A termite inspection is a document job with a deadline. A buyer, seller, lender or escrow officer needs a Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report from a licensed Arizona company before closing, and the inspection has to be done, written up and delivered inside the escrow timeline. The inspector examines the exterior stem wall and the point where stucco meets slab, the garage expansion joint, plumbing penetrations under every sink and tub, baseboards and door frames, the attic where accessible, and any wood in contact with soil. The report states whether there is visible evidence of live infestation, previous infestation, previous treatment and conditions conducive to infestation, and it lists what could not be inspected and why.
Arizona home sales run into termites constantly because desert subterranean termites are under most low desert lots. In Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Tucson and Yuma an inspection that finds a tube is routine, not a surprise. Older flood irrigated neighborhoods and homes with drip lines against the foundation are the ones most likely to show activity. Snowbird homes in Sun City, Apache Junction and Lake Havasu City that sat empty all summer often have tubes nobody noticed. New construction in Buckeye and Queen Creek usually comes with a builder pretreatment, and the inspection checks whether that treatment is on record. Flagstaff and Prescott inspections lean toward drywood termite frass and carpenter ant galleries in older wood framed homes rather than subterranean tubes.
Only a company licensed by the Arizona Department of Agriculture Pest Management Division can issue a WDIIR that a lender will accept, and FHA and VA loans require one from a licensed company. The inspector also checks the state TARF database for prior treatments on the property, because a previous treatment with a TARF on file changes what the report says and what the buyer inherits. The report is the inspector's finding on the day of inspection. It is not a warranty and it does not guarantee the house is free of termites in areas that could not be seen, such as behind finished walls, under carpet or in an inaccessible attic. Those limits are written on the form.
The failure modes are about timing and expectations. A report ordered 2 days before closing that finds live activity stalls the deal until a treatment is done and a clearance issued, so the inspection should be ordered early in the inspection period. Sellers sometimes patch tubes with caulk or paint over them, and an experienced inspector looks for the patch. Buyers sometimes expect the inspection to cover roof rats or scorpions, which it does not. A house with a room addition on a separate footing or a converted garage has extra joints that get inspected separately. When the report finds activity, the next step is a written treatment proposal, the treatment, a TARF filing, and a re inspection letter for the lender, and all of that has to fit inside the same escrow calendar.
Technician insight
The place sellers most often paint over termite tubes is the garage expansion joint behind the water heater and the washer. A fresh line of caulk or a strip of newer paint along that joint on an otherwise dusty garage wall is the tell, and an inspector who has seen it before checks there first.
Report Due Before a Monday Closing
A rental property in escrow with an FHA buyer and a closing set for Monday, where the buyer's inspection found a mud tube on the back stem wall late in the week. The inspection was done over the weekend, the treatment followed the same day with a perimeter trench and garage drilling, the TARF was filed, and the clearance re inspection letter went to the lender in time for the closing to go ahead as scheduled.
Termite Inspection Services We Offer
✓WDIIR for Home Sale
The licensed Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report a buyer or seller needs during the inspection period of an Arizona home sale.
✓FHA and VA Loan Termite Inspection
Inspection and report on the form lenders require for FHA and VA financed purchases, delivered directly to the escrow officer or lender on request.
✓Refinance Termite Inspection
A WDIIR for homeowners whose lender requires a current termite report as a condition of a refinance.
✓Pre Listing Termite Inspection
An inspection for sellers before listing, so any activity is found and treated before a buyer's inspector finds it in escrow.
✓Termite Clearance Re Inspection
A follow up inspection after treatment that produces the clearance letter a lender needs to close when the first report found activity.
✓Annual Warranty Reinspection
The yearly inspection that keeps a termite warranty active, checking the treated perimeter for new tubes or conducive conditions.
How it works
- 1
Schedule Inside the Escrow Window
Tell us the closing date and who needs the report. Inspections are scheduled with the deadline in mind, usually within 1 to 2 days in the Phoenix metro and Tucson.
- 2
On Site Inspection
The inspector examines the stem wall, garage joint, plumbing penetrations, baseboards, door frames, accessible attic and any soil to wood contact, and checks the state record for prior TARFs. Most homes take 45 to 90 minutes.
- 3
Report Delivered
The WDIIR is written up and sent to you and, if you want, directly to the agent, lender or escrow officer, usually the same day or the next business day.
- 4
Next Steps If Activity Is Found
If the report shows live termites, you get a written treatment proposal with a price and timeline, and after treatment a clearance re inspection letter goes to the lender.
Pricing
An inspection is priced as a flat fee that moves with the size of the home, whether there is a detached structure or a converted garage that also needs inspecting, and how far the property is from the Phoenix metro. A clearance re inspection after treatment is a separate, smaller fee. If activity is found, the treatment is a separate job with its own written price.