An inspection is a structural assessment
A termite inspection is not a walk around the house with a flashlight. Done properly it is a systematic examination of every area where subterranean or drywood termites could reach wood, plus moisture readings on the framing most likely to be affected, documented well enough that another professional could follow the reasoning.
What makes it worth doing on a schedule is the timeline. Termite colonies work quietly, from the inside of the wood outward, and visible damage is a late-stage symptom. The gap between a colony establishing and a homeowner noticing is commonly measured in years.
What the inspection covers
Exterior
- The full foundation perimeter, checked for mud tubes on block, brick, stucco and slab edges.
- Points of wood-to-soil contact: deck posts, fence attachment, porch steps, siding running below grade.
- Grade level against the slab or foundation wall, and whether it buries the treated zone or the weep holes.
- Drainage — downspout discharge, negative grade, irrigation heads spraying the foundation, standing water after rain.
- Stored lumber, firewood, mulch depth and landscape timbers near the structure.
Interior and substructure
- Crawl space: sill plates, band joists, floor joists, subfloor, piers, and any wood debris left under the building.
- Basement: rim joist line, expansion joints, slab penetrations, utility chases and the areas behind stored material.
- Sounding and probe testing of accessible framing where damage is suspected — hollow response and easy probe penetration are the tells.
- Moisture meter readings on suspect wood; sustained elevated readings are what draw subterranean termites in the first place.
- Attic and roof framing where accessible, particularly around leaks, valleys and chimney flashing.
- Window and door frames, baseboards, and any wall showing bubbling paint or a warped surface.
The evidence we are reading
| Sign | What it indicates |
|---|---|
| Mud tubes on foundation or piers | Subterranean termites maintaining a protected route between soil and wood. Break one open: live workers mean active, dry and abandoned means historic but worth verifying. |
| Frass — small hard pellets in neat piles | Drywood termites pushing waste from kick-out holes. The pellets are ridged and roughly the size of coarse ground pepper. |
| Discarded wings near windows and light fixtures | A swarm has occurred. Wings all the same length distinguish these from ant wings. |
| Hollow-sounding or easily probed wood | Interior galleries. Subterranean galleries follow the grain and hold soil; drywood galleries are cleaner and cross the grain. |
| Blistered paint, sagging trim, floors with give | Damage advanced enough to affect the surface, which generally means substantial loss underneath. |
| Elevated moisture readings in framing | Not termites in itself, but the precondition. High-moisture wood is where activity starts. |
Real estate and WDI reports
Property transactions often require a wood-destroying insect report, and many lenders will not close without one. A WDI report is a specific document with a defined scope: it records visible evidence of wood-destroying insects, identifies whether that evidence is active or previous, notes conditions conducive to infestation, and describes any areas the inspector could not access.
Two things worth understanding before you order one. First, it is limited to accessible areas — a finished basement ceiling or a sealed crawl space will appear as an obstruction, and that is a real limitation, not boilerplate. Second, it reports insect evidence, not structural adequacy. If damage is found, a structural engineer or contractor assesses what it means for the building.
Frequency
- Annually for most homes, and required to keep most termite warranties active.
- Every six months where there is a history of activity, a persistently damp crawl space, or unavoidable wood-to-soil contact.
- Before purchase, on any property, without exception.
- After a swarm, immediately — indoor swarmers mean a mature colony is already established.
- After water damage to framing, once it has dried, since the repair itself can leave attractive conditions behind.
Before the inspector arrives: clear stored items away from basement and crawl space walls, make sure the crawl space access is openable, unlock the garage and any outbuildings, and move things off the attic hatch. Inaccessible areas get listed as obstructions on the report, which limits its value to you.
If the inspection finds active work, the next decision is method, and that is covered on our termite control page. If it finds nothing, you get that in writing too — C’ville Termite Removal Experts does not treat clean buildings.