Pest & WDO Inspection

The pest inspection is the least glamorous service we offer and the one that saves the most money. For the cost of a few hundred dollars, it answers the questions that matter before a home changes hands or a small problem becomes a large one: Is there active termite damage? Is the wood damage old or new? Are there conditions in this house that are inviting pests in?

A WDO (wood-destroying organism) inspection is a documented, room-by-room check of the structure — attic, crawl space, interior, and exterior — for termites, wood-boring beetles, carpenter ants, and wood rot. Lenders require it in many states, buyers rely on it before closing, and homeowners use it as an annual checkup. In every case, the value is the same: the report tells you the truth about the wood.

When you need an inspection

• Buying or selling a home — the pre-purchase inspection is the standard of due diligence, and the report is a negotiation document.
• Annual protection — termites and wood pests work slowly, which means an annual check catches them years before the damage becomes structural.
• After visible signs — mud tubes, frass, exit holes, or hollow-sounding wood all warrant an immediate inspection.
• Lender or insurance requirements — many loans and policies require a current WDO report.
• After treatment — a clearance inspection verifies the treatment worked.

If you are doing any of these, the inspection is not an expense; it is the cheapest form of property protection available.

What the inspection covers

A thorough WDO inspection checks every area where wood-destroying organisms live and work:

• Interior — baseboards, door and window frames, flooring, and any visible structural wood, looking for mud tubes, exit holes, frass, and hollow-sounding wood.
• Attic — framing, roof structure, and stored items, checking for drywood termites, wood-boring beetles, and the moisture conditions they need.
• Crawl space and foundation — floor joists, piers, and the soil contact points, where subterranean termites enter.
• Exterior — the foundation perimeter, wood siding, porches, decks, and the wood-to-soil contacts that invite infestations.
• Conducive conditions — moisture problems, wood in contact with soil, mulch against the foundation, and other conditions documented for the report.

The report distinguishes active infestations from old damage, and it documents the conditions that invite future problems. That distinction drives every recommendation.

How a professional inspection works

1. Schedule and prep. The inspection is booked around your timeline — closing dates, treatment schedules, or just your availability. You get a quick checklist of what the technician needs access to: attic, crawl space, and storage areas.
2. Inspect. A licensed technician works the property room by room, using a flashlight, a probing tool for hollow wood, and moisture checks where conditions warrant.
3. Document. You receive a written report with the findings, photos, and a clear breakdown of active issues, old damage, and conducive conditions.
4. Recommend. Treatment recommendations come with the report, with no obligation. For active infestations you get a quote; for clean reports you get a prevention plan.

Inspection services at a glance

The value of the written report

The report is the product. It tells a buyer what they are committing to, a seller what they need to fix, a lender what the risk is, and a homeowner what to watch. It also converts a vague worry — “I think there might be termites” — into a documented fact. Whether the news is clean or not, the report is worth more than the inspection cost by a wide margin.

Keeping your inspection history clean

• Schedule an annual WDO inspection and keep the reports on file — history matters to buyers and insurers.
• Address anything the report flags: wood-to-soil contact, moisture problems, mulch against the foundation.
• Reinspect after any treatment or major repair to document the resolution.
• Include the inspection in your maintenance routine, like the furnace check and the roof.

If you are buying or selling, saw signs of wood pests, or simply want the annual checkup, start with an inspection. A licensed technician will walk the property with you, show you the findings, and give you the written report — the truth about the wood, before it costs you anything.