Home inspections, radon tests, and termite reports in NC: what each covers and what it misses

In North Carolina, a general home inspection does not include termites or radon, and each one has its own report, its own professional, and its own rules.

That surprises a lot of buyers. They book an inspection, read the report, and assume every hidden problem has been looked at. But the state's own rules for home inspectors carve out pests and hazardous substances, and the pest report and radon test are separate services done by separate people.

Here is what each report covers, what it leaves out, and how to fit all three into the due diligence window, since that clock is the real constraint. If this is your first purchase, my first-time homebuyer's guide covers the whole path.

The three reports at a glance

The general home inspection

North Carolina licenses home inspectors, and the state's standards of practice define what they do. The key word is visual. The standards define inspecting as making a visual examination, and they state that an inspection is not technically exhaustive, meaning it is not the kind of inspection that relies on measurements, instruments, and testing.

Within that scope, the standards cover components such as roof coverings and drainage, the structure, and the electrical, plumbing, and heating and cooling systems. The inspector is required to enter crawl spaces, basements, and attics unless access is obstructed or entry could damage the property or be dangerous, and to report the methods used to inspect them.

What the standards say an inspector is not required to report

• The presence or absence of pests such as wood damaging organisms, rodents, or insects.
• Whether there is a suspected adverse environmental condition or hazardous substance, including mold, and whether systems installed to control those are working.
• Compliance with codes and ordinances, the market value of the property, or whether buying it is advisable.
• The life expectancy of components, the cause of a needed repair, or what the repair will cost.

In other words, the inspector tells you what they can see and what condition it is in. They do not tell you what to do about it, and they do not tell you whether to buy. That judgment is yours.

The report itself is regulated. A licensed inspector must give you a written report by the date in the inspection agreement, or within three business days of the inspection if no date was agreed. A prepurchase report covering three or more systems must include a summary page, but read the full report too, because the summary is not the whole picture.

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The wood-destroying insect report

This is the termite report, although that nickname is slightly misleading. The official North Carolina form is the Wood-Destroying Insect Information Report, Form WDIR 100, and it covers more than termites. Insects it commonly notes include subterranean termites, powder post beetles, old house borers, carpenter ants, and sometimes carpenter bees.

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which regulates structural pest control, is direct about what it is and is not. It is an inspection of accessible areas for visible evidence, present or past. It is not a warranty that insects are absent, it is not a structural damage report, and it does not reveal wood rot or wildlife damage. The department also notes that the report is required on almost every residential structure sold, so expect it to be part of most purchases.

Conditions conducive to termites

The pest professional must also report conditions that invite subterranean termites. At minimum, that includes wood in direct contact with soil, cellulose debris under the structure, and excessively wet wood. Other conditions, such as excessive moisture in a crawl space or insufficient clearance between wood and soil, can be reported too. These notes are worth as much attention as any finding of insects, because they tell you what is likely to become a problem.

A clear report is not the goal

NCDA&CS points out that most North Carolina homes more than 10 to 15 years old will show some evidence of wood-destroying insects, and that a report with no evidence at all is not something to insist on. What you want to know is what the evidence is, where it is, whether it is active, and whether it was treated. If insects are in the wooden members, the state says to assume there is some damage and have a building professional evaluate and repair it.

If treatment is needed, the buyer and seller should discuss the options and agree on a treatment plan before work begins.

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The radon test

Radon is a naturally occurring gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil and rock. You cannot see or smell it, and the state's home inspector standards do not require an inspector to test for it. The state's real estate radon guide is blunt about one point: elevated radon levels are found throughout North Carolina, and you cannot predict the level in a given home from state, local, or neighborhood measurements. The only way to know is to test.

How a real estate radon test works

• Hire a certified radon measurement professional. The state's guide tells buyers to have the test conducted by a certified professional as soon as possible.
• A short-term test runs at least 48 hours. The accepted options for a transaction are two passive tests placed together, or a continuous monitor, each run for at least 48 hours.
• Closed-house conditions apply. Windows stay closed, exterior doors stay closed except for normal entry and exit, and fans are not run, starting at least 12 hours before the test and throughout it.

What the number means

The EPA recommends fixing a home when the result is 4 picocuries per liter or higher, and the state's guidance says the same. With two simultaneous tests, the number to use is the average of the two. The state also says to consider fixing at levels between 2 and 4, since many homes can be mitigated to 2 or lower.

If the level is elevated during a transaction, the state's guidance is that buyer and seller should discuss the timing and cost of radon reduction. The work should be done by a certified radon mitigation professional using the recognized ANSI standards, with a warranty and a guarantee that the system will achieve a stated reduction.

One practical detail: closed-house conditions have to hold for the whole test, so ask your radon tester how to schedule it around the inspection, when people are coming and going.

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Fitting all three into due diligence

My week-by-week timeline shows the whole due diligence window. This section covers the part these three reports play in it.

The standard contract lists all of this, inspections for wood-destroying insects and the presence and level of radon gas among them, as things the buyer may investigate during the due diligence period, at the buyer's expense. It also says, in capitals, that buyers are strongly encouraged to use that time, and that a buyer who is not satisfied should terminate before the period expires unless the seller agrees in writing to an extension.

1. Book everything on day one. Inspectors, pest professionals, and radon testers have their own calendars, and a 48-hour test plus lab turnaround eats days.
2. Read the reports as they arrive, not all at the end. If the pest report flags something that needs a structural opinion, you will want days, not hours, to get one.
3. Make repair requests early. The contract states that the property is sold in its current condition unless the parties agree otherwise. The seller may negotiate repairs but does not have to, and any agreement must be in writing and signed by both sides.
4. Decide before the deadline. Accept the condition, negotiate a repair or credit, or terminate. After the period ends, your easiest exit ends with it. If you are financing, the appraisal is landing in the same window, so see what happens if it comes in low.

The mistake: treating the general inspection as the only inspection and scheduling it for the last few days of the period. If it turns up something that needs a specialist, or you then remember you still need a radon test, the clock may already have run out.

If you are the seller

The state's radon guide suggests that a seller whose home has already been tested properly should provide the results to the buyer. Having a radon result, and knowing what a pest report is likely to say, before you list means fewer surprises mid-contract. My guide to selling your home in Charlotte covers the rest of the preparation. If you have had repairs or a treatment done, keep the paperwork, since a copy of any treatment agreement and warranty is supposed to be attached to the pest report.

Sources: NC Home Inspector Licensure Board statutes and Standards of Practice (October 1, 2022 edition), including G.S. 143-151.58 and 11 NCAC 08 .1104 and .1105; NCDA&CS, Homeowners Guide to the Wood-Destroying Insect Report; NCDHHS Real Estate Seller's/Buyer's Guide Regarding Radon in the Home; NCDHHS Testing for Radon; EPA Map of Radon Zones; NC Standard Form 2-T, Offer to Purchase and Contract (revised 7/2025).

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

Buying and Selling The NC Home Buying Timeline, Week by Week The full due diligence window these reports fit inside. Buying and Selling Low Appraisal in North Carolina: Your Options The other result that can land inside your due diligence period.