How Much Does a Termite Inspection Cost?

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Inspections Explained

When buying or selling a home, home inspections for pests can offer details on any infestations and damage done to the property. These pests can cause costly damage, especially termites. Pest inspections are not included in a general home inspection and are often required as a separate, specialized inspection before closing.

A pest inspection looks for bugs and other insects or animals that cause damage to the structural integrity of a house, causing a health hazard or general damage. For example, termites cause harm to the wood structure of the home, so they need to be exterminated quickly.

Most pest inspectors will look for these creatures in your home.

• Cockroaches
• Damp wood and dry wood termites
• Underground and aboveground termites
• Various kinds of rodents
• Carpenter ants
• Bedbugs
• Snakes
• Silverfish
• Moths
• Carpenter bees
• Wood-destroying beetles
• Bees and other stinging insects
• Spiders

Inspection Process

Most inspections occur around the same time the general inspection occurs and may be required as part of the appraisal. Homeowners can attempt to exterminate any pests on their own, but it is recommended to hire a professional in cases where the sale of a home is at stake.

When an inspector evaluates your house for pests, they will look for damage in floorboards, baseboards, siding, and walls to see if they can get pests to come out from their hiding places. After the inspector has finished, they will offer a pest inspection report and give it to the appraiser. Not all states require inspectors to search for the same creatures. It varies by climate and the creatures that live in those elements.

The inspector will provide a brief overview of what they have found and the damage they can see and then recommend exterminating the creatures and fixing any damages. In most cases, if there are pests or damages, the issue will have to be resolved before a loan can be secured against the property.

Termite Inspections

Termite inspections are part of the pest inspection as the insects can be incredibly damaging.

For example, a home is ten times more likely to be damaged by termites than by flood or fire.

Subterranean Termites

These termites are common and will leave pencil-sized mud tubes usually at the base of a structure, such as on the concrete foundation of a home. They live in soil, infesting from the ground up, travel in the mud tubes, and hide inside the wood. They need very moist environments to survive. In some parts of the country, they can be found seasonally, and in others, they thrive year-round.

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Drywood Termites

These types of termites are prevalent in Florida. Drywood termites live above ground in the wood in and around your home.

Drywood termites are small insects that are difficult to find. They live inside the wood, and they are rarely seen. Drywood termites live in colonies that are usually fewer than 1,000 insects. Compared to subterranean termites, they can be widely separated within a home and take years to fully mature.

The areas of a home where drywood termites can be found include:

• Exterior wood siding and roof shingles
• Interior wood framing of the house and in attics
• Exterior wood molding that frames windows and doors
• Wooden eaves and overhangs on the house
• Joints or crevices in and around doors

Here are four signs that drywood termites may be inside your home.

• Several flying insects on the exterior, and sometimes on the interior of your home, focused on the wood.
• Insect wings on windowsills, or you notice termites on the exterior of your home.

Hollow or visibly damaged wood that looks like a honeycomb or is carved out.

• You can use a pocket knife or flat-blade screwdriver to make a hole in the wood to potentially reveal drywood termite damage.
• Strange looking piles of what could be coarse grains of sand (these piles are termite fecal pellets from the wood.)

An inspector looks for signs of the termites at places on the house they could potentially enter and offer solutions as part of their inspection report.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does A Pest Inspection Take?

Most inspections will take between thirty minutes to an hour to complete. This is dependent on the size of the house and if there are any spaces such as a crawlspace or attic that are more challenging to reach. These circumstances make the inspection take longer.

Once the inspection report is complete, it may take the mortgage company a day or two to process. Sometimes, if the damage is severe, another inspection is required once the pests have been cleared and repairs are completed. This confirms that all issues have been resolved before the mortgage is approved.

What Is a Termite Inspection?

A termite inspection looks for wood-destroying organisms and involves inspecting rotten wood and looking for insects that damage wood.

How Do You Prepare for a Termite Inspection?

Home sellers can prepare for a termite inspection in several ways.

