By Joe Nelson — Retired Air Force, Nelson Home Group Team Leader and Mortgage Loan Originator
If you are buying in Missouri or Kansas with a VA loan, a wood destroying insect report is not optional, because VA requires that information for the entire state in both places. When the house also sits on a private well or a septic system, which is normal once you leave a city sewer district, the appraisal picks up a second set of conditions covering water quality, well sharing and sewage disposal. What people miss is almost always the recorded shared well agreement or the county health approval.
The whole VA buying process here is laid out on our veterans hub, and this page goes deep on the three property items that catch buyers off guard.
When does the VA require a termite inspection?
VA requires a wood destroying insect inspection report on the Notice of Value whenever the property sits in an area rated “very heavy” or “moderate to heavy” for termite infestation probability, which is the rule in Chapter 12, Topic 33 of the VA Lender’s Handbook 26-7. A second trigger has nothing to do with the map: if the appraiser sees apparent evidence of infestation, fungus growth or dry rot, the appraisal must be prepared subject to an inspection and all of the damage has to be repaired. Sheds given no value can be left off, high rise condominium units are exempt, and side by side villa and townhome condominiums need the report unless the homeowners association shows proof of treatment.
VA rewrote parts of Chapter 12 effective May 1, 2026, the update that removed the full radon gas requirement and revised standards for properties built before 1978 and in 1978 or later. The termite, water and sewage topics were not part of that rewrite, so everything below still stands. The rest is in our breakdown of the 2026 minimum property requirement changes.
Are Missouri and Kansas both in the required termite region?
Yes, and neither state has a county exception. VA’s local requirements page for appraisers lists both Kansas and Missouri among the states where wood destroying insect information is required statewide, alongside about thirty other states and territories. Some nearby states are handled county by county instead. For any property on either side of the state line here, plan on the report, because it is a condition of the Notice of Value and not a negotiating point.
Who pays for the VA termite inspection?
The veteran is allowed to pay for it, and has been since June 15, 2022, which is the part most buyers and quite a few agents still have backwards. In Circular 26-22-11, Pest Inspection Fees and Repair Costs, VA authorized in advance, as a local variance, that veterans may be charged wood destroying pest inspection fees where the Notice of Value requires the report, and that veterans may also pay for repairs needed to meet minimum property requirements. That circular is valid until rescinded. Before it, the fee was one the veteran generally could not pay except in the limited number of states where VA had already approved a variance.
Being allowed to pay is not the same as needing to, and VA still encourages the veteran to negotiate both the inspection and the repairs with the seller. If you are mapping out cash to close, start with our page on VA loan costs and the funding fee.
What is the NPMA-33 and who is allowed to complete it?
The NPMA-33 is the Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report published by the National Pest Management Association, and it is the form the industry uses in both states. It records a visual inspection of the readily accessible areas, reporting live insects, dead insects, frass or damage along with treatment recommendations and areas that could not be reached. Read the bottom of it, because the form says plainly that it is not a structural damage report, it is not a guarantee that insects are absent and it says nothing about concealed areas.
Who signs it is regulated by the state. In Missouri, the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Pesticide Control certifies structural applicators, and Category 7B, Termite Pest Control, covers wood destroying organisms. Kansas is more explicit about real estate: the Kansas Department of Agriculture states that anyone inspecting for evidence of wood destroying insects in connection with a real estate transaction or a loan secured by an interest in real estate must hold a valid certification at the time of inspection, in subcategory 7A.
What does the VA require for a private well?
The property has to have a continuous supply of safe and potable water for drinking, bathing, showering and sanitary uses, plus hot water, sanitary facilities and a safe method of sewage disposal. For an individual water supply, quality must meet the requirements of the health authority having jurisdiction, and where that authority has no specific requirements, Environmental Protection Agency guidelines apply instead. Testing has to be done by a disinterested third party, including collecting and transporting the sample, so at no time may the veteran or any other interested party handle it. Results are good for 90 days from the date the local health authority certifies them, unless that authority says otherwise. VA also requires a written acknowledgement from the veteran when water comes from a dug well, cistern, hauled water, spring, lake, river, sand point or artesian well, a catchment system, a chlorinator or a filtration system.
Plan on a private lab. EPA does not regulate private wells under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and its home water testing guidance recommends an annual test for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH. Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services says directly that the state public health laboratory does not test private wells for real estate transactions, and KDHE likewise refers Kansas owners to certified private labs.
Shared wells get their own rule and they are the most common reason one of these files stalls. A well serving two or more properties must supply safe potable water to each property simultaneously, must be protected by a permanent easement allowing maintenance and repair and must be covered by a recorded well sharing agreement that includes provisions for the cost of repairs and binds the signing parties and their successors in title. The lender has to obtain and review it, so a handshake between neighbors will not clear.
What does the VA require for septic and private sewage?
An individual sewage disposal system has to adequately dispose of all domestic wastes in a sanitary manner that will not create a nuisance or endanger public health, and that is the whole standard. VA requires health authority approval in three situations: proposed construction, new or existing construction where the appraiser notes a problem and any area known to have soil percolation problems. Pit privies are acceptable where they are customary and installed per the local health authority’s recommendations, which tells you how much VA defers to the county.
