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Questions & Answers Regarding
STRUCTURAL PEST CONTROL
INSPECTIONS
Q. UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS IS A
PEST CONTROL INSPECTION REPORT
REQUIRED?
A. Although the State of California regulates
structural pest control firms, it does not
require a Wood Destroying Pests and
Organisms Inspection Report prior to the
sale of property. However, prior to lending
money on a property, a financial institution
usually requires an inspection report to
ensure that the building is structurally
sound. This requirement protects its investment
and provides the home buyer with an
inexpensive safeguard against the cost of
structural pest control repair and treatment.
A buyer is advised to arrange for a
structural pest control inspection regardless
of the condition of the home at the time of
sale. The cost of an inspection is minimal
compared to the cost of repairing undetected
pest damage that could cost thousands
of dollars.
Q. HOW DO I KNOW WHICH PEST
CONTROL COMPANY TO USE?
A. The Structural Pest Control Board cannot
recommend a specific company. You may
want to contact a family member or friend
who has used a company in the past. Once
you have selected a company, you may
contact the Board for licensing information
and complaint history.
Q. WHAT ARE THE RIGHTS OF THE
BUYER WITH REGARD TO STRUCTURAL
PEST INSPECTION REPORTS
AND STRUCTURAL PEST CONTROL
TREATMENT?
A. When a structural pest control company is
hired, it is accountable to both the buyer and
seller, regardless of who pays for the inspection. It is required to furnish the person who ordered the inspection with a copy of the
report within ten working days. Under
Section 1099 of the Civil Code, the seller
usually delivers copies of the inspection
reports to the buyer. Copies can also be
obtained through escrow.
If there is any question about the report(s),
the buyer should contact the company that
made the inspection and/or performed the
work. It is always advisable for buyers to
order their own inspections.
Q. WHAT INFORMATION MUST BE
INCLUDED ON THE INSPECTION
REPORT?
A. The Structural Pest Control Act requires that
all structural pest control companies in
California use a standardized inspection
report form. The inspection report should
include any wood-destroying pests (such as
termites or wood-boring beetles), fungus,
and the resulting structural damage that is
visible and accessible on the date of inspection.
Conditions considered likely to lead to
future wood-destroying pest infestations or
infections such as excessive moisture, earthto-
wood contact, and faulty grade levels are
also identified on the report. Recommendations
are also made for treatment or repair.
A diagram on the inspection report must
detail every part of the house checked for
signs of infestation or infections. The report
must also state which areas have been
inspected and which areas have not been
inspected because of inaccessibility. It is
important to make sure the inspector understands
what structures you want inspected
and to be sure these areas were inspected.
Outbuildings are generally not inspected
unless requested. If you did not order the
report, be sure to check if it is a limited or a
complete report before accepting it. For real
estate transfers, a complete structural pest
inspection report is preferable.
Q. WHAT AREAS ARE CONSIDERED TO
BE INACCESSIBLE ON THE INSPECTION
REPORT?
A. Areas that cannot be inspected without
opening the structure or removing the objects
blocking the opening are considered inaccessible.
Attics or subareas without adequate
crawl space, slab foundations without
openings to bathroom plumbing, floors
covered by carpeting, wall interiors, and
locked storage areas are the most common.
The pest control inspector must list all inaccessible
areas and the specific reasons why
they were not inspected. Careful attention
should be paid to these areas, since there
may be structural pest problems which
cannot be detected without further inspection.
The report will recommend whether or not
further inspection is appropriate.
Q. DO ALL RECOMMENDATIONS LISTED ON AN INSPECTION REPORT HAVE TO BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE
SALE OF THE HOME?
A. There is no law requiring that any recommendations
listed on a report must be
completed. However, many financial institutions
require that both the inspection and all
recommendations be completed prior to the
close of escrow. The lender usually requires
certification from a pest control company
stating that the structure is free of infestation
or infection. Some financial institutions may
only be interested in determining whether
recommendations for correcting active
infestations and infections and the resulting
damage (Section 1 items) have been completed.
Lenders such as FHA and VA may
require conditions that are present which
could lead to an infestation or infection
(Section 2 items) to be completed also.
