What’s the Difference Between a Complete, Limited, or Supplemental Termite Report?
When using termite inspection reports to make important decisions such as:
1.Whether to fumigate or not,
2. Whether to take on structural repairs and to what extent.
3. Or for escrow purposes.
It is important to know whether you are making your decision based on all the information available or not. Not all termite inspection reports are considered complete inspection reports.
A termite inspection report can be classified as a complete report, a limited report, a supplemental report, or a re-inspection report (see how to read a termite inspection report).
When using termite inspection reports to make important decisions such as:
- Whether to fumigate or not,
- Whether to take on structural repairs and to what extent.
- Or for escrow purposes.
It is important to know whether you are making your decision based on a full scope of information or not. Not all termite inspection reports are considered complete inspection reports.
A termite inspection report can be classified as a complete report, a limited report, a supplemental report, or a re-inspection report (see how to read a termite inspection report).
You can tell from the first page of a report whether it is a complete report, a limited report, a supplemental report, or a re-inspection report:
So what’s the difference?
COMPLETE REPORT:
A complete report is just that: a complete termite inspection of a complete structure. It means the inspector claims all pertinent areas were accessible for a thorough inspection.
LIMITED REPORT:
A termite inspector will label a report limited when certain areas of the structure were inaccessible at the time of inspection.
For example, if I have a termite inspection done of my house and fail to provide access to the open attic spaces, the termite inspector would mark the report as limited since the inspection results are limited to the accessible areas.
Per state regulations, every termite inspection report refers to inspections of entire structures not individual units, like condominiums or townhomes.
For that reason, an inspection of just one condo unit is always considered a limited report since the inspection is limited to one unit of the residential structure being inspected.
The reason termite inspection reports are formatted to be based on full-structures and not individual residences is that if a building has termites, termite damage, fungus-rot or other wood-destroying organisms it is unrealistic to expect that termites or termite damage would only grow and spread unit-by-unit respecting each individual’s deeded property lines.
If a building has termites, the infestation exists in the building as a whole and can grow irrespective of unit designations and boundaries.
HOAs can get complete termite inspection reports of their structures only when a termite control company is hired to inspect all units of a building.
Most savvy HOA community managers and board members have an annual termite inspection and treatment program in place as part of regular maintenance (see termite control for HOAs).
SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT:
A supplemental report is a report that follows another report and provides new information that was not available at the time of the first inspection.
For example, let’s say I have decluttered my attic and the open attic space of my home becomes available for inspection. The termite inspector would return to inspect the previously inaccessible attic and make a supplemental report of his findings in the attic.
RE-INSPECTION REPORT:
A re-inspection report is a report produced from an inspection of an area or areas previously inspected by the same termite inspector.
This is different from a supplemental inspection in that a supplemental inspection report is produced after a new area or areas are inspected and a re-inspection report is produced when an area or areas of a structure that had already been inspected are inspected again.
If you plan on taking on a termite treatment program or doing structural repairs based on a termite inspection report, it is important to know whether the inspection report you are using to plan and scope your project is complete or not.
Basing future projects on thorough termite inspections followed by a complete report will save you from surprises and thousands in unexpected costs down the road.
We continue to be Southern California’s preferred termite and pest control service, provider. We pride ourselves in being the number one provider of dependable and convenient termite inspection and services for escrow.
