Termite Inspections
To order an inspection just Click On Schedule. Please remember we will need to confirm your requested date and time due to multiple scheduling sources. To prepare your home for inspection please see the information below.
We will make a visual inspection from ground level to the exterior perimeter of your structure. Unless you request us to do so we do not normally inspect Patio covers, Decks and other attached or abutting structures. Please have all storage removed from against the structure and trim back vegetation to provide "adequate" clearance to perform our inspection.
If you have mean or questionable animals, please have them fully secured prior to the inspection.
Please unlock gates.
Fences are not inspected.
If you would like your deck inspected, please have skirting and/or deck planks removed to permit us access to the underside of the deck.
We do not inspect fences. Though, we do check the fence for infestations in the general area it attaches/abuts to the structure to the structure.
We do not normally walk on the roof or get on extension ladders at the time of the initial inspection.
We will make a visual inspection of the interior of the home. We need access to every room and closet. We do not move belongings or furniture. If you know of any areas of concern please have it accessible and bring it to our attention before we begin the inspection.
Please have the water turned on so we can perform a water test of the facilities. We do not water test, or in general test appliances of any kind, including but not limited to the dishwasher.
We do not open walls, lift carpets, remove toilets or disassemble the structure in any way at the time of the inspection.
If you know of any areas of concern please let us know prior to the commencement of the inspection.
If the walls of your garage look like this, please remove all movable items from the against the foundation. Were need to see the entire perimeter of your garage.
Attic
We also need the attic access clear of obstructions whether it is a
pull-down or just a
trap door. Depending on accessibility we may
physically or visually inspect the attic.
If you would like the attic inspected please make sure it is accessible. Also, should it need catwalks to be inspected please have them installed or we can install them for an additional fee.
If your home has a crawlspace, please make sure it is accessible by removing any storage on or in front of the access, any storage within the subarea should be removed prior to the inspection. If the access is screwed or nailed shut, remove the access prior to the inspection. This includes a portion of the skirting on a mobile home. We cannot disassemble a portion of the structure, this must be ready prior to the inspection.
Should your subarea have standing water it will be considered inaccessible at the time of the inspection due to safety concerns. You may remove the excess water by means of a sump pump or, we can do so for an additional fee.
We attempt to crawl the entire subarea. Areas with less than 12 inches of clearance or where there is less than that below ducting and or pipes will be considered inaccessible. Trenches or additional accesses may have to be installed at that time. We can perform either task for you at an additional expense.
Prior to the inspection please inform us of any areas of concern or hazardous conditions that may exist within the subarea.
There is much necessary information in the report that you will recieve. Please read every page carefully
The report will be broken down into three sections
· Section One Items
· Section Two Items
· Further Inspection Items
Section one items are actual evidence of infections or infestations such as Termites, Dry rot, Wood Boring Beetles, Carpenter Ants or Carpenter Bees. These items are normally required to be completed or repaired to obtain financing on a home. These items must also be completed prior to the issuance of a certification of a structure.
Section Two items are items that if left unchecked will eventually become section one items. These are items such as, but not limited to plumbing leaks, roof leaks, cellulose debris, earth to wood contacts, a lack of caulking in moisture areas at the interior and exterior of the home, vegetation touching the structure and much more. Most lenders do not require these items to be completed to obtain financing. Though, these repair are quite often completed by the seller or at the request of the buyer. As stated above, if these items are left unchecked they will almost always become section one items over a period of time. These items are not required to be completed for the certification of a structure.
Further inspection items are areas of the home that were inaccessible at the time of the original inspection. These are areas like an a flooded crawlspace, a crawl space that has storage over the access or an access that is screwed or nailed shut, storage against the garage walls, storage beneath the attic access, rooms that are locked , vegetation against the structure, or areas of possible damage that are inaccessible due to height, and many others. These items are not required to be completed prior to the certification of a structure. Though, many people and lenders do require these items to be further inspected. These areas may contain undetected section one and two items and it is strongly advised these items always be completed prior to the purchase of a property.
Should any items be found during the course of the inspection they will be broken down into three areas.
· Findings
· Recommendations
· Notes
Findings are the actual defects of a property. These can be either section one, section two, or further inspection items. The finding will be a statement of a given condition of a property, such as “Subterranean termites were found in the subarea”.
Recommendations are the corrective measures for the findings. There will always be at least one sometimes multiple recommendations for every finding. In most recommendations there will be a statement similar to “inspect the exposed wood members” in every recommendation.
Notes are for informational purposes only, they need not be corrected to obtain a clearance. Though many section 2 items and notes are interchangeable