 relates to state forms
NPMA lists 14 states where the state inspection form should be used instead of the NPMA-33: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. NPMA adds that in some cases HUD may still require the NPMA-33 for HUD-insured loans, so check the loan conditions.
The two you are most likely to meet:
| NPMA-33 | Florida FDACS-13645 | Texas SPCS/T-5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | 7/01/19 | Rev. 05/21 | Rev. 9/1/2020 |
| Scope | Wood-destroying insects | Wood-destroying organisms, including wood-decaying fungi | Wood-destroying insects plus conducive conditions |
| Length | 2 pages | 2 pages | 4 pages plus a required diagram |
| Validity statement | 90 days for mortgage or settlement | Not stated | Not stated |
| Authority | NPMA form; FHA and VA accept it | Rule 5E-14.142, F.A.C. | 4 TAC §7.176 |
HUD's handbook language, "or the state mandated infestation report, as applicable," is how an FHA file in Florida or Texas ends up with the state form rather than the NPMA-33. The WDO vs WDI guide covers the state forms in more detail. Texas home inspectors who also write the TREC report can see how the two reports divide the work in our TREC report guide.
Producing NPMA-33 reports efficiently
Most NPMA-33 jobs ride along with a real estate transaction, so speed matters and the same property often gets a home inspection too.
Binsr has the NPMA-33 form built in, alongside the Florida WDO and Texas WDI forms. One inspection can produce several reports, each with its own template, so a company that holds both licenses can deliver the home inspection and the NPMA-33 from one visit as separate documents. Photos attach at the finding level, which gives you a picture behind each Section II box you check.
On pricing, treat WDI work as its own service with its own time and risk. The arithmetic is in how to price ancillary inspection services.
Frequently asked questions
Sources and verification
- NPMA-33 Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report (HUD copy), National Pest Management Association, hosted by HUD
- NPMA Forms Information, National Pest Management Association
- HUD Handbook 4000.1, Update 18, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- VA Home Loans, Local Requirements, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- FDACS-13645 Wood-Destroying Organisms Inspection Report, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- Rule 5E-14.142, F.A.C., Florida Administrative Code
- Texas Official Wood Destroying Insect Report, SPCS/T-5, Texas Department of Agriculture
- 4 TAC §7.176, Texas Administrative Code (Cornell LII)
- TREC FAQ: wood destroying insects and the inspector's report, Texas Real Estate Commission
Keep reading
- WDO vs WDI inspections for home inspectors
- The Texas TREC inspection report, REI 7-6
- FHA home inspection criteria
- How to price ancillary inspection services
- New construction home inspections
- Write defect comments that hold up
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