WDI Inspector Resources and Downloads
Free reference material for Texas wood destroying insect inspectors, lenders, and agents. These are the documents our inspectors reach for most often, a diagram reference for the T-5 report, the VA lender’s handbook chapters that govern property requirements, and the VA circular that determines who can be charged for a pest inspection. All are free to download and use, whether or not you hold your license with us.
WDI Diagram Cheat Sheet
TDA requires a diagram to be attached for every structure inspected on the Texas Official Wood Destroying Insect Report, and the official instructions specify that the diagram “should resemble the structure including approximate perimeter measurements on all sides.” Active and previous infestations must be identified on it with the appropriate symbols, and conducive conditions are marked with letters, G for wood-to-ground contact, C for a conducive condition listed under “other.”
The diagram is one of the most common sources of reporting errors, because the symbol set is easy to forget between inspections. This cheat sheet puts every symbol on one page. Print it and keep it in the truck, or save the PNG to your phone. Available in both PNG and PDF below.
VA Loan Requirements (VA Pamphlet 26-7)
VA Pamphlet 26-7 is the VA Lender’s Handbook, the document lenders work from when a VA-backed loan is involved. Chapters 10 through 14 cover appraisal and minimum property requirements, which is where wood destroying insect inspection questions usually land.
Inspectors run into this most often when a lender or agent pushes back on what a WDI report does or does not cover on a VA transaction. Having the relevant chapters on hand settles the conversation quickly. The excerpt below covers chapters 10–14; the complete, always-current pamphlet lives on the VA’s own site.
Official VA Pamphlet 26-7 can be found at this link: https://benefits.va.gov/warms/pam26_7.asp
Pest Inspection Fees Circular (VA Circular 26-22-11)
This VA circular, dated June 15, 2022, addresses pest inspection fees and repair costs on VA-backed loans, specifically the lender requirements around who may be charged for a wood destroying insect inspection.
This is the document to send when a lender or title company tells an inspector that a WDI inspection invoice cannot be paid a certain way, or when there is confusion at closing about who owes for the inspection. If you are a lender who arrived here holding one of our invoices, see the FAQ first, in most cases no payment is owed to WDI Science at all, because our inspectors collect directly from their own customers.
Not licensed with WDI Science yet? See Get Licensed or transfer an existing license.