Termite Inspection in Florida: The WDO Report Rules

A termite inspection in Florida is not required by state law to sell a house. However, when a licensed company performs one for a sale, state law requires the findings on the official FDACS Form 13645, the wood-destroying organisms (WDO) report.

Does Florida require a termite inspection?

Florida law does not force anyone to inspect a home for termites before selling it. When an inspection is required, the requirement comes from the mortgage lender or the purchase contract.

Under section 482.226(1) of the Florida Statutes, “When an inspection for wood-destroying organisms is made by a licensee for purposes of a real estate transaction and either a fee is charged for the inspection or a written report is requested by the customer, a wood-destroying organism inspection report shall be provided by the licensee or its representative qualified under this chapter to perform such inspections.”

That sentence governs the report once an inspection happens, but it does not order the inspection itself.

Two federal loan programs set their own rules. The Department of Veterans Affairs lists the whole of Florida as an area where a VA loan needs a wood-destroying insect report, as shown on the VA local requirements tool and explained in my breakdown of VA loan termite inspection rules.

The Federal Housing Administration uses a conditional trigger instead. Under HUD Handbook 4000.1, an FHA appraiser must make the appraisal subject to an inspection when there is evidence or notification of infestation, including a prior treatment, which I cover in my guide to FHA loan termite inspections.

Which form does a Florida termite inspection use?

Florida mandates that every written real estate inspection for wood-destroying organisms be delivered on Form FDACS-13645.

Section 482.226 of the Florida Statutes states that the report must be made on a form prescribed by the state department. Rule 5E-14.142 of the Florida Administrative Code names that form as FDACS-13645, formally titled the Wood-Destroying Organisms Inspection Report.

The state keeps complete control over this wording. Rule 5E-14.142 dictates that “The licensee shall not place any disclaimers or additional language on the Wood-Destroying Organisms Inspection Report as incorporated by reference and adopted above.” Inspectors cannot add custom liability waivers or extra fine print to the state document.

Buyers often ask if Florida permits the standard national form used in other states. No Florida statute, administrative rule, or official state publication mentions the national NPMA-33 form, so it is inaccurate to say Florida explicitly bans it. What Florida does require is Form FDACS-13645 for a sale inspection. My guide to what a WDI report is covers these reports in general.

For federal loan compliance, HUD Handbook 4000.1 accepts either the national NPMA-33 form or the state-mandated infestation report, depending on what state law requires. You can check how other jurisdictions handle these documents in my guide to state termite letter requirements.

Who is allowed to do a Florida termite inspection?

Florida’s rule puts the WDO report on a pest control company with an operator certified in termite and wood-destroying organism control.

Rule 5E-14.142 puts the burden of the report on a state licensee holding a certified operator in the specific category of termite or other wood-destroying organism control. So the company you book needs that termite category on its license, not only general household pest or lawn work.

Out of 4,486 active pest control business licenses in Florida’s state register, only 2,169 businesses hold the required termite and WDO category. Less than half of the active pest companies in the state are authorized to perform this work for a real estate closing.

The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services assigns every licensed business a registration number starting with the prefix “JB”. You can verify a company’s license category before booking by searching aeslicensing.fdacs.gov or by reviewing my guide on how to vet a pest control company.

What does a Florida WDO report promise and leave out?

A Florida WDO report documents visible pest evidence present on the exact day of the inspection, but it is not a structural guarantee or a prediction of future infestations.

Form FDACS-13645 outlines its own scope in clear sentence-case text: “This report is made on the basis of what was visible and readily accessible at the time of inspection and does not constitute a guarantee of the absence of wood-destroying organisms (WDOs) or damage or other evidence unless this report specifically states herein the extent of such guarantee.”

Section 482.226 says the same: a report is not a guarantee unless it states the extent of one. Anything hidden inside walls, under flooring, or behind stored belongings on the day falls outside what the report can speak to.

The statute does require two physical records after every inspection. Section 482.226 orders the inspecting company to post a physical notice immediately adjacent to the attic hatch or crawl space entrance. This notice must measure at least 3 inches by 5 inches and be made of material that will last at least 3 years.

The inspecting company must also keep a copy of the completed report in their business records for at least 3 years. When touring a Florida property, check near the attic hatch to see if a recent inspection sticker is posted.

How long is a Florida WDO report good for?

Florida law sets no expiration period for a WDO report because the document reflects property conditions only at the time of inspection.

The official guidance for Form 13645 published by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services states that the report is not required to be guaranteed by the licensee or to remain valid for any specific length of time. It simply attests to what was visible on the day the inspector walked the site.

