Annual inspections are crucial follow-ups after the initial termite inspection and treatment.

If you decided not to tent your home and went with a localized treatment instead, the annual inspections need to be thorough. Much of what’s visible started two years prior. If you feel like your inspector is just going through the motions, it’s time to act. Ignoring signs of a subpar inspection could lead to a tenting recommendation later.

Is it your inspector’s goal to find termites or not to have to file an inspection report because there were no findings? 

To ensure you’re getting an honest, thorough inspection, watch for these red flags:

• Are they spending less than five minutes in the attic?
• Do they enter the attic fully or just peer from the top of their ladder?
• Do they seem irritated if you follow along during the inspection?
• Are they actually probing the wood around your home—including second-story eaves—or simply scanning with their eyes?
• Are they using last year’s report to help them distinguish between old and new activity?
• Are they fully entering the crawlspace, or only peering through the entrance?
• Are they as clean after the inspection as when they arrived? (Proper inspections require some mess!)
• Did they wear kneepads in the attic or crawlspace? Without them, they won’t be able to reach every necessary area.
• Are they checking the framing above your garage?
• Are they aware of any secondary attic entrances, or do they skip them?
• Do they work for a company that emphasizes fumigation, or one that provides alternative treatments?
• If they treated an area, did they mask or clean up the termite droppings to help track treatment effectiveness?

Their shortcuts can lead to future infestations. A lazy inspection isn’t something you have to accept. If you’re left wondering whether they’ve even checked for termites, ask yourself why you’re paying for a warranty at all.

California Termite is one of the few companies willing to assume existing warranties without requiring unnecessary and redundant treatments. If you feel your inspections aren’t as thorough as they should be, reach out to us.