A consumer may request a report from the
pest control company which designates each
item as either a Section 1, Section 2, or
unknown for further inspection. Whether the
buyer or seller pays for the work depends on
the contract. The buyer should be aware of
any recommendations which have not been
completed before purchasing the home.
Structural pest control companies are required
to complete a Notice of Work Completed
and Not Completed when any work is
done on a structure. Review all reports
carefully for any indications that work has
not been performed. The certification can be
found on an inspection report, completion
notice, or on the company’s letterhead (see
question eight for more certification information). The certification may include disclosures in situations where all of the recommended work has not been completed. The inspection report and the completion notice should be delivered to the person who ordered the
report and to the property owner, or the
agent, within ten working days.
Q. IF TWO INSPECTION REPORTS ARE
FILED ON THE SAME STRUCTURE
WITHIN A REASONABLY CLOSE
PERIOD, SHOULD THEY BE NEARLY
IDENTICAL?
A. There are three parts of an inspection report:
findings, recommendations, and estimates.
Findings should be the same, no matter which
company performs the inspection, although
minor differences are not uncommon. Any
major differences, such as one company
failing to report an active infestation while the
other company reports one, should be
brought to the attention of both companies. If
their explanations are not satisfactory, the
Structural Pest Control Board should be
contacted for assistance.
Recommendations made by structural pest
control companies can differ since there are
different ways to repair structural pest damage
or correct conditions.
Estimates to correct the problems and/or
conditions identified by the inspection report
may vary. While a specific price for each
recommendation must be given, the Board
does not regulate or control pricing in any
way.
Q. HOW LONG IS AN INSPECTION
REPORT CONSIDERED VALID, AND
ARE COMPANIES REQUIRED TO
CERTIFY THEIR INSPECTION AND/OR
WORK?
A. Under the Structural Pest Control Act, there is
a two-year statute of limitations on all
inspection reports and completion notices.
This means all complaints against licensees
must be filed with the Board within two years
after the date of inspection or completion of
recommendations. Companies are not
responsible for conditions which develop or
become visible after the date of inspection.
For that reason, it is advisable for a buyer to
obtain an inspection report as close as
possible to the close of escrow. If the seller
orders the report, it is advisable to obtain it
when the house is listed so that repairs may
be completed before the start of escrow.
A structural pest control company is required
to certify its inspection and/or work if
requested by the person ordering the report. They will certify that either:
-
the inspection disclosed no evidence of
active infestation or infection by wooddestroying
pests or organisms in the visible
and accessible areas;
-
the inspection disclosed active infestation
or infection in visible and accessible areas
which have been corrected; or
-
the property is free of pest infestation or
infection in the visible and accessible areas, except for specified areas indicated. In cases
where a structure is fumigated, the fumigation
company will issue a certification of
fumigation within five days after completing
the fumigation.
Every completion report should be compared
with a copy of the inspection report to
determine if there are any conditions which
have not been corrected or if secondary,
substandard corrections have been
performed.
Consumers are never required to do business
with the pest control company they hire to
inspect. However, if a bid or estimate is
given for corrective measures by that original
company and the owner hires another party
to perform its corrective measures, that
original company must return and reinspect
the property before issuing a certification.
Pest control companies will not certify
chemical treatments performed by other pest
control companies. The pest control company
can perform a reinspection of items called on
its original inspection report within four
months of the inspection. The reinspection
should be completed within ten working days
after it has been ordered. If more than four
months have elapsed since the original
report date, a full inspection of the
structure(s) inspected on the initial report
must be performed, and an original inspection
report must be issued.
The report and any contract entered into will
state specifically when any guarantee for the
work is made and the specific terms of that
guarantee.
Q. HOW CAN I TELL IF A HOUSE HAS
BEEN INSPECTED BEFORE, OR, IF
ANY WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED?
A. Every time a structural pest control company makes an inspection for wood-destroying
pests or organisms, it must post a tag in the
attic, subarea, or garage. The tag contains
the firm’s name and the date of the inspection.
A similar tag must be posted next to the
inspection tag when the company completes
any work. In addition to the firm’s name and
the date of the completion, this tag must
indicate any pesticides used.
The structural pest control company must
also note on an inspection report the location
of the inspection tag as well as the
presence of any other inspection tag or
completion tag that is less than two years
old. These reports are maintained by the
pest control company for three years.
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