Guide
The termite report before you buy a home
A California termite report follows rules set in state law, and the state keeps a searchable record of inspections. Here's how to use both.
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What the law says a report has to cover
California's Business and Professions Code section 8516 governs reports on wood-destroying pests. The registered company has to deliver a report to the person who ordered it and to the property owner, or their agent, within 10 business days of starting the inspection.
The report has to include who inspected, the property, a description of what was inspected, a foundation diagram, the infested or damaged areas, and conditions likely to lead to infestation, such as earth-wood contact, excessive moisture and poor ventilation. It also has to state which areas were inaccessible or not inspected.
How to read one
- Separate what is already infested or damaged from conditions that could lead to a problem. The law has the two kept apart, which matters when you negotiate repairs.
- Read the inaccessible areas closely. A finding of nothing in the areas seen says nothing about the areas not seen.
- Check whether a recommendation means whole-structure or localized treatment.
- Ask for a bid that lists a separate cost for each recommendation. The law allows you to request that.
Look up past inspections
The Board lets you search its Wood Destroying Organism system to see whether a property has been inspected within the last two years. It suggests entering only the building number and ZIP for the widest match.
If something turns up, you can send the Board a written request for copies of the inspection or completion reports. A recent report on a house you're about to buy is worth reading alongside the new one.
Two termites, two kinds of evidence
Around here, inspectors look for drywood signs such as six-sided pellets and kickout holes and subterranean signs such as shelter tubes. By UC IPM's account, state rules set a minimum of a visual search of accessible areas, and some infestations need more than that to find. If you want to talk to a company about a report on a home in the area, the number on this page connects you with an independent one. See the termite page for background.
Seeing something now? Make the call.
Say what you found, where you found it, and your ZIP. The company on the line can tell you how it would handle the job and what a visit involves.
Calls answered early morning to late evening. Calls may be recorded. Referral disclosure