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The Daily Insight

What kind of damage can termites do?

Author

Sarah Oconnor

Updated on February 28, 2026

Termites can cause damage to the structural wood of your house as well as in areas around your windows and doors. Serious infestations can even lead to damage inside the walls of your home and to the wood furniture inside.

How much damage can a termite do?

Each year, termites and similar pests cause an estimated $30 billion in damage to crops and man-made structures in the U.S. A homeowner who discovers termite damage will spend an average of $3,000 to repair the damage.

Is termite damage repair expensive?

On average, homeowners who discover that their home is infested with termites pay $3,000 to repair the damage and get rid of the pests. Overall, American homeowners spend approximately $5 billion to control termites in their home and repair the damage that they cause.

Is it OK to live in a house with termites?

Buildings or houses that are made of wood can be unfit to live in if termites have already caused considerable damage to its foundations, beams and other supports of the structure. This is considered a serious safety issue as once a solid wood structure turns weak and brittle.

How much does it cost to fix termite?

Repair costs for termite damage vary from case to case and can run from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. Some estimates for repair costs show an average cost of repair of around $4,500. The primary determining factor is whether or not the little pests have done any structural damage.

Can you fix termite damage?

Although termite damage may be reversed through professional repair, homeowners should first call a local termite specialist. Repairs should not be made until a licensed pest professional has confirmed that there are no longer termites present and the risk of further infestation has been eliminated.

How much damage can termites really cause?

HOW MUCH DAMAGE CAN TERMITES REALLY DO? Termites cause an estimated $5 billion in property damages and repair costs annually. In fact, termites damage more homes than fires, floods and tornadoes. More than 4 million homes in the United States are at risk of infestation this year.

What are termites and their damage caused to home?

Termites are small, ant-like insects that cause significant property damage to homes and building structures every year. Their presence can be difficult to detect and typically their destructive damage is done before they are seen.

What kind of damage can termites do to a home?

Termites can cause severe damage to human homes. Although termites are ecologically beneficial in that they break down detritus to add nutrients to soil, the same feeding behaviors that prove helpful to the ecosystem can cause severe damage to human homes.

How fast can termites damage your home?

Termite infestations can cause damage over a short period of time; with a colony of around 60,000 termites, colonies can reach around 2 million termites. A 2- by 4-inch piece of lumber can be consumed over a period of about five months.