Pathetic Termite Inspectors

More and more I’m running across Termite inspectors that are at the property 10 minutes. If our client is present they do not discuss their findings and/or point out potential conditions that either will attract Termites or keep their presence hidden. It happened tonight and my clients were upset that he did not acknowledge them and tell them about the several logs in the ground all around the property and the high grade next to the slab. What gives?

I’ve seen situations where the exterminator comes right up the propery and starts pitching service plans before they even look at the property.

Made me find it differcult to continue to outsource it.

tom

I have never seen them not talk to the client.

I have 2 companies that I recommend. Both are very thorough and good with my clients. When Clients choose their own pest company or it gets chosen by the agents… the service is far less. Just like everyone else experience - 10 to 15 minutes on site and their gone!
There is even one advertising use of dog except there hasn’t been a dog in use for over a year!!! I saw him pull into the drive when I got on the roof. By the time I got down, he was gone! I was wanting to see the dog in action. I asked the agent what the scoop was and she said “Ohhh… the dog got hit and he never replaced him… but he’s pretty good…” My only comment was “He was only here for 10 minutes!”

Unbelievable…:roll:

Ran into the same guy today. He left without talking to my clients or their agent. The agent was pissed about that. It’s amazing they can get away with that!!

And as far as I know they are state licensed in most states. Just goes to show you licensing is not a “cure all”.

That’s exactly why I perform WBI inspections myself.

I’ve had exterminators call me to tell me that I reported Termites on a specific property and they can not locate them. I have them meet me on location at a specified time and I’ll point them out to them.

What are they… blind?

And these guys are supposed to be trained for this sort of stuff…GO FIGURE.

Most termite inspectors are sales people first and inspectors second. Their main job is to sell treatments. It would be my guess that the inspector who is there for ten minutes and not speaking to the customer is inspecting a newer home where he has no chance of getting the job, or has been told the home is under warranty with another compnay. If it is an older home and he finds termites, I bet he will talk to client, seller, and agent because now he stands a chance of making a commission. Is this right? Absolutely not. But it is the nature of the business. You need to train your inspector on how to conduct his inspection and let him know what you expect. You are the boss on that inspection and he is working for you. I have had to do this many times. In the long run it pays off.

The specific location of termites has little to do with the treatment of termites. It’s more important in states that require all past damage to be repaired asap, so it’s not confused for future damage. So the only one that could get in trouble for not located the actual damage is you, as a HI. So ignorance is bliss, and an exterminator can live in a utopia.

imho,

tom

Tab, pass the test and find someone that you can inspect under their license and viola, you are the termite guy, talk to whoever you want and take as long as necessary. Also increase your income.

That’s why I love Washington’s WDO laws. Puts the WDO inspection where it belongs in my opinion: the Home Inspector! Those of us who really care about doing a good job for our clients are happy to be licensed WDO inspectors.

There is no wdi law in Pa. No definition of a wdi inspector. Just the PAR and blanket consumer fraud laws. The Par limits who can do wdi stuff, if used. Consumer protection laws protect the consumers from people who wake up and think they are wdi experts. PAR is preventative, while the fraud laws are punitive(pretty severe in case of fraud).

tom

The Washington Law’s intent was to protect Pest companies and is not a good law for Home Inspectors. Two entirely different things alltogether. DUMB LAW :frowning:

I would suggest that you pass the required test for your State and do your own WDI inspection you will need a Qualifing party.

The normal WDI inspection around here incudes, quik walk through the home … that is no attic or crawl. Then they want to sell you some preventitive ****, to include a Termiteicide that they put around the perimeter of your home… Not a bad idea if your home is over 7 years old, or some companies offer Dow Cornings version of Termite control. This is good stuff, but you will incure an initial cost of 1200-5000 dollars and a yearly fee of 3-7 hundred dollars to monitor the system.

I would suggest that you pass the required test for your State and do your own WDI inspection you will need a Qualifing party.

The normal WDI inspection around here incudes, quik walk through the home … that is no attic or crawl. Then they want to sell you some preventitive ****, to include a Termiteicide that they put around the perimeter of your home… Not a bad idea if your home is over 7 years old, or some companies offer Dow Cornings version of Termite control. This is good stuff, but you will incure an initial cost of 1200-5000 dollars and a yearly fee of 3-7 hundred dollars to monitor the system.

AZ 060319

Having done over 10,000 inspections for wood destroying insect infestation I have this kernal of wisdom to impart. They aren’t worth it. The pest control professionals have far more to gain in assumming the outrageous liablility involved in these inspections than the inspection fee. This is what is called a loss leader in advertising terms. By getting the inspection and having the opportunity to meet the client and future customer they can justify a low cost for the inspection. Since termite damage which is totally concealed can easily be more expensive to repair than demolition and reconstruction why would anyone want to assume the added liability for…what an extra $40-$75 bucks. It’s nuts. Find a good inspector in your area and make an arraingment where you reccommend each other, it will probably be more beneficial financially in the long run. Just thought about and decided to add that in several years(in the past ten) I have found over 1 million dollars in termite damage every year in homes under warrantees that I inspected. Some of this was pure negligence because in every case the framing within the wall should have been examined and the transaction went through without that recommendation.

Guess what? Ran into this same guy again. This time he missed all kinds of indicators that a very serious infestation was in place. I have never seen a mud tunnel completely cover the top of a railroad tie. We even observed live insects in the back yard. He almost missed these things!! Happy Thanksgiving and thanks to all that took the time to reply!!

Termite.jpg

Termite.jpg

Wow Tab,

I’ve never seen a termite cake that big. Amazing…

Can you send me those pics in high resolution?
davevalley@comcast.net

I own and operate a pest management company here in Mass and I see not only realtors swaying clients to poor inspectors but also structural inspectors who recommend poor inspectors, I am on WDI inspections for an hour to an hour and a half for an average sized house. Queer one deal for some realtors and they never recommend you again, I know of one structural inspection team who routinely recommends an exterminator to do WDI inspections and has not once ever asked if any of the inspectors are even licensed which they are not. If your a structural inspector who recommends a pest company shouldn’t it be a qualified pest professional your recommending and not a rag tag group of exterminators. I told one realtor I am not there to find insects I am there to protect my client, never heard from her again. I have found that a pest company who does more than 10 inspections a week is probably the worst company to recommend because it means they are probably sending out unqualified exterminators who wouldn’t know a powder post beetle from a cockroach. If you want to limit your liability get a pest professional to do your WDI’s but check his credentials not every exterminator is a pest professional

And for gods sake don’t belittle your WDI inspector in front of clients, piss off the best inspector in an area and you will be stuck with the lousy ones from then on