Ehlers Pest Management provides WDI inspections in Milwaukee and across Southeastern Wisconsin for VA home loans. A licensed, certified technician inspects the property, and you get the completed VA paperwork and invoice together, by the next business day at the latest.
Most of the people who call us for these are real estate agents and loan officers working against a closing date. Homebuyers using a VA loan can schedule directly too.
The technician checks the accessible areas of the property for signs of wood destroying insects, including the basement, crawl space, attic, garage and exterior wood.
The inspection is documented on the NPMA-33 form, the standard wood destroying insect report underwriting expects to see.
The report notes any current or past activity and any damage. It also lists areas the technician couldn't get to.
The invoice comes with the form and report, so the file has everything it needs at once.
By the next business day at the latest. When we inspect in the afternoon, the completed paperwork is in your hands by that same time the following business day.
For most closings, the WDI report isn’t what holds things up. When it is, it’s usually because the paperwork took days to come back. That’s the part we keep fast.
Rare in Southeastern Wisconsin, but still a reportable finding
Including powderpost beetles, usually in older homes
The most common finding in this area, and they damage wood over time
Which bore into weathered or unfinished exterior wood
The VA sets WDI requirements county by county. Nine of the Wisconsin counties on the list are in our service area: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, Kenosha, Ozaukee, Washington, Walworth, Jefferson and Dodge.
The VA updates these requirements from time to time, so confirm with the lender at the start of each file.
Order it early, at the same time as the appraisal. Most delays come from access, so a quick note to the seller before the appointment helps:
Anything the technician can’t reach gets noted as inaccessible on the report, which can lead to questions from underwriting.
Active infestation has to be treated before the loan funds, and underwriting will want documentation of that treatment. Evidence of past activity with nothing current usually just needs to be documented clearly.
If the technician finds something, they’ll explain what it is and what the next step looks like. Carpenter ants, the most common finding here, can be treated, and we can provide the treatment documentation for the file.
Since VA Circular 26-22-11 in 2022, the veteran buyer is allowed to pay the inspection fee. In practice, who pays is negotiated like any other closing cost. Check with the lender if you’re unsure.
Usually about 90 days, though the lender sets the standard. On a long escrow, check the report date before closing.
No. A WDI inspection is a visual check for wood destroying insects and their damage. It doesn’t cover the rest of the house the way a home inspection does.
Yes. Buyers can schedule directly. Let us know the closing date when you call so we can plan around it.
Want more detail? Read our posts on what agents and lenders need to know about VA loans and what to expect from a WDI Inspection.
Talk to our experienced team at Ehlers Pest Management by calling (414) 303-6926, or schedule service online. Share the property address and closing date, and we’ll get a certified technician out.
