Termite Inspections
Conducting Termite Inspections for Your Property
Termite Inspections and Identification
It is important that you, as a potential consumer of pest control services, understand that inspections for wood destroying insects are highly regulated in California. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the services that we provide:
Identifications and Estimate: We will be pleased to visit your home or business to evaluate a suspected termite problem. If the building is within our local service area the visit and quote for any services we recommend will usually be provided free of charge. (Exceptions and further explanations are noted below.) If we identify a wood destroying pest or organism, we will also generate a Limited Inspection Report as required by California law. Again, there is no charge for this report, and you will be under no obligation to hire us.
Complete Inspection Report: If you desire a complete inspection of the structure, either for your own information or for the purpose of meeting requirements of an escrow transaction, there will be an inspection fee which will be due at the time of the appointment. Again, see below for specific limitations to the inspection services we offer.
Under state law, a termite company can't do work on your property until an inspection has been done and a written report delivered to you. There must also be a written contract to do the work.
To learn more about inspections go to our Frequently Asked Questions page.
We offer free estimates and identifications (for most situations)
If you need an estimate for termite control work we will be happy to stop by, measure the building and provide a price quote for treatment.
This usually calls for a limited inspection report.
That report will be made at no cost to you and will arrive in your mail or email a few days after our visit. (See below for information about the different types of inspections and reports.
A limited report is not acceptable for most real estate transactions.)
However, in some cases, we cannot provide a complete or accurate quote for service without doing a full inspection of the building. (This is most common in older buildings, buildings that have been remodeled extensively, or where our inspector believes treatment or accessibility may be limited or difficult. If our inspector cannot provide a complete or accurate quote without doing a full inspection, you will be given the option of accepting a provisional quote for service (subject to modification after a full inspection is done), or you may authorize us to proceed with a full inspection of the building. There will be an inspection fee charged for a full inspection. We won’t do anything that will result in a charge to you without your authorization.
Termite Inspection Service Areas
Local areas:
We will provide free estimates and service work without trip-charges in the following areas:
Fresno, Clovis, Friant, Sanger, Piedra, DelRey, Parlier, Fowler, Selma, Kingsburg, Hanford, Easton, Kerman, Madera Ranchos, and Madera Rolling Hills.
Outlying areas:
We service the following communities, and we will provide a free estimate for pest control services in most cases over the telephone.
However, we cannot provide free termite control estimates in the outlying areas. We will be pleased to inspect your building and provide a price quote for termite control, but there will be an inspection fee.
The following areas are considered outlying:
Prather, Auberry, Tollhouse, Dinuba, Laton, Riverdale, Carruthers, Raisin City, Tranquility, San Joaquin, Firebaugh, Oakhurst, North Fork, Bass Lake, and most other Madera County locations.
Note: We will do inspections outside of the areas defined above, but please call our office for a quote for the inspection fee.
Senior Citizens (over 60 yrs.) Active or Disabled Military are eligible for a $10.00 discount off all inspection fees, and
a 5% discount off any termite control service work or repairs. If you qualify, be sure to ask for this discount when you call.
This discount may not be used with any other discount offered.
Inspections and Fee Policy
Original Reports are reports done for escrow transactions and routine maintenance inspections. A complete inspection involves the entire structure. The report issued provides information on the presence or absence of wood destroying pests or organisms and any conditions found which are considered conducive to those infestations or infections. There will be an inspection fee charged for all Original Inspection Reports (except for inspections done under the terms of one of our guarantee programs).
Limited Inspections are done to examine a specific problem or area within a structure and/or to provide a price quote for services. Limited Inspection Reports will usually be done at no charge. Inspection of a single condominium unit or a similar situation is a limited inspection. Inspections of a single unit in a multi-family structure are limited inspection reports if the entire structure is not inspected.
Supplemental Reports are issued as an addendum to an earlier report. They are frequently used to report conditions discovered in a previously inaccessible or concealed area that has been made accessible and inspected. If we are doing work and need to file a Supplemental Report, that report will be issued at no charge. We will charge a fee for the Supplemental Report if it is not issued in connection with a contract we are completing on the property.
Reinspection Reports are made to report the completion of work, where someone other than Morse Termite and Pest Control did the work. There will be a fee charged for all Reinspection Reports.
There will be a fee for any inspection, Original or Limited, which is done as an opinion in a dispute. Limited inspections to provide a competitive price quote will be done at no charge in most cases. We always recommend that a full inspection of a property be done before any work is authorized or started. We reserve the right to charge a fee for any inspection we do, subject to the location of property, nature of construction, ease of scheduling, etc. And, since this is still America, we also reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
NOTE: Inspection fees are due at the time of the inspection. Past due accounts will be charged 1 1/2% per month (18.0% APR) on the unpaid balance.
Our Inspection Fee Policy
- Inspection fees are due at the time of the inspection.
- Past due accounts will be charged 1 1/2% per month (18.0% APR) on the unpaid balance (calculated from the date service was rendered).
- Limited inspections to provide a competitive price quote will be done at no charge (in most cases).
- There will be a fee for any inspection, Original or Limited, done as an opinion in a dispute.
- We always recommend that a full inspection of a property be done before any work is authorized or started.
- We reserve the right to charge a fee for any inspection we do, subject to the location of property, nature of construction, ease of scheduling, etc.
- And, since this is still America, we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
Ownership or Agency Required
NOTE: The California Structural Pest Control Board regulates our inspections and reports, and these reports and work are subject to the Mechanic's Lien Law of this state.
The law requires that the owner receive a copy of any report we do and any work must be done only with his/her written authorization. It is our policy that all Structural Pest Control Inspections must be ordered by the property owner or his/her authorized agent. If you do not own this property and do not have a written agency agreement to act on behalf of the owner, we will not be able to schedule an inspection for you.
Please have the owner or his/her authorized agent contact our office and we will be happy to work with them.