The Alabama Termite Letter (WDI Report) for Home Sales

Last reviewed October 20, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page.

Mobile Bay Termite connects Mobile-area homeowners with local termite companies. We're not a pest control company. Request a free quote.

Short answer: the "termite letter" in an Alabama home sale is the Official Alabama Wood Infestation Inspection Report. Lenders may require it for a sale or refinance. Only a person certified and permitted for wood-destroying-organism work can issue it, it covers visible, accessible areas only, and a clear report carries a 90-day guarantee: if covered pests are found within 90 days, the company treats the house free. EcoFirst lists $115–$345 for the report in Mobile.

What the report is

Alabama rule 80-10-9-.18 makes the Official Alabama Wood Infestation Inspection Report the written record used to determine whether there is visible evidence of an active or previous infestation of wood-destroying organisms in an existing structure, when one is required as a condition of sale financing or refinancing (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-9-.18). It has a Part A and Part B, and the company must keep a copy for a year.

Who can issue it

The inspection must be done by a qualified inspector, and the report can only be completed and issued by someone certified and permitted in the structural pest control category for wood-destroying organisms (r. 80-10-9-.18). You can check a company or inspector on the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries Pesticide Applicator Search.

What it does and doesn't cover

• Visible, accessible areas only. The rule says concealed infestations or damage in inaccessible areas may not be found, and inspecting inaccessible areas isn't required.
• A snapshot in time. It's evidence of what a qualified inspector could see on the inspection date.
• It isn't a damage estimate. If the report notes damage, have a contractor or other qualified building expert assess repairs.

The 90-day guarantee

If the report certifies apparent freedom from a wood-destroying organism and an infestation is found within 90 days of issue, the company must treat the infested structure free of charge (r. 80-10-9-.18). For subterranean termites, a house with no sign of prior treatment gets a full minimum treatment; a house that was treated before gets whatever treatment adequately controls the infestation.

What it costs in Mobile

EcoFirst Pest Control's Mobile page lists $115–$345 for a real-estate WDI/WDO report and $85–$230 for a regular termite inspection, which is often free when bundled with treatment (EcoFirst). Your sales contract decides whether the buyer or seller pays.

Tips for buyers and sellers

• Buyers: ask whether the house has an active termite bond, what kind (retreatment only or repair), and whether it transfers. Ask for the annual inspection reports and any waiver form, which Alabama requires to be passed to later owners when a contract transfers (r. 80-10-9-.16(4)). See termite bonds in Mobile.
• Sellers: order the report early enough to treat and re-inspect before closing if something turns up.
• Both: if the report shows previous infestation, ask for the treatment records.

Need a termite letter or inspection?

Mobile Bay Termite is a free referral service, not a pest control company. Request a free quote and choose "Real estate termite letter" in the form; we'll pass it to a local termite company in the Mobile area.