WDO/Termite Baseline Inspection Practices

Purpose – The purpose of this document is to develop “good industry practices” that describe the manner in which a FDACS 13645 inspection is conducted in accordance with Chapter 482 Florida Statutes and Chapter 5E-14 Florida Administrative Code. Chapter 482.226(1), Florida Statutes states in pertinent part that “The [WDO] inspection shall be made in accordance with good industry practice and standards...”

The following good industry practices establish guidelines for the performance of a wood-destroying organism inspection (Form 13645).

It should be understood that the purpose of the Form 13645 inspection is to communicate the condition of the structure regarding the presence of WDOs at the time the inspection was performed. The report thus becomes a “snapshot in time” and provides no data as to the conditions of the structure before the inspection was made, or afterward.

Regulatory Requirements - Inspection for wood destroying organisms is regulated as a pest control activity under the Florida Structural Pest Control Act, Chapter 482, Florida Statutes. § 482.226 requires that when an inspection for wood destroying organisms is conducted for the purposes of a real estate transaction, and either a fee is charged, or a written report is requested, that a person qualified under Chapter 482 FS issue the report.

Attic Inspections General:

Attic inspections must provide for the following clearance for inspection purposes.

Height to Access Opening: The maximum (without a pull-down ladder or staircase) should be 8 feet. No furniture, debris, permanent fixtures, shelving, appliances, household or stored items are to be under or around the opening/access area that hinders safe access. Opening or access area to attic must be specifically designed for the function of accessing the attics. Dropped ceiling panels are not to be considered as an access opening. There must be sufficient room to safely place and utilize a ladder (if necessary to gain access) without causing damage to the home or items in the area of the attic access. If any of these conditions exist, that particular attic access is considered inaccessible for the purposes of this inspection.

Attic Access Opening:
The opening should be a minimum of 20” X 20”.

Attics will be inspected whenever there is an opening through the truss webbing (passageways) with dimensions of at least 48” in height and 22” in width. Inspections of truss tails and soffit areas should be included to the extent they are accessible under the conditions existing in the interior attic space at the time of the inspection. Areas of the attic space may be considered inaccessible for inspection purposes if traversal of the interior attic space is obstructed by insulation which conceals the ceiling joists and no other means of traversal exists. Areas to be inspected that are concealed or blocked by insulation, HVAC equipment, electrical or other utility lines, stored items, pipe and chimney chases are considered inaccessible.

Specific Areas:
Inspect all visible wood members for signs of WDO

• Inspect all visible wood members for signs of WDO
• Look for evidence on top of insulation, in spider webs, or on any visible surface in the attic

However those areas that are not completely accessible but can be observed and the WDO identified by the use of a lighting device should be reported.

Inspecting the Exterior of the Structure

General

WDO inspectors must familiarize themselves with the structure(s) to be inspected. The inspection of each structure shall include all sides of the building exterior and shall be limited to the first level, ground floor level up to a height of ten (10) feet (exception – areas above the 10 foot level that can be visually identified by the naked eye as evidence or damage by WDOs may be reported). An inspection of the exterior will not require use of a ladder or necessitate the inspector entering onto the roof.

Areas of the exterior perimeter of the structure may be considered inaccessible if obstructed by structural or landscaping features such as, but not necessarily limited to:

• Attached sheds, decks, fences and other structures or attachments
• Shrubbery and ornamental plantings
• Mulch and/or ground cover
• Stored items and debris

Visual evidence or damage of WDOs that cannot be verified, accessed or confirmed may be reported in the Comments Section of the WDO Report Form, 13645.

The inspection will be visual but may include probing and sounding of structural members as deemed necessary by the inspector, based upon a preliminary finding of visual evidence of infestation or damage (5E-14.142(2)(c)2).

Specific Areas
Examples of areas to inspect that may lead to the presence of WDO’s include the following:

• Wood/soil Contact
• Planter Boxes
• Siding
• Fences (must be inspected at the point of attachment to the structure if accessible.)
• Exterior doors
• Windows, door frames and shutters
• Window wells
• Balconies accessible by normal means
• Fascia and soffit
• Decks (attached or contiguous with the structure must be inspected if accessible)
• Lattice work and skirting around mobile homes and crawl spaces
• Chimneys
• Porches

Inspecting the Interior of the Structure

General

It is suggested that the inspector perform a general overview of the structure to familiarize themselves with the general layout of the structure to be inspected. Evidence of and damage caused by WDOs in living areas is often hidden by furniture, floor coverings and interior finish and trim. Inspectors need to concentrate their efforts in those areas most likely to present visible evidence of WDOs. The inspection will be visual but may include probing and sounding of structural members as deemed necessary by the inspector, based upon a preliminary finding of visual evidence of infestation or damage (5E-14.142(2)(c)2). 

