Termite inspectors serve multiple customers: the homeowner, their boss, and the fumigator or termite technician who will ultimately perform the treatment. 

Homeowners

A good termite inspector is thorough, knowledgeable, honest, and adaptable.

• Thoroughness is key when the goal is to offer treatment options. A localized treatment is only as good as the inspection—because if you don’t find all the areas of infestation, you can’t treat them. This matters less if the default recommendation is fumigation, but that approach isn’t always right for the homeowner.

   

• Knowledge is critical. A competent inspector can tell the difference between termite damage and wood rot, or between drywood and subterranean termites. They know to look for areas subject to excess moisture. Misidentifying cricket droppings as termite droppings, for instance —is a red flag.

   

• Honesty is essential, but not always guaranteed. Most homeowners won’t crawl through an attic or under the house to verify what an inspector says. If someone claims they found evidence of termites in an area the homeowner won’t check, it’s easy for misinformation to go unnoticed. If a termite inspector completes an inspection and doesn’t find termites, are they okay with that outcome?

   

• Adaptability comes into play when a homeowner can’t or won’t fumigate—even if they should. A good inspector finds a way to work within those limitations, figuring out how to treat infestations in areas that may not be easily accessible.

   

The Boss

Inspectors walk a tightrope between doing what’s best for the customer and meeting the expectations of their boss. Most termite inspectors are also salespeople with quotas to meet and competition from within their own company—not to mention from other companies the homeowner may have called.

Focusing only on pleasing management might lead to overselling or pushing high-revenue, low-value services. On the other hand, consistently putting customers first might mean fewer sales—and pressure from the top. A good inspector finds a way to balance both.

The Termite Tech

The termite technician is the inspector’s internal customer. It’s the inspector’s job to clearly mark every area of infestation on both the diagram and the actual structure. Techs know their stuff, but they shouldn’t have to find what the inspector was already supposed to find.

Inspectors should also respect the technician’s time. Trying to squeeze a job into a packed schedule just to hit month-end goals creates frustration and rushed work. Inspectors need to understand what’s accessible and what isn’t—if they couldn’t reach an area to inspect it, chances are the tech won’t be able to reach it to treat it either. Plan accordingly.

The Fumigator

If a home needs to be tented, the fumigator becomes another key customer. Accurate measurements are critical—underbidding the size of the house to reduce cost might please the homeowner in the short term, but will result in surprise overcharges from the fumigator later.

It’s also the inspector’s job to make sure homeowners are fully prepared for tenting: bagging up food, moving gravel, trimming vegetation, and more. If these tasks aren’t done ahead of time, the fumigator may have to ask the homeowner for help or do the prep work themselves—neither of which earns the inspector any goodwill.

In the end, a termite inspector has to juggle the needs of multiple people and find a path that works for everyone. It’s not always easy—but when done right, it builds trust, earns referrals, and keeps jobs running smoothly.

Summary

A great termite inspector isn’t just someone who knows bugs—they’re someone who can balance thorough inspections, customer care, technical accuracy, and coordination with the team. It’s a tough job, but when done with integrity, it makes a huge difference in both the quality of treatment and the homeowner’s peace of mind.

Need a termite inspection you can trust?

At California Termite, we pride ourselves on honest evaluations, clear communication, and putting your needs first. Whether you need a full fumigation or targeted local treatment, we’ll walk you through every option.

Schedule your termite inspection today and experience the difference.