On the ground, the county is who you deal with. Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services sets statewide minimum standards for onsite wastewater treatment systems but notes that in most counties the local health department issues the construction permit, and that a local ordinance can be more restrictive than the state standard. Kansas runs on KDHE’s Bulletin 4-2 standards with counties adopting their own sanitary codes, and sets a minimum of 50 feet between a private well and a watertight septic tank, an absorption field or a lagoon, livestock pen or manure pile under K.A.R. 28-30-2(w) and 28-30-8. VA’s appraiser is expected to know those separation rules but is not required to measure, so if the layout looks tight, get the county out there.
What happens when a property fails one of these requirements?
The appraisal comes back subject to repairs and the Notice of Value carries the condition, so the loan cannot be guaranteed until the item is cured. Appraisers recommend repairs rather than inspections, so you usually get a specific item to fix, and from there you have three paths. The repairs get made before closing by whoever the contract says pays. The lender escrows funds and the work happens after closing, which VA allows, though all repairs must be completed and the escrowed funds distributed before VA will guarantee the loan. Or the veteran requests a waiver, which VA will consider if the veteran signs the request, the lender concurs and the property is habitable for safety, structural soundness and sanitation. VA will not waive anything that creates a safety issue, and an approved waiver can cost you value, since VA may reduce the value by the contributory value of the waived repair.
If value rather than condition is the problem, that runs a different track, covered on our page about the VA appraisal timeline and Tidewater, and the protection that lets you walk is in how the VA escape clause works.
How does this play out on acreage in the Northland and Leavenworth County?
Wells and septic are normal on acreage once you are outside a municipal service district, which covers a lot of what you want to look at. Order the wood destroying insect report as soon as you are under contract rather than waiting for the appraisal to tell you to, and order the water sample through a certified private lab the same week, since the third party rule means you cannot help and the 90 day clock starts at certification. Ask the seller for the septic permit and any pumping records before the appraiser arrives. If the well might serve more than one house, find out immediately whether a sharing agreement is recorded, because recording one inside a 30 day contract is not realistic. For what trades out that direction, start with our Leavenworth County community page. Older housing stock brings its own version of this, and we have written up both buying a 100 year old house with a VA loan and the fixer upper versus turnkey decision for Kansas City veterans.
Who this applies to and who it does not
This applies to origination appraisals on VA purchase loans in Missouri and Kansas, and not to liquidation appraisals, which VA prepares as is. The termite requirement does not reach high rise condominium units, and the well and septic topics are moot on public water and sewer, which covers most of the inside of the metro.
The harder case is a house that needs a repair nobody will make. If the seller will not cure a minimum property requirement item and it is not the kind VA will waive, the VA loan is the wrong tool for that particular house, and a renovation loan or a conventional loan with a repair escrow may fit better. I would rather tell you that in week one than at day 28.
Frequently asked questions about VA termite, well and septic requirements
Does a VA appraisal include a home inspection?
No. VA is explicit that a fee appraiser will note readily apparent repairs but will not perform operational checks of mechanical systems or appliances, and that an appraisal is not a home inspection. The Notice of Value itself recommends that the veteran consider a home inspection, and on a well and septic property that is money well spent.
How long is a VA water quality test good for?
Water quality test results are valid for 90 days from the date certified by the local health authority, unless that authority indicates otherwise. Order the sample early, because a delayed closing can push you past the window and force a second test.
Who pays for repairs listed on the termite report?
Either party can, and it is negotiable. Since VA Circular 26-22-11 took effect on June 15, 2022, veterans may pay both the wood destroying pest inspection fee and the cost of repairs required to meet minimum property requirements, and VA encourages veterans to negotiate those costs with the seller first.
Does a shared well agreement have to be recorded?
Yes. VA requires that a well serving two or more properties be covered by a well sharing agreement containing provisions for the cost of repairs, binding on the signing parties and their successors in title, and recorded in public records, along with a permanent easement allowing maintenance and repair.
Where can I see homes for sale and current prices in Kansas City?
You can search active listings on our Kansas City home search, and our featured communities pages carry current local market detail town by town across both states.
Ready to make the move?
Ready to make the move? Work with the top-rated team serving Kansas City veterans — or call us at 816-680-6624.
Equal Housing Opportunity
Nelson Home Group is committed to the Fair Housing Act. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. School district and neighborhood information on this page is provided for factual informational purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation to purchase in any particular area. All buyers are encouraged to independently research neighborhoods, schools, and communities to determine the best fit for their individual needs.
Joe Nelson is a licensed Realtor in Missouri and Kansas, and a licensed mortgage originator in Missouri and Kansas (NMLS #2547018). Joe cannot serve as both Realtor and loan officer on the same transaction. This page is educational and is not an offer of credit or a commitment to lend. Loan products, rates and qualification are subject to underwriting and may change. Eligibility determinations are made by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.