When a lender or a buyer asks for a newer report, that requirement comes from the lender or the purchase contract, not from state law. My page on how long a termite letter remains valid explains how different loan programs handle these timing rules.

Who pays for a termite inspection in Florida?

Florida statutes do not state who must pay for a termite inspection, leaving the financial responsibility open to contract negotiation.

State regulations place no payment burden on either party. The state guidance for field 9 on Form 13645 simply notes “(seller or buyer)” when identifying who requested the service, without creating a payment duty under state law.

Local custom, market leverage, or mortgage requirements determine who covers the invoice during closing. You can see how buyers and sellers typically split these obligations in my guide to who pays for a termite inspection.

What happens if a Florida termite report finds termites?

If an inspection reveals active wood-destroying organisms, clearing the property requires a formal pest treatment contract, which Florida regulates under separate legal rules.

Florida supports both subterranean and drywood termite species, both of which active home buyers encounter regularly during spring and summer, as detailed in my breakdown of termite swarm seasons.

When an inspector finds live termites, the fix is a treatment contract, and Florida regulates the contract. Section 482.227 of the Florida Statutes governs these treatment contracts. The law mandates that any contract for treatment of wood-destroying organisms must specify on its first page in bold print whether it is offered for repair and retreatment, retreatment only, or no warranty.

The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services explains the crucial difference between those categories. Under a retreatment and repair contract, FDACS says, the company must come back to retreat and to repair any “NEW” damage caused by termites. A retreatment-only contract obliges the company to return and treat again, and FDACS says plainly that “There will be no repairs at all.”

FDACS’s consumer guide to these contracts also sets out response times. For contracts issued after June 1, 2007, the company must reinspect within 30 calendar days of written notice from the contract holder, and must provide retreatment within 90 days of the discovery of an infestation, as the contract terms require.

These response timelines belong strictly to treatment contracts, not to the WDO inspection report itself. FDACS advises homeowners never to rush a treatment decision, taking time to weigh contract terms carefully before signing.

To understand these agreements, review my explanations of termite bonds and repair bonds versus retreatment warranties. If your property fails an inspection, review my step-by-step guides on what to do after a failed termite inspection and negotiating repairs after a termite finding.

What I would do if I were buying or selling in Florida

If I were navigating a home purchase or sale in Florida, I would take a few specific steps to protect my position:

1. Check the inspection company’s license at aeslicensing.fdacs.gov before hiring them. Confirm that their license number starts with “JB” and that they carry the “Termite and Other WDO Control” category.
2. Confirm that the final paperwork is delivered on official Form FDACS-13645, and read it as a snapshot of one specific afternoon rather than a perpetual structural guarantee.
3. Spell out payment obligations clearly in your real estate contract so there is no confusion over who pays for the report or any required remediation.
4. If the report turns up active bugs, take a breath. Read the bold line on the very first page of the treatment contract to verify whether you are buying structural repair coverage or retreatment only.

My read is that spending ten minutes verifying a company’s license category upfront prevents costly closing delays later. My page on the WDI inspection report covers what to ask for when you book one. If you are in South Florida, my list of Miami termite companies is a place to start.

Sources

• Fla. Stat. § 482.226, Wood-destroying organism inspection report; notice of inspection or treatment; financial responsibility — The Florida Legislature, undated. Accessed 2026-10-03.
• Fla. Admin. Code r. 5E-14.142(5)(c), Responsibilities and Duties — Records, Reports, Advertising, Applications — Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 2026-05-18. Accessed 2026-10-03.
• FDACS-13645, Rev. 05/21, Wood-Destroying Organisms Inspection Report — Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Agricultural Environmental Services, 2021-05. Accessed 2026-10-03.
• Guidelines for Use and Completion of the Form 13645, Wood-Destroying Organisms Inspection Report (Instructions for Form 13645, Rev 12/2008) — Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 2008-12. Accessed 2026-10-03.
• How do I know if a pest control company is licensed? — Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, undated. Accessed 2026-10-03.
• Conducive Conditions and Contracts for Wood Destroying Organisms (FDACS-P-02044) — Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 2020-06. Accessed 2026-10-03.
• Fla. Stat. § 482.227, Guarantees and warranties — The Florida Legislature, 2020. Accessed 2026-10-03.
• Handbook 4000.1, FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook (Update 18, redline copy) — US Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2026-08-12. Accessed 2026-10-03.
• Circular 26-22-11: Pest Inspection Fees and Repair Costs — Veterans Benefits Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, 2022-06-15. Accessed 2026-10-03.