Specific Areas
General interior of rooms

• Areas obstructed by items such as furniture, wall coverings/hangings, floor coverings (rugs, mats), blinds & drapery (cornice and valance), stored items (boxes, containers, clothing, etc), plants, or other household items will be considered inaccessible.
• Interior inspections are performed from the floor level of each room inspected.
• General signs of infestation for the specific areas listed below include insect exit holes, frass, fecal pellets, mud tubes, termite wings, blistering, and wood-decay
• Evidence of and/or damage caused by WDOs may come in the form of wings, frass, fecal pellets, mud tubes, galleries, and termite exit holes.
• An exit hole caused by a WDO is both evidence and damage

Access Panels

Open and/or remove access panels and inspect the accessible area for evidence or activity of WDOs and/or damage such as termite wings, mud tubes and galleries. Access panels may include areas that are not specifically related to plumbing.

Doors and Windows

Inspect window and door frames for evidence of or damage caused by wood-destroying organisms. Wood-decay fungi problems are common in frames due to water intrusion. Frames are also subject to subterranean termite infestation because of their close proximity to the ground and moisture. It is suggested the inspector also look for evidence in spider webs, door and window tracks.

Interior Walls

Visually inspect wall surfaces for waviness, blistering, slightly raised areas and peeling. If termites have been working inside the wall, they sometimes consume the paper between the gypsum and the paint, and this area may crumb  when pressed. 

Baseboards and Trim

Emphasis should be placed on the inspection of all accessible baseboards and trim due the propensity for infestation of these areas. When visible evidence or damage is present in this area, sounding and probing are recommended to ascertain the type of WDO present.

Wood Flooring

Inspect accessible wood flooring for WDO evidence and damage. Special attention should be given to flooring adjacent to entry areas, plumbing penetrations, HVAC registers, areas of obvious buckling in the floor, fireplaces and staircases. Wood floors at ground level may indicate the presence of a substructure crawl space (see substructure crawl space).

Cabinets

Inspect accessible areas of kitchen, bathroom and other cabinets; particularly those that contain sinks and pipes. Also check built in bookcases and alcoves.

Substructure Inspections

General

Substructure areas will be inspected whenever there is an entryway to the area that has an opening of at least 16” in height and 24” in width. Substructure areas that are blocked by plumbing, ductwork or other items may be excluded from the inspection. Additionally, areas that are less than 24” from the bottom of the floor joists to the ground are not required to be physically entered. However, those areas that cannot be physically entered into yet can be observed by use of a lighting device should be inspected visually to the extent possible. Investigation should be made to ascertain if an interior entryway exists for crawl space areas that do not have an exterior entryway. (See Definition of “Accessible Area”, “Access Panel” for inspecting areas where full accessibility is limited)

Safety Concerns

Safety concerns rendering a substructure or portions thereof inaccessible include but may not be limited to items such as:

• Sewage waste
• Broken glass
• Unprotected electric lines
• Biting arthropods
• Vermin or other animals
• Plenum space

Portions of a substructure may be deemed inaccessible due to a safety concern. However, this does not automatically render the entire substructure inaccessible unless no other path to traverse the remaining structure exists. Any and all portions that are accessible are to be inspected and findings reported.

Visible Evidence of Previous Treatment

The following items may be indicators of treatment for termites and other WDOs. Items, which cannot be positively confirmed as a treatment for WDOs by a copy of a contract or warranty, may be reported in the comment section of the report form.

Look Inside For

• Treatment notices
• Drill holes along expansion joints or stress cracks found in garage and interior areas
• Drill holes near plumbing penetrations.
• Above ground termite bait stations.
• Dye on exposed wood studs and sheathing in garage or unfinished rooms.
• Drill holes in exposed surfaces (usually in a line or pattern). Drywood termite spot treatments

Look in Attic For

• Treatment notices at or near access opening.
• Evidence of previous treatment such as:
  • Drill holes related to WDO treatments
  • Dye on exposed wood rafters, joists or sheathing

Look in Substructure For

• Treatment notices on or near crawl door
• Evidence of previous treatment such as:
  • Drill holes in block foundation walls and/or block piers
  • Evidence of trenching adjacent to foundation walls, piers or pier footings
  • Dye on exposed wood sills, floor joists or flooring
  • Drill holes in exposed wood related to WDO treatments
  • Moisture barrier related to the control of Wood decay fungi
  • Baiting systems for termites

Look Outside For

• Drill holes in foundation walls from horizontal drilling (supported or floating slabs)
• Drill holes along any attached slab such as patio, air conditioner slab, or walkway expansion joints
• Evidence of trenching along foundation perimeter
• Baiting systems for termites
• Clearly identifiable termite treatment port for injection under the slab

Inspecting Multiunit Structures

When a WDO Inspection is requested for an entire multi-unit structure, the inspection will be performed in accordance with recommended standards set forth in this document.

When a WDO Inspection is requested for less than an entire multi-unit structure, when the unit being inspected is at ground level, that unit shall receive an exterior and interior inspection; any unit above the ground level shall receive an interior inspection. When an attic space exists and is accessible from within the unit being inspected the attic is to be included in the inspection. When inspecting a unit above the ground floor that has a balcony or porch the visible and accessible areas are to be inspected without the use of a ladder.

When a WDO inspection is performed on an individual unit or portion of a multi-unit structure or a multi-unit dwelling, as defined in Chapter 5E-14.102(9)&(11), FAC, it shall be identified on the Wood-Destroying Organism’s Inspection Report (Form 13645) that the inspection is specific to those unit(s) or portion(s) identified on the Report form.