Do I need a termite bond in Virginia?

For most Virginia homeowners, a termite bond is a choice, not a requirement. A bond is the everyday name for a termite company's renewable warranty or service agreement. What Virginia home sales more often call for is an inspection report, which is a different thing. The bond is worth paying for when the house has been treated before, sits on a bait system, or has the damp, wood-against-soil conditions that invite termites.

What a termite bond actually covers

A bond usually starts with a treatment and continues with a yearly renewal. Under a typical warranty, the company will return and retreat the affected areas at no additional charge as long as the annual renewal is kept up.^[1] Some companies will also repair damage that occurs after their treatment, although dating when damage started is hard to do.^[1] That makes two broad kinds of bond:

• Retreatment only. The company inspects and retreats if termites return. You pay for any repairs.
• Retreatment and repair. The company also pays to fix new damage, within the limits the contract sets. Read the repair limits closely.

Not every house can get one. Most reputable firms will not warrant spot treatments,^[1] and some companies offer no warranty at all when wells, drainage systems, sub-slab heat ducts or inaccessible crawl spaces make it impossible to treat to industry standards.^[1] University of Kentucky entomologist Michael Potter calls it "a bit of a gamble to purchase any termite treatment without an ongoing service agreement."^[1]

When a bond comes up in a Virginia home sale

Virginia's residential property disclosure does not promise a termite-free house. It states that the owner makes no representations or warranties about the property's condition, and buyers are advised to do whatever due diligence they consider necessary, including a home inspection, before settlement.^[6] Termite protection in a sale comes from the inspection you order and the terms you negotiate.

Lenders are where the requirement usually comes from. For loans backed by VA, wood-destroying insect information is required for the entire state of Virginia.^[4] The repairs that a wood-destroying pest inspection report identifies under VA's minimum property requirements must be completed before VA issues its guaranty.^[5] Veterans may be charged the inspection fee, and VA encourages them to negotiate the cost of the inspection and repairs with the seller.^[5] Other loans and many purchase contracts ask for an inspection as well; extension entomologists note that a termite inspection report is normally a condition of sale.^[1] Check your loan conditions and contract for what is required.

An inspection report is not a bond. It records what an inspector found on one day. If the seller has a bond, ask for the paperwork and ask the company whether it transfers to you, at what cost, and what it covers.

When a bond is worth paying for

• The house was treated before. If a pest control firm previously treated the building, it is a good idea to maintain the warranty by paying the annual renewal fee,^[2] because termites can reinfest even when the treatment was done correctly.^[2]
• The house is on a bait system. With a bait system, letting the renewal lapse carries extra risk, because no pesticide is left in the soil once the termites are gone.^[3] The monitoring the renewal pays for is the protection.
• The house has never been treated and has risk. Preventive treatment is a prudent investment, especially for a house with no history of treatment.^[2] See how to make a house less attractive to termites for the conditions that raise risk.

Homeowners should weigh both the initial treatment cost and the annual renewal fee^[3] over the years they expect to stay. For what drives those prices, see what termite treatment costs in Virginia.

What to read before you sign

Ask for the full contract in writing and look for:

• Retreatment or repair. Which one, and the limit on repairs.
• Damage before the bond. Whether existing damage is excluded, and how the company decides when damage started.
• Renewal fee. What it is now and whether it can rise. If the company requires a long-term contract, ask what the long-term costs are.^[7]
• Inspections. How often the company will come, and whether that inspection is included in the renewal.
• What voids it. Lapsed payments, moisture problems, and work that disturbs treated soil. For example, installing a drain will disrupt any termite treatment in the soil and can void a termite contract.^[9]
• Transfer. Whether it moves to a new owner if you sell.

Getting estimates, inspections, treatment and warranty information from several companies helps you choose.^[8] Termites damage wood slowly,^[1] so there is time to compare. Avoid firms that pressure you to sign immediately with specials or scare tactics.^[1]

Check the company first

A bond is only as good as the company behind it. In Virginia, "No person may apply or recommend for use any pesticide commercially without a pesticide business license and the employment of a certified commercial applicator" responsible for safe application.^[10] VDACS publishes downloadable lists of licensed pesticide businesses and certified applicators,^[11] and takes pesticide complaints at ops.enf@vdacs.virginia.gov or 804-371-6560.^[11] See how to check a pest control license in Virginia.

When to call a licensed pro

Call a licensed termite company when:

• You are buying a house and need a wood-destroying insect inspection.
• A seller's bond needs to be transferred or renewed.
• You find signs of termites in a house with no bond.
• You want quotes for a treatment that comes with a renewable warranty.

Browse termite treatment services or read more pest control answers. When you are ready, describe the job on Loclis so licensed businesses can quote the treatment and the bond terms in writing.