1. Do some rearranging. Move items stored under your sinks in the kitchen and bathroom to another area so that the inspector can check water sources for termite activity. Also, move items about two feet away from the wall in your garage—the same for items on the walls outside of your home.
2. Provide easy access to the attic. Remove anything that could be blocking the entrance to the attic before the inspector’s visit. The inspector needs to get into the attic, and this also ensures no debris falling from the attic disrupts your things while he is inspecting.
3. Clear any crawl space. Make it simple for the inspector to get into the crawl space. Move any items that block the entrance, and make sure nothing is stored in the crawl space.
4. Take care of the landscaping. Trim any plants like bushes or ground cover that hide exterior walls or the foundation.

How Much Do Termite Inspections Cost?

A termite inspection costs $75 to $150. A termite clearance letter or inspection report can cost $100 to $200.

How Does A Termite Inspection Work?

Termite inspections can be seen by the eye when the wood in a home has been damaged internally or externally. The inspector looks through all areas of the home’s interior and exterior.

The inspector will go into all crawl spaces, basements, attics, or similar spaces within the home. They will also check your baseboards, window, doors, and other locations. In addition, an inspector will look at the plumbing in bathrooms, kitchens, and utility rooms. This is because termites use the pipes to enter the home and begin invading your wood.

Next, the inspector will walk around the house’s exterior, looking into cracks or crevices, insect mud tubes, and damage to any exterior wood structures. After the external inspection is complete, the inspector will check out neighboring yards to determine if there are any signs of termite activities.

What Is a Termite Letter?

A termite letter is also known as a wood infestation inspection report or wood destroying organisms report. This letter reports on termites in, under, and around the house.

After an inspector performs the inspection, there will be one of two outcomes: they will declare the home termite-free and give the homeowner a termite letter, or they will treat the home for termites, after which the homeowner can decide whether to purchase a termite bond. Some loans require a termite letter. In some cases, homeowners can request that the seller deals with the termites.

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What Is a Termite Bond?

A termite bond is a contract between homeowners and pest control companies that acts as an insurance policy against termites. The terms can be customized per customer and often include reimbursing the homeowner for repairing direct termite damage or covering future treatments.

When buying a house in areas prone to termites, it is important to have a new termite bond or letter or access to a recent bond or letter. If there is a recent letter, it will be listed on the seller’s disclosure.

A termite bond is not always a requirement, so it may be up to the homeowner to decide to move forward with the inspection and bond—usually, an annual inspection as part of the bond to keep termite issues under control.

To create a termite bond, a termite company considers these factors:

• A need for termite retreatment
• Evidence of past termite control or damage
• New chemical termite treatments to complete
• Specific types of termites damaging the home (the bond may not cover all types)
• Evidence of subterranean termites
• Methods for termite prevention

The pest control company will also discuss with the homeowner if they need a termite warranty on the house and future inspections. A termite bond’s cost will vary based on the homeowner’s coverage.

The cost of the bond does not cover inspections for bed bugs, ants, beetles, and other pests that could cause additional costs in the future. It also does not cover damage that leads to termite infestations, such as water damage.

It only covers the extermination of the termites and damage that occurs directly from the termites.

Does Florida Require Termite Inspections?

Yes, they are required in Florida. Florida is a state where termites are prevalent, so it is important to perform a termite inspection regularly. A termite inspection in Florida is called a Termite and Other Wood Destroying Organism Report (WDO Report). It is required and strongly recommended when buying a house. The inspector must have an ID card issued from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) to perform an inspection. This is a unit of the Florida DACS, the Bureau of Entomology and Pest Control.

Who Pays For A Termite Inspection In Florida?

In most cases, the seller will cover the cost of a pest inspection. Covering this cost can help both the buyer and seller identify any present issues, lowering stress in the long run. Depending on the lender’s requirements, a termite inspection may be completed within 30 to 90 days of closing.

Summary

A pest inspection is recommended before buying a home, especially in termite-prone parts of the country like Florida, where an inspection is required by law. The seller usually covers the inspection cost and, most often, the extermination costs. Getting a termite inspection can save buyers thousands of dollars in the long run.