What happens during a termite inspection
No mystery and no theatre. Here is exactly what a Bite Away inspector does from the moment we pull up to the moment the report lands in your inbox.
1. Walk the exterior
We start outside, checking eaves, fascia, rafter tails, window and door frames, garage door trim, decks, patio covers, fences, and any wood in contact with soil. Drywood termite frass and subterranean mud tubes usually show up here first.
2. Inspect the interior
Room by room we look at baseboards, window sills, door casings, cabinets, and under sinks, sounding suspect wood and probing where the surface gives.
3. Attic and subarea
Where they are accessible, the attic and crawlspace tell the truest story: framing members, sheathing, subfloor, plumbing leaks, moisture, fungus, and dry rot.
4. Document everything
Every finding is photographed and located on the diagram, so you are not reading a list of codes and trying to picture where they are.
5. Deliver the report
You receive a plain-language report with colour photos and itemised recommendations, separated into active infestation and conditions likely to lead to infestation, each with its own price.
6. Handle the corrective work
If work is needed, our own carpenters, fumigation crew, and technicians do it. On a real-estate transaction the repairs, fumigation, or local treatments can be billed to escrow and paid at closing.
If the inspection is part of an escrow
Bite Away does termite inspections for escrow for a nominal fee, and we can bill any repair work, fumigation, or local treatments to escrow. The report is written so buyer, seller, and agent can negotiate item by item, and the corrective work is handled in-house so nobody is coordinating three different vendors against a closing date.
Questions before the visit
- How long does a termite inspection take?
- Usually 45 minutes to an hour and a half for a typical San Diego single-family home. Larger homes, multi-unit buildings, and properties with a tight or heavily stored crawlspace take longer.
- Do I need to be home?
- Someone needs to provide access to the interior, garage, attic hatch, and any subarea. Beyond that you are welcome to follow the inspector around or leave us to it.
- How should I prepare?
- Clear a path to the attic access and the crawlspace opening, move stored boxes away from garage walls and under sinks, and unlock side gates so we can inspect the full exterior.
- When do I get the report?
- Quickly, because escrow timelines do not wait. You receive a written report with colour photos of every finding and itemised recommendations with pricing.
See also: termite inspection in San Diego and inspection cost.