Termite inspection: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering termite inspection
You inspect homes for termite activity and damage, checking the foundation, the crawl space, the attic and the wood, and recommending the treatment and repairs the findings call for. Clients rely on you for a careful probe, a clear separation of active and old damage and a report a lender or a buyer can use.
What customers ask
- Are there active termites, or only old damage?
- Which areas could you not reach?
- What conditions near my house are attracting termites?
- Do you recommend treatment, and what does it involve?
- Are you licensed, and can I see your credentials?
- Will the report be accepted by my lender?
How to win the job
- On the first call, ask for the home's age, the construction type, the location, any past treatment and any visible signs, then say which areas you will inspect
- Probe the sill plates, the joists, the posts and the wood at the soil line, and photograph each probed area with the finding noted
- Note the wood-to-soil contact, the moisture, the drainage and the firewood placement in the report, with the corrections for each
- Separate active activity from old damage in the report, with the evidence for each finding
- Name the treatment you recommend and the areas it covers, and say which repairs the owner should hire out
- Offer a follow-up inspection after the treatment, and put the date in the proposal
What to put on your profile
- Post photos of mud tubes, damaged sill plates and probed wood, with the location labeled
- List your state license and the treatment types you use
- Show a sample inspection report with the findings table and the photos
- State the building types you inspect, including crawl spaces, basements and outbuildings
Follow-up that helps the customer
- Offer a yearly termite inspection and a moisture check at the foundation, where the conditions change over time
- Suggest moving stored wood and firewood away from the house, and correcting any wood-to-soil contact at the next visit
- Offer to keep the inspection record and the treatment history on file for the owner and the next buyer
Licenses and permits
Termite inspectors and treatment operators are commonly required to hold a state pest control license, and some states require a separate certification for wood-destroying organism reports. Check with your state pest control or agriculture agency for your license class, the report rules and any insurance requirements before you take the work.
Questions
What do I do if I find damage that needs a carpenter?
Document the damage with photos and measurements, and recommend a licensed contractor for the structural repair. Do not repair the framing as part of the pest work unless you are licensed to do it.
How do I handle a customer who wants a treatment without an inspection?
Explain that the treatment should follow the findings, since the species, the activity and the location change the plan. Offer the inspection first and record the customer's decision in writing.
How do requests reach me on infinibell?
Customers describe the job and pick the pros they want by name, and only the pros they picked see the request. Joining is free. You pay only for the leads you accept, and you can decline a request for free. Every pro is reviewed before going live.
About this guide
This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
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