Termite Companies in Florida

Florida law calls the termite inspection done for a property sale a wood-destroying organism (WDO) inspection, and names the organisms: "termites, powder-post beetles, oldhouse borers, and wood-decaying fungi" (Fla. Stat. 482.021(30)). Fungi are in the definition, so wood rot is part of the inspection, not an extra.

What the report must contain is set by section 482.226:

• It comes from a licensed pest control business, on a form FDACS prescribes, and the business keeps a copy for at least three years.
• It records any visible evidence of previous treatment for, or infestation by, wood-destroying organisms, and lists the areas that could not be inspected and why.
• It states that neither the inspector nor the business has a financial interest in the property or any part in the sale beyond the inspection.
• It is not a guarantee that the house is free of these organisms or their damage, unless it says so and states how far the guarantee goes.

Look for the notice by the attic or crawl space. The inspecting business must post a notice of the inspection next to the attic or crawl space access, at least 3 by 5 inches and made to last three years, with its name, address and the inspection date. Only the property owner may remove it (section 482.226(4)). One already there tells you who inspected the house before, and when.

Who can inspect. Each employee who performs these inspections must hold an FDACS identification card, issued after training in wood-destroying organisms (section 482.091(9)). A home inspector's licence is not that card.

Florida licenses pest control businesses through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Companies we could match to its register show their business licence (how we check).