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Hello and welcome to the prevention pest control podcast, where we talk about pest issues that can affect the Northeast Ohio region throughout the year. I’m Dave Novak, and today’s topic is always have a WDI inspection done by a pest control company on a home you’re about to purchase.
When buying a home, it is always a smart idea to have a home inspection done once your offer is accepted by the seller. There are many reasons to do a home inspection. A few are to make sure the house is in good shape. Identify components that need repair like a furnace or roof, and to avoid costly repairs that the seller could take care of before you take ownership of the home.
Along with having a home inspection done, you should always have what most people refer to as a termite inspection, or a WDI. WDI stands for wood destroying insect and includes termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, reinfesting wood boring beetles, powder post beetles – it’s basically any insect that would do damage to wood. In the state of Ohio you have to be licensed in pest control and obtain a separate category for WDI which is 10B. There is a form that is used that is nationally recognized – NPMA-33 that is where any activity or signs of wood destroying insects is marked and any recommendations for treatment will be noted.
So why is it important to do a WDI along with a home inspection? Well first is the cost – on average, a WDI inspection is between 99 and $150 depending on the location and the size of the home. So if the home needs treated for termites, it could range between 800 and $3,000 depending on the linear footage of the home, making the cost of the inspection minimal in the scope of what needs to be done. On most deals, depending on how the agents write them up, the seller would be responsible for having the treatment done – so the cost of the inspection is way worth it. Second, if it’s wintertime and the inspector notices carpenter bee exit holes on some wood trim on exterior home, you now have a heads up that in April when the temperatures rise, that that will be something to watch out for and treat before any further damage is done. The inspector can show you possible problems that may pop up later down the road. Examples are bushes too close to the home creating a moisture problem which could lead to a carpenter and issue, scrap wood or a decaying woodpile that is not far enough away from the home, making it a good place for termites. The inspection is a way to spotlight what is an issue at the time of the inspection and what to look out for in the future. When I do a WDI inspection, if I notice an entry point where mice can enter the home, I will point that out to the customer even though I’m only there looking for wood destroying insects. If I’m in a neighborhood that is known for stinging insects, say in August, I will let them know so they keep an eye out. These are all reasons why doing a WDI inspection is worth the cost when buying a home.
Now the last thing I want to cover is when you’re having a WDI inspection done, have it performed by a pest control company, not a home inspection company. In Northeast Ohio, we have a couple of home inspectors who do a great job with WDI inspections. When someone calls for an estimate for treatment and I hear it was one of those companies who looked at it, I know the problem was identified correctly. However, for every good one, there are 20 bad ones. Case in point. Last year we had a seller contact us to treat a home that was recