Most houses than a few years old and have wood siding and/or trim will have a few spots of wood rot, most likely at the bottom of corner and door drim, and possibly on wood window sills. Small areas of wood rot can be repaired with a wood filler or the section of wood removed and replaced. Minor wood rot spots are not considered a serious defect, although they should be repaired. A homebuyer may even choose to accept the home with this defect unrepaired.

    There is an exception, however, if you are applying for a VA mortgage, or a FHA or USDA mortgage in some termite-prone areas. The lender requires a WDO inspection, which stands for Wood Destroying Organisms—and wood rot is on the list of a wood-destroying organisms that are required to checked, along with termites and several types of beetles.    These lenders require a “clean” WDO report as a requirement for the loan, which means there must be no evidence of any of those organism. If wood rot is found, then it must be removed and the home reinspected to get the required clean WDO and, in some areas, the report must be dated within 30 days closing on the home.

    To lean more, go to our blog posts Where are the most common places to find wood rot on a house? and Does wood rot spread? Is it contagious? 

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Here’s links to a collection of our other blog posts about WOOD ROT:

• How do I treat wood rot  that's listed in my termite-WDO report? 

• What causes wood rot on a home?

• Why is the inspector calling out rotten wood on my termite inspection? 

    Visit our TERMITES, WOOD ROT AND PESTS page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.