1Decide what document you need before scheduling
A homeowner checking a new pile of pellets may need a diagnostic visit. A buyer or owner making a property decision may need a formal wood-destroying organism inspection report, often called a WDO or termite report. A complete report covers all visible and accessible parts of the structure; a limited report covers only the parts named and drawn on its diagram. Describe your purpose before booking, and ask the company which report fits, what buildings it will cover, and who will receive it.
The state form also names a supplemental report for a later look at an area that was blocked, and a reinspection for work listed in an earlier report. Its diagram shows what was checked. A detached garage, porch, deck or shed is outside the report if it is not on that diagram. Tell the company about these spaces before the visit, especially when the sign you found is on an outbuilding.
The Structural Pest Control Board says most lenders want a WDO inspection before making a California home loan. State law does not require one for every sale. If a lender, buyer, seller, insurer or association asks for a report, find out which buildings it must cover.
2Set a scope that fits the property
Homes across the seven counties have different layouts and access. A county name cannot tell an inspector what is behind a finished wall. Before the visit, list the rooms, open attic or subarea entries, visible foundation, attached decks, and any detached building you want on the report.
A condo owner may control the interior while an association controls exterior walls, roof framing, shared crawlspaces or an adjacent unit. Ask the owner, manager or association which areas can be accessed and who can authorize entry. The inspection can still proceed with a stated limit, but a report on one unit should not be read as a finding about every shared member. If the evidence crosses a shared wall, agree on the access question before comparing treatments.
State law says the report must name places the inspector could not check and call for a closer look where practical. A locked hatch, stored belongings, finished wall or lack of permission limits what can be known. Ask how those limits will appear in the report and what it would take to inspect the blocked area later.
For a condo, get the association’s access rules and any existing report before the visit. A separate article in Related Reading goes deeper on shared walls and common areas.
3Prepare evidence and access without disturbing it
An inspector can make better use of a sign that is still where you found it. Keep a close photo of pellets, a tube, wings or damaged wood, and a second photo that shows its place in the building. Record the date and whether the material appeared again. UC IPM says a swarm alone does not prove termites are in the building. Pellets alone cannot show whether drywood termites are still active or how far they run.
Open normal access to the rooms and hatches already within the agreed scope. Move ordinary stored items only when you can do so safely and have permission. Tell the company in advance about a locked unit, a low subarea, water near wiring, a steep roofline or a ceiling that would need to be opened. Do not enter a crawlspace, climb, probe wood, break a mud tube or remove wall coverings yourself to make the visit look more complete.
- 1
Gather the record
Keep the address, dates and copies of earlier WDO reports or repair documents together. The Board’s search can show whether a report was filed for the address within the preceding two years; copies can be requested.
- 2
Mark each sign
Use a room name and nearby feature, such as the lower left corner of a kitchen window. Save a wide photo and a close one without clearing away the original evidence first.
- 3
Confirm entry
Ask owners, tenants or managers for agreed access to areas in scope. Tell the inspector which spaces remain locked, shared or unsafe.
- 4
Name the decision
Tell the company whether the report is for a homeowner assessment, a purchase, a repair plan or a lender’s request. Ask who should receive the finished report.
4Read the report by location and category
Start with the diagram and the general description. Check that the building and areas you intended to inspect appear there. Then match every finding to a location and a named wood member. California’s report form has headings for subterranean termites, drywood termites, fungus or dry rot, other findings, and further inspection. A checked heading sends you to the written details; it is not a substitute for them.
The law separates visible pests or decay from conditions that may invite them. A leak or wood touching soil needs attention, but it does not mean termites were found there. Section 8516(e) says such a condition cannot be called an active infestation or made an automatic barrier to a section 8519 certificate. A locked or covered area raises another question: can it be checked later?
If you receive a Section 1 and Section 2 breakdown, read the finding beneath each label. Section 8516 makes that separate report available on request; it does not say every report arrives that way. A report records findings. A completion notice records work done. A section 8519 certification and a treatment guarantee make different, narrower statements. Ask which document supports any claim about completed work or visible active evidence.
5Compare proposals against the same findings
Two companies should be able to point to the same signs, though they may suggest different fixes. State law requires a notice of your right to seek another opinion. Compare their reports by location, affected wood, termite type, access limit and proposed work. If one plan covers less, ask what it leaves out.
An inspection records the finding, while treatment aims to control the insect and repair restores damaged wood. Water work fixes a leak or damp area. Different people may do each job. Ask what each line in a quote covers, and whether a place the inspector could not check still needs a visit. A weak beam may need a qualified building professional.
Local drywood work depends on finding each infested spot. UC IPM warns that hidden colonies may go unseen. Whole-building work covers a wider area but has its own preparation and limits. For subterranean termites, ask how the soil route will be treated and watched. A 2026 California study found local methods often work, but did not fully compare their cost and results with whole-building fumigation. Ask for any guarantee in writing; state law requires its terms and length.
- Which report finding and location does each line of work address?
- Which areas were not inspected, and can access be arranged before work is chosen?
- What is included for pest control, wood repair, moisture correction and follow-up?
- What remains uncertain if a localized method is chosen?
- What do the written guarantee terms cover, for how long, and with what exclusions?
6Close the open questions in writing
Keep the report, map, photos, quote, and any record of finished work together. For a place the inspector could not enter, ask who can permit a second look and what must be opened. If a different professional fixes a leak or weak beam, keep that work order too. A pest report alone does not prove the repair was done.
The Board’s search covers WDO reports filed within the past two years, and you can ask the Board for copies. Compare an earlier finding with today’s report. If the two differ, or a space remains closed, ask for a written answer about the place and the next look. An unseen wall has not been cleared by a visit to the rooms around it.