WDO vs WDI Inspection: What Home Inspectors Can Report

Short answer: WDI (wood-destroying insect) and WDO (wood-destroying organism) inspections look for the same thing, termites and other pests that damage wood, but a WDO report also covers wood-decaying fungi. Florida uses the WDO term and form FDACS-13645, Texas uses the WDI term and form SPCS/T-5, and many other states use NPMA-33. In Florida, Texas, California and other states with pest licensing rules, the report must come from a licensed pest control business, so a home inspector without that license reports visible damage in the home inspection and refers the WDO or WDI report to a licensed partner.

This guide is for the inspector deciding whether to add termite work, partner for it, or simply report it correctly inside a standard home inspection. Rules differ by state. Everything below is as of September 2026, and the state-specific parts cite the statute or rule so you can check them yourself.

WDO vs WDI: what the two terms mean

The difference is mostly scope and vocabulary.

WDI, wood-destroying insect. Insects only. The national NPMA-33 form covers termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees and reinfesting wood-boring beetles, and it expressly excludes mold, mildew and non-insect wood-destroying organisms.

WDO, wood-destroying organism. Insects plus fungi. Florida law defines a wood-destroying organism as "arthropod or plant life which damages and can reinfest seasoned wood in a structure, namely termites, powder-post beetles, oldhouse borers, and wood-decaying fungi." That last item is the real difference: a Florida WDO inspector reports wood decay, not just insects.

People also say "termite inspection", "termite letter" or "termite clearance letter". Those are everyday names for the same report. The official document is whatever form the state or the lender requires.

Who may perform WDO and WDI inspections

This is the question that matters most to a home inspector, and in the states below the answer is "a licensed pest control professional, not you, unless you hold that license too."

Florida

Florida puts inspection for pests inside the definition of pest control. Section 482.021, F.S., says pest control includes "the identification of or inspection for infestations or infections in, on, or under a structure", and section 482.165 makes it "unlawful for a person, partnership, firm, corporation, or other business entity not licensed by the department to practice pest control."

Section 482.226 then requires that when a licensee does a WDO inspection for a real estate transaction and charges a fee or is asked for a written report, the report "must be made on a form prescribed by the department." Rule 5E-14.142, F.A.C., names that form as FDACS-13645 and requires licensees with certified operators in the termite or wood-destroying organism category to use it.

Florida defines home inspection services in section 468.8311, F.S., as "a limited visual examination" of the structure, electrical system, HVAC system, roof covering, plumbing system, interior and exterior components and site conditions. Pest inspection is not on that list. If you want to issue FDACS-13645 reports yourself, you need the pest control route through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).

Texas

Texas is explicit, and TREC has said it in writing. From TREC's own FAQ: "In Texas, any person who reports on wood destroying insects in a home must be licensed by the state as a wood destroying insect inspector. These licenses are issued by the Texas Structural Pest Control Service of the Texas Department of Agriculture."

The Texas Department of Agriculture instructions for the official form say: "A WDI report can only be completed by a certified applicator or technician licensed in the termite control category."

TREC also warns against advertising the service when nobody in your company holds the license. It says such advertising "could be construed to be misleading" under inspector advertising Rule 535.221 and may also break the Structural Pest Control Service's advertising rules.

Other states

No single rule covers the country. NPMA's own guidance on its form says state governments "are the final authority." California is a clear example: Business and Professions Code section 8516 bars issuing any document "relating to the absence or presence of wood destroying pests or organisms" until an inspection is made by a licensed Branch 3 field representative or operator of a registered company.

The general pattern: a home inspector without a pest control license generally cannot issue a WDO or WDI report. Before you offer one, check your state's structural pest control regulator, usually the state department of agriculture, and get the answer in writing.

The forms, side by side

Three forms cover most of the work you will see. Each has its own rules.

Florida FDACS-13645 in brief

Five sections: general information (company, business license number, inspector name and ID card number, property, structures inspected); inspection findings (no visible signs, or visible live WDOs, evidence, or damage); obstructions and inaccessible areas; notice of inspection and treatment information; and comments with a financial disclosure. Rule 5E-14.142 says the licensee "shall not place any disclaimers or additional language" on the report.

