You need Java to see this applet.
Inspection procedures and reporting requirements can vary from state to state. Some states may    
allow for inspections of wood-destroying insects only (termites and wood borers) and other states may
require that inspections be performed for all wood-destroying organisms (which include the wood rots). In
the real estate community, the termite inspection is often referred to as a "pest inspection" which is actually
a misnomer. A buyer or seller may get the impression that a "pest inspection" would cover all pests
(roaches, ants, spiders etc.) when in actuality it does not. It only covers wood-destroying pests and/or
organisms. Having said that, please check with your local pest control company, in your particular state, for
the parameters of Termite/Wood-destroying organism inspection reporting.  

Inspections can take as little as 10 minutes or as long as 3 hours to perform for an average (1800 sq.ft.)
home, depending upon what the inspector is hired to look for. If you simply have a question about a
certain area of your home and are not interested in having a complete inspection of your entire home,        
then it could be a rather quick procedure. In the state of California, this would be considered a limited         
inspection with recommendation made to inspect the entire structure. Most of the time, these limited           
inspections are at no cost, however, not all pest control companies operate the same so check with your
local pest control company for inspection costs. Termite inspections that are performed for a real estate
transaction should not be limited inspections, but instead should be complete or full inspections (as
described in the next few paragraphs).

If you are purchasing a home in California and need a termite inspection report, then a complete            
inspection and reporting should be performed (not a limited report or limited inspection). An important
note to buyers regarding a termite inspection report: If the report reveals that the home may have been
occupied at the time of inspection, we would recommend ordering a "supplemental report". A supplemental
report is an additional inspection of the areas of the property that were previously inaccessible. You, as a
buyer, shouldn't sign off on a property that was not fully inspected due to furniture or stored items blocking
walls or closets and garages that were too full to inspect properly. Termites are very common in California
and you want to make certain that all the areas of the home were made available for inspection. We (as
termite inspectors) also want to make sure that we have been given every opportunity to perform as
thorough an inspection as possible. Remember also, that as good and thorough as we are at inspecting
homes, we cannot see inside walls. There is the possibility that termites can exist within a wall, or wood
member, and not show any outward signs that they are there. You may be familiar with the scenario of a
homeowner who found termites in their recently purchased home when the termite inspection revealed no
visible evidence, and the frustrations that they encountered.
To help alleviate this type of situation,
we offer a 1-year guarantee on all of our escrow complete termite reports.
What this means is if
you discover termites anywhere on the structure, within the first year of purchasing your home, you can
simply call our office and we will send out a treatment crew to treat the infestation at no cost to you. Our 1
year guarantee is a treatment guarantee only and does not include hidden damage repairs. Damage
repairs can be performed by our company at normal repair costs (call office for repair pricing).  
  

A complete home termite inspection would include inspecting all accessible exterior portions of the
structure. The areas would have to be accessible with a standard 6 ft. step-ladder and normally include
foundations, window/door trim, fascias, eave, soffits, rafter tails and patio/carport supporting. Termite
inspectors are looking for evidence of wood-destroying organisms (knows as section I items in California)
as well as conditions that are conducive to an infestation (known as section II items in California). Some
homes may not have
visible evidence of termites, borers or wood rots but have several conditions that are
conducive to an infestation or decay and these conditions will be noted. Examples of conditions conducive
to infestations would be exterior grade/soil levels higher than the mud sills, grading sloped towards the
structure, excessive stucco cracking, wood-to-soil contacts with structural supports, loose wood debris
beneath the home or up against the home, plumbing leaks and insufficient clearance in a crawlspace area.
A complete interior inspection would also include viewing all walls, window ledges, closets, stairwell closets,
beneath cabinets (if practical), all cabinet drawers in bathrooms/kitchens, all walls of garage and
accessible portions of the attic. You can see why it is so important that the home be as accessible as
possible to allow for a thorough inspection. In fact - and if we had our way - we would suggest that the
home be inspected only when it is vacant. This, however, is not always practical during the home buying
process due to negotiating factors and time constraints.

INSPECTOR MISSED TERMITES?: Before you get upset with your termite inspector, consider this; Some
of the most common "Inspection misses" are the infestations that are discovered behind what would have
been the sellers furnishings, such as headboards or dressers, entertainment centers, pictures, appliances
or other furnishings that hid the infestation from the inspector. Remember that most termite inspections are
performed when the homes are occupied and had the items been moved for the inspection, then it is likely
that the infestation could have been found and corrected prior to the close of escrow. Having said that,
there are areas where infestations can exist and
will not be found on a standard visual inspection, even if
the home was vacant at the time of the inspection. Examples of this would be areas beneath carpeting or
any floor coverings, behind built-in cabinets, inside inaccessible stairwells, low pitch sections of the attic,
top of the roof sheathing, interiors of hollow walls, behind wallpaper/wall paneling, inside enclosed bay
windows & behind masonry. These "hidden" infestations are often discovered when the buyer performs
remodeling. These hidden infestations, often assumed to be "termite misses" are simply an unfortunate
occurrence. Only Superman has x-ray vision. Bottom line? Try and have the home inspected when it is
vacant or very close to.

A final comment on termite escrow report findings. There are four words that are commonly used       
in the home buying process (pertaining to termite inspection reporting) that, in our opinion, should not be    
used. They are;
CLEAN, CLEAR, PASS & FAIL. These four words can (and have), given wrong               
impressions to home buyers and sellers. A seller that is told that his/her home has FAILED the termite
inspection, is often left feeling dejected, when in fact - and more often than not - the findings can be easily
corrected. And a buyer is more apt to be outraged if, after closing on a home, they discover termites
(during a remodel or replacing carpet etc.) and remembers that prior to their purchasing of the property,
their real estate agent had told them that the termite report was CLEAN or CLEAR or that the house had
PASSED the termite inspection. The fact is, nobody knows if the home is "clean" or "clear" because
nobody has the ability to see inside walls. It's probably human nature to want to put a smile on the
inspection reporting outcome whether it's a termite inspection or even a home inspection, but using these
words can - at times - give a false comfort.   
Examples of conditions           
          conducive-

-Wood-to-soil contacts                 
  (supporting posts etc.)
-Excessive moisture
(leaky pipes, roof)
-Cracked stucco
(termite entry points)
-Faulty grade conditions              
  (slopes towards home)
-Improper ventilation to a
crawlspace or sub-area              
-Excessive cellulose wood
debris (crawlspace area)
-Inaccessible sub-areas (lack
of clearance or access)
Enter starting street address:

City, State or Zipcode:
All Rights Reserved  Copyright©2008 Perry’s Termite Service
Inspections
Perry's Termite Service & Repair  
           Huntington Beach
714-964-3491
Hosting by Yahoo! Web Hosting