Termite Inspections & WDI Reports in Dallas, TX
Buying a Dallas home and someone has asked for a WDI report? Here is what the inspection actually covers, who pays, what the findings mean and where the limits of the report are.
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What a WDI report actually is
A wood destroying insect inspection is a specific, regulated document, not a general opinion about a house. In Texas it is recorded on an official form and can only be completed by an inspector licensed for that work through the Texas Department of Agriculture. Most people meet it for the first time in the middle of buying a house, on a deadline, with a lender or an agent asking for it by name.
The report records what the inspector found on the day, in the areas they could reach and see. That last part carries more weight than most buyers realise, and it is worth understanding before you read your own report.
Who orders one, and when
In a residential sale it is usually the buyer, the buyer's agent, or the lender who asks for it, and it is normally scheduled inside the option period alongside the general home inspection. Some loan types make it a condition; some sellers order one in advance to remove an unknown from the negotiation. If you are refinancing or buying a property with a history of activity, it can come up outside a sale too.
What the inspector looks at
- The foundation perimeter, stem walls and any visible piers, looking for shelter tubes and soil contact.
- Accessible crawlspaces, where the joists, sill plates and subfloor can actually be seen.
- Garages, utility rooms and interior wall bases, where tubes and damaged trim often show first.
- Door and window frames, baseboards and any wood that can be sounded with a probe.
- Attic areas where accessible, plus exterior wood such as fence lines and decks near the structure.
- Conducive conditions — wood-to-ground contact, mulch above the slab line, poor drainage, leaking taps, buried weep holes.
"Accessible" is the word that matters
A WDI report describes what was visible and reachable at the time of inspection. Finished walls, insulation, stored boxes, a crawlspace hatch that will not open, a locked shed — all of it limits what can be reported. If large parts of the property were inaccessible, that belongs in the report, and you should read it. A clear report on a house where the inspector could not get into half the crawlspace is a narrower statement than it looks.
Reading the outcome
Broadly, findings fall into three buckets, and each leads somewhere different in a transaction.
- No visible evidence. Nothing found in the accessible areas on the day. This is the common outcome and it moves the sale along.
- Evidence of previous activity, treated. Old damage or old tubes with signs of prior treatment. Ask for the treatment records and any transferable agreement — this is often negotiable rather than alarming.
- Active infestation. Live termites or fresh evidence. This normally moves to a treatment quote and a negotiation about who pays and when, before closing.
Cost and timing in Dallas
A standalone WDI inspection in the Dallas area typically runs somewhere in the $100–$300 range, depending on square footage, whether there is a crawlspace to enter, and how fast you need the report back. Some general home inspectors hold the relevant licence and can do both in one visit, which is usually cheaper and simpler than booking two appointments. Turnaround is often same-day or next-day, but during a busy spring market, book earlier in your option period than you think you need to.
One thing worth being clear about: the company that inspects can also be the company that quotes treatment. That is legal and completely normal. It is also a reason to get an independent second opinion before authorising a four-figure treatment on the strength of a report from the firm that would perform it.
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WDI report questions from Dallas buyers and sellers
Is a WDI report the same as a home inspection?
No. A general home inspection covers structure, roof, systems and appliances. A WDI report covers evidence of wood destroying insects — termites primarily, plus carpenter ants, carpenter bees and wood-boring beetles — and is recorded on its own official form by an inspector licensed for that work. Some inspectors hold both credentials and can do the two in one visit, but they remain two separate reports.
Who pays for it in a Texas home sale?
It is negotiable, like most things in a contract, and local custom varies. Buyers commonly pay for inspections carried out during the option period. Sellers sometimes order one in advance to keep it from becoming a late surprise. Your agent will know what is normal for the specific transaction you are in.
How long is a WDI report good for?
It describes conditions on the day of the inspection, so it goes stale quickly by design. Lenders and agents commonly want one dated within a short window before closing — ask your lender for their specific requirement rather than assuming a report from three months ago will be accepted.
The report found evidence but says it was treated. Should I walk away?
Usually not, on its own. Previous treated activity is common in a region with this much termite pressure, and on an older Dallas home it is close to expected. What matters is documentation: when it was treated, by whom, with what, and whether any ongoing agreement transfers to you. A treated history with paperwork is often a better position than a house that has simply never been looked at.
Can I use the report to renegotiate the price?
That is a question for your agent and your contract, not for a pest control company. What the report gives you is a documented finding and, if there is active evidence, a treatment quote to put a number on it. How that is used in the negotiation depends on your option period and the terms you are under.
Do I need one if I am not buying or selling?
Not formally, but an annual inspection is a reasonable habit in North Texas whether or not a transaction requires it. Termite damage found early is a treatment; the same damage found in year six is a treatment plus a carpenter.
Need a WDI report inside your option period?
Say so when you call — turnaround and scheduling are the whole game during a busy Dallas spring. Calls may be recorded for quality and training.
📞 Call (214) 555-0177