Texas SPCS/T-5 in brief

The T-5 is longer. It covers the purchaser and owner, structures inspected with a required diagram, the notice of inspection location, obstructed areas, conducive conditions (wood to ground contact, excessive moisture, wood rot, heavy foliage and others, each with a code), active infestation, previous infestation and previous treatment for subterranean, drywood and Formosan termites, carpenter ants and other wood-destroying insects, and whether corrective or preventive treatment is recommended. Reports in a real estate transaction must be on the prescribed form under 4 TAC §7.176, and the business keeps a copy for two years.

NPMA-33 in brief

The national form, printed with "This form is approved for FHA and VA loans." NPMA lists 14 states where the state inspection form should be used instead: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. NPMA adds that HUD may still require NPMA-33 for HUD-insured loans in some cases. Our NPMA-33 form guide walks through it section by section.

Reporting wood-destroying evidence inside a home inspection

You will find mud tubes, frass and damaged wood on regular home inspections. The question is how to write it up without issuing a pest report you are not licensed to issue.

Report what you see, not what caused it. TREC's guidance is the cleanest statement of the rule for Texas inspectors, and it is a sound model elsewhere: under a home inspector license, the inspector "MAY NOT comment on whether termite infestations exist," but should "comment on visible damage regardless of the underlying cause and note it as a deficiency on their report."

Know that your standards exclude the determination. Texas 22 TAC §535.227 says the inspector is not required to determine "the presence or absence of pests, termites, or other wood-destroying insects or organisms." If you work under an association standard or another state's rules, check its exclusions. An exclusion protects you only if your wording does not claim otherwise.

Write the finding in three parts. What you observed and where, why it matters, and who should evaluate it.

Record limitations. Stored items against walls, finished basements, insulation over sill plates and a crawl space you could not enter all hide evidence. List them. The pest forms have a whole section for obstructions for the same reason.

For more on wording that survives a dispute, see how to write defect comments that hold up.

How home inspectors partner with pest control companies

A home inspector without a pest license who "offers" WDO or WDI inspections does it through a partner. The buyer or agent wants one appointment and one invoice, and the law wants a licensed pest professional to sign the pest report. A partnership handles both.

Common arrangements:

1. Referral only. You recommend a licensed pest company and the client books them directly. Lowest risk, no revenue.
2. Coordinated scheduling. You book the pest company to arrive at the same appointment. Each business bills separately and issues its own report.
3. Subcontract. You collect payment and pay the pest company, which issues the official WDO or WDI report under its own license. Check this against your state's pest control and advertising rules first, since in Texas TREC warns that advertising the service can mislead clients about who is licensed.
4. Dual license. You or an employee obtains the pest license and your company issues the report. This is a separate licensing path with its own exam, insurance and record keeping.

Whatever you choose, put it in writing. Your inspection agreement should say that the WDO or WDI report is issued by a separately licensed company, name that company, and state that the home inspection does not determine the presence of wood-destroying organisms. Tell your E&O carrier too; home inspector insurance covers the questions to ask.

Pricing a partnered service

Price the coordination, not the pest report. Your time goes to scheduling, chasing the partner's report and fielding questions. Our guide on pricing ancillary inspection services lays out the arithmetic: count your time and risk, and do not discount the main inspection to sell the add-on.

Where lenders come in

For FHA loans, HUD Handbook 4000.1 requires the lender to confirm the file contains the NPMA-33 "or the state mandated infestation report, as applicable." The FHA appraiser who sees evidence of infestation, including prior treatment, makes the appraisal subject to inspection by a qualified pest control specialist.

VA requires wood-destroying insect information statewide in 29 states, the District of Columbia and five territories, and in listed counties of eight more states, according to its local requirements page (as of September 2026). Elsewhere it is not required unless the VA appraisal notes specific issues. The FHA home inspection criteria page covers the difference between the appraisal and your inspection.

Where Binsr fits

If your company holds the pest license, Binsr has the Florida WDO, Texas WDI and NPMA-33 forms built in, so the pest report sits in the same inspection as the home inspection. One inspection can produce several reports, each with its own template, so the WDO or WDI report goes out as its own document.

If you partner instead, Binsr's partner management matches partners by coverage area, gives them a portal with no login, and chases late reports automatically. See features for the full list.

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

• NPMA-33 form: how to fill it out
• The Texas TREC inspection report, REI 7-6
• How to price ancillary inspection services
• FHA home inspection criteria
• How to become a home inspector in Florida
• How to become a home inspector in Texas

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