The rules loosened here. Under current VA guidance, a veteran generally can pay for the termite inspection and the clearance work. For a long time, VA did not allow the veteran to pay for the wood-destroying-insect inspection on a purchase, so that cost fell to the seller or another party. VA changed the policy in 2022, and today the veteran can pay the inspection fee and required repairs. VA does update its rules, so confirm the current requirement for your transaction rather than relying on older guidance. Whether the veteran should pay is a negotiation point, no different from most costs in a deal. Who covers the pest inspection and any resulting work is something you can trade for in the offer, so put it on the table alongside your other terms. In practice it often turns out to be a small issue financially. Pest companies expect that an initial inspection will frequently lead to treatment work, so many perform the first inspection at no charge, counting on the repair business behind it. Between that and the negotiability, the pest inspection rarely ends up a meaningful line item either way. If you want help positioning it in your offer, that is the kind of detail we map out in a free Roadmap conversation.