Termite Inspection in Maryland: A Bethesda Buyer's Guide

Most Bethesda buyers treat the general home inspection as the big one — and it is. But there's a second, smaller inspection that quietly carries some of the strongest protections in your entire contract: the wood-destroying insect (WDI) inspection, better known as the termite inspection. It costs less than $200, takes under an hour, and can put your seller on the hook for treatment and repairs. Skipping it to save a few dollars is one of the easier mistakes to avoid.

Here's why it matters more here than in a lot of the country. Maryland sits squarely in the "moderate to heavy" termite risk zone on the U.S. Forest Service map that lenders rely on. Subterranean termites are active across Montgomery County, and older homes in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Kensington — the ones with wood framing close to soil, mature landscaping, and decades of moisture exposure — are exactly what they target. A $1.5 million house is no more immune than a starter home.

What a termite inspection in Maryland actually covers

A termite inspection in Maryland is performed by a licensed pest inspector, usually in 30 to 60 minutes, and produces a standardized two-page WDI report. Despite the nickname, it looks for more than termites. The report documents any evidence of:

• Subterranean and drywood termites — the most common and most destructive
• Carpenter ants and carpenter bees
• Powderpost beetles and old-house borers

The inspector walks the accessible interior and exterior — crawl spaces, basements, sill plates, window frames, decks, and the foundation line — and notes three things: whether there's an active infestation, whether there's evidence of prior damage, and whether the home shows signs of previous treatment. The report is valid for 90 days, which matters because your lender wants it dated close to settlement.

This is a different report from your general home inspection, and different again from a radon test. Buyers sometimes assume the home inspector handles all of it — they usually don't. The WDI report is a specialized document, and many lenders require it to come from a licensed pest control company, not a home inspector. If you want the full picture of how the standard home inspection fits alongside it, that's a separate step in your due-diligence window.

Who pays — and what your contract already guarantees

In most Maryland transactions, the buyer pays for the termite inspection, and it runs roughly $75 to $200. The long-standing exception was the VA loan: historically the VA barred the borrower from paying, so the seller covered it. A June 2022 rule change now allows VA borrowers to pay for the report themselves. If you're financing with a VA loan, confirm who's paying with your lender early, because the WDI report is required for VA financing in Maryland.

Whether the report is strictly required depends on your financing. FHA and VA loans require a WDI report in Maryland as a condition of the loan. Conventional loans (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) generally don't mandate one unless the appraiser notes evidence of activity or damage — but even when it isn't required by the lender, it's cheap insurance you'll almost always want. Paying cash removes the lender requirement entirely, which is exactly when some buyers skip it and shouldn't.

Here's the part most buyers don't realize. The Maryland Realtors standard Contract of Sale has a built-in wood-destroying insect paragraph — a protection that exists separately from any inspection contingency you negotiate. It gives you the right to have a termite inspection done any time before settlement, and it obligates the seller to treat active infestation and repair termite damage found, up to 2% of the purchase price.

On a $1 million Bethesda home, that's up to $20,000 of seller-funded treatment and repair headroom baked into the standard contract. Real infestations rarely cost anywhere near that, but the ceiling is meaningful. If the cost of treatment and repair exceeds 2% of the price, the seller can cancel the contract — unless you agree to cover the amount above 2% to keep the deal alive.

What happens if the inspector finds termites

A clean report — "no visible evidence of wood-destroying insects" — is the common outcome, and you move forward. When the inspector does find something, it usually falls into one of two buckets:

• Active infestation: The property needs treatment — typically a liquid barrier or a bait system — and your lender (FHA and VA especially) will want a clearance letter confirming the home was treated before your loan closes.
• Prior damage: Compromised wood needs repair. If the damage is structural, the scope and cost of repairs become part of your negotiation.

One thing worth understanding: a WDI report reflects what's visible and accessible on the day of the inspection. An inspector can't see behind finished drywall or under wall-to-wall carpet, so a clean report isn't an absolute guarantee — it's a professional finding based on a thorough visual exam. That's another reason the transferable termite bond many Montgomery County homes carry is worth asking about: it extends protection past the inspection date.

Because the standard contract already assigns the seller responsibility up to 2%, you're negotiating from a stronger position than you might expect. This is where the WDI findings often fold into the broader conversation about repairs — the same conversation you'd have when you negotiate after a home inspection. Termite damage is concrete and documented, which makes it one of the easier items to get addressed.

How to handle a termite inspection in Maryland as a buyer

A few practical moves make the process smooth:

• Schedule it early — inside your inspection window, not the week of closing. You want time to react if something turns up.
• Get the WDI report in writing and keep the original. Your lender will ask for it, and it needs to be dated within 90 days of settlement.
• Ask about treatment history. Many Montgomery County homes carry a transferable termite bond or annual warranty from a pest company. If the seller has one, ask whether it transfers to you — that's ongoing protection at no extra cost.
• New construction isn't automatically clear. Builders often pre-treat the soil, and that treatment may be covered under the builder's warranty, but you should still verify it in writing rather than assume.

The termite inspection is a small line item that protects a very large purchase. In a market where a modest Bethesda home crosses seven figures, spending $150 to confirm the structure is sound — and to trigger a contract clause that makes the seller pay if it isn't — is one of the clearest values in the whole transaction.

Every property is different, and the right way to use your inspection window depends on the home, the timeline, and how competitive your offer needs to be. That's exactly the kind of thing I walk my buyers through before we even write the offer. If you're weighing a purchase in Bethesda, Potomac, Chevy Chase, or anywhere in Montgomery County and want a clear plan for inspections and contingencies, reach out anytime — I'm happy to talk it through.

About Pey Behin

Pey Behin is a residential real estate agent serving the Washington, DC metro area, with a focus on Bethesda, Montgomery County, and Northern Virginia. He works with buyers and sellers who want clear strategy, data-driven pricing, and direct guidance throughout the transaction process.