Termites are just part of life in Southern California. You can tent your home, but that doesn’t mean you’re done with them. Eventually, they’ll come back. Some homeowners figure they’ll just fumigate every ten years or so—but that approach often results in expensive wood damage. A better strategy is maintaining a full-structure termite warranty that includes annual inspections and any necessary local treatments. Here’s why:

Regular Inspections

A termite warranty includes annual inspections. Each year, a licensed inspector will check your eaves, attic, crawlspace (if you have one), garage, and the rest of your home. No news might seem like good news—but ignoring a problem doesn’t make it disappear. And it’s not just about termites. Crawlspaces can hide plumbing issues. Rodents often go unnoticed in attics. These things are better caught early—before they turn into expensive restoration projects.

Predictable Costs

Annual termite warranties typically cost between $300 and $400. Compare that to the average minimum charge for a local treatment—about $750. Without a warranty, every time termites show up in a new area, you’re on the hook for another minimum charge. Over time, the “least expensive” option becomes the most expensive. With a warranty, for a lower set amount, you’re covered. You’ll receive regular inspections, any necessary local treatments and have someone to call any time you see something suspicious.

Minimize Costly Wood Damage

Termites don’t sleep. Left alone, they can destroy a rafter tail in under a year. Replacing termite-damaged fascia is especially costly if there are gutters attached. If the damaged raftertails extend past the stucco, the repair becomes even more invasive and expensive. The cost of termite treatment is often far less than the cost to repair the damage they cause. This is exactly why you want a professional inspecting your home every year.

Avoid Redundant Termite Treatments

When an inspector finds termite damage, they have to assume it’s active—because the alternative means cutting into your home’s wood to confirm. Termites often hollow out wood from the inside, so damage may not be visible until it’s severe. As a result, homeowners without warranties often pay for unnecessary or duplicate treatments. But if you have a warranty in place and keep it current, the company servicing your home has a record of what’s already been treated. You avoid paying to retreat the same areas again and again.

A home is usually a person’s biggest investment. In California, it can feel like you’re living inside a bank vault. Termites and fungus are the two biggest threats outside of fire and earthquakes—and termite damage isn’t covered by homeowners insurance. No one in their right mind would go without fire insurance. The same should be true about a full-structure termite warranty.