What is a pest inspection fee on a Loan Estimate?

Updated November 2026 · Every dollar figure is an illustrative example, not a quote

A pest inspection fee pays a licensed inspector to check the home for termites and other wood-destroying insects and report the damage, and roughly $50 to $150 is common. It appears on a Loan Estimate when the lender or loan program requires the report, most often on VA loans in termite-prone states; it is a Section C service you can shop for.

Where it is on the form

Page 2, Section C, Services You Can Shop For, as Pest Inspection Fee. On most conventional loans the line is absent; it appears when the loan program, the appraiser or the purchase contract calls for a wood-destroying-insect report.

Illustrative rangeOften $50–$150; sometimes free from a company hoping to win treatment work

The inspection is a visual check and a one-page report. Some companies offer it free or very cheaply; others charge around $100. Treatment, if the report finds an infestation, is a separate and much larger cost that the purchase contract usually assigns to the seller.

Paid toA licensed pest control company

Can you shop for it?Yes

Can it change at closing?10% tolerance: It can rise, but only 10% in total with the other fees in its group

When it is required: VA loans require a wood-destroying-insect report in most states where termites are common; FHA and conventional loans require one only when the appraiser notes evidence of infestation or the contract calls for it. Some states' purchase contracts make a termite report standard whatever the loan.

The fee buys the report. If the report finds active infestation or damage, the lender will usually require treatment and repair before closing, and the purchase contract decides who pays for that. Read the contract's pest clause before the inspection, not after.

Can you shop for it?

Yes. The lender may offer a list; you may use anyone licensed in the state. On a VA loan, who may pay for the inspection depends on the state and VA's current rules, so ask before you order it.

Can it change between the Loan Estimate and closing?

In the 10% group if you chose from the lender's list; no limit if you chose your own; and if the inspection was added after the Loan Estimate because the appraiser required it, a revised estimate can reflect it.

Questions to ask the lender

Is the pest inspection required by the loan program, the appraiser or the contract?
If the report finds damage, who pays for treatment under our contract?
On a VA loan: who may pay for the inspection in this state?

Red flags

A pest inspection ordered through an affiliate at a price well above the local norm.
A report that finds damage with no repair condition before closing.
A pest inspection fee on a condominium unit where the association handles the building.

Questions people ask

Is a pest inspection required for a mortgage?

Only on some loans. VA loans require one in most termite-prone states; FHA and conventional loans require one when the appraiser sees evidence of infestation or the contract calls for it. Many estimates have no such line.

Is a pest inspection the same as a home inspection?

No. The home inspection is a general check of the house's condition that you order for yourself; it appears in Section H if the lender knows about it. The pest inspection is a narrow report on wood-destroying insects that the loan program may require.

Who pays for the termite inspection?

Usually whoever the contract says. On a VA loan, VA's rules on whether the veteran may pay vary by state and have changed over time, so ask the lender for the current rule before ordering.

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Every dollar figure on this page is illustrative. Fee ranges are general observations, not a survey or a quote, and are not a loan offer, approval, commitment to lend, or Loan Estimate. Your actual rates and fees depend on qualification with lenders, your state and county, and your closing date. The tolerance rules described are the federal TRID rules in general terms; the rule itself and your own Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure decide how it applies to your loan. comparemyloan does not negotiate with lenders, lock rates, or take loan applications.