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All Rights Reserved Copyright©2010 Perry’s Termite Service
Inspections
Perry's Termite & Pest Control
(505) 503-8339
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 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 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 re-inspection when the home is vacant or close
to empty. A re-inspection report is an additional inspection of the areas of the property that were
previously inaccessible. A buyer might want to reconsider signing docs (at closing) if a re-inspection
was not performed (in cases where furniture or stored items were blocking walls or closets and garages
were too full to inspect properly). Termites are very common in New Mexico and you want to make
certain that all the areas of the home were made available for inspection. We (termite inspectors) also
want to make sure that we have been given every opportunity to perform as thorough an inspection as
possible. Most termite inspectors are very thorough, however, 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 after 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 insects (and in some cases organisms such as
wood rots or decay). Termite inspectors are also looking for conditions that are conducive to an
infestation. Examples of conditions that are conducive to an infestation are; wood-to-soil contacts
beneath or up against a home, excessive cellulose debris beneath or next to the home, excessive
moisture conditions or plumbing leaks, stucco at or below exterior grade level, faulty grading conditions
(sloping towards the home) or exterior grading/soil levels that are higher than the mud sills and
insufficient clearance in a crawlspace area. 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. A complete interior inspection would also include viewing all walls, window
ledges, closets, stairwell closets, beneath cabinets (if practical), all cabinet drawers in bathrooms and
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 (if we had our way) we
would suggest that the home be inspected only when it is vacant. This 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 in locations that
were hidden behind a sellers furnishings; like headboards, dressers, entertainment centers, pictures,
appliances or other furnishings (hidden from the inspector). Most termite inspections are performed
when the homes are occupied. If the items had been moved (for the inspection), then it is likely that the
infestation could have been found and corrected prior to the close of escrow. Also keep in mind 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 are 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. Hidden infestations are often assumed to be "termite misses" when in fact they are simply
an unfortunate "hidden" occurrence. Only Superman has x-ray vision. Bottom line for a home buyer?
Try and have the home inspected (or re-inspected) when it is vacant or very close to being vacant.
A final comment on termite escrow report findings. There are four words commonly used in the
home buying process (pertaining to termite inspection reporting) that (in our opinion) should not be
used; CLEAN, CLEAR, PASS & FAIL. These four words can (and have) give 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 may have even been told (by their Realtor) 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 every inch of every wall.
It's probably human nature to want to put a smile on the inspection reporting outcome whether a termite
inspection or even a home inspection, but using these words can - at times - give a false comfort.
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 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 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 re-inspection when the home is vacant or close
to empty. A re-inspection report is an additional inspection of the areas of the property that were
previously inaccessible. A buyer might want to reconsider signing docs (at closing) if a re-inspection
was not performed (in cases where furniture or stored items were blocking walls or closets and garages
were too full to inspect properly). Termites are very common in New Mexico and you want to make
certain that all the areas of the home were made available for inspection. We (termite inspectors) also
want to make sure that we have been given every opportunity to perform as thorough an inspection as
possible. Most termite inspectors are very thorough, however, 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 after 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 insects (and in some cases organisms such as
wood rots or decay). Termite inspectors are also looking for conditions that are conducive to an
infestation. Examples of conditions that are conducive to an infestation are; wood-to-soil contacts
beneath or up against a home, excessive cellulose debris beneath or next to the home, excessive
moisture conditions or plumbing leaks, stucco at or below exterior grade level, faulty grading conditions
(sloping towards the home) or exterior grading/soil levels that are higher than the mud sills and
insufficient clearance in a crawlspace area. 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. A complete interior inspection would also include viewing all walls, window
ledges, closets, stairwell closets, beneath cabinets (if practical), all cabinet drawers in bathrooms and
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 (if we had our way) we
would suggest that the home be inspected only when it is vacant. This 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 in locations that
were hidden behind a sellers furnishings; like headboards, dressers, entertainment centers, pictures,
appliances or other furnishings (hidden from the inspector). Most termite inspections are performed
when the homes are occupied. If the items had been moved (for the inspection), then it is likely that the
infestation could have been found and corrected prior to the close of escrow. Also keep in mind 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 are 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. Hidden infestations are often assumed to be "termite misses" when in fact they are simply
an unfortunate "hidden" occurrence. Only Superman has x-ray vision. Bottom line for a home buyer?
Try and have the home inspected (or re-inspected) when it is vacant or very close to being vacant.
A final comment on termite escrow report findings. There are four words commonly used in the
home buying process (pertaining to termite inspection reporting) that (in our opinion) should not be
used; CLEAN, CLEAR, PASS & FAIL. These four words can (and have) give 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 may have even been told (by their Realtor) 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 every inch of every wall.
It's probably human nature to want to put a smile on the inspection reporting outcome whether a termite
inspection or even a home inspection, but using these words can - at times - give a false comfort.
Examples of conditions
conducive to infestation-
-Wood to soil contacts
(supporting posts etc.)
-Excessive moisture areas
(leaky pipes, roof leaks)
-Stucco at or below grade
-Faulty grade conditions
(grade slopes towards home)
-Improper ventilation to a
crawlspace or sub-area
-Excessive wood debris
(crawlspace area)
-Inaccessible sub-areas
(lack of clearance or access)
conducive to infestation-
-Wood to soil contacts
(supporting posts etc.)
-Excessive moisture areas
(leaky pipes, roof leaks)
-Stucco at or below grade
-Faulty grade conditions
(grade slopes towards home)
-Improper ventilation to a
crawlspace or sub-area
-Excessive wood debris
(crawlspace area)
-Inaccessible sub-areas
(lack of clearance or access)
| Service to: Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, East Mountains, Los Lunas, Belen, Socorro, Jemez Mountains, Los Alamos, Santa Fe, Algodones, Edgewood, Moriarty, Sandia Park, Tijeras, Estancia, Mountainair, Paako, Golden, Madrid and points in-between. |
Termite inspections are always free.
Termite reports for escrow- $48.00
Termite reports for escrow- $48.00
(Termite escrow reports are guaranteed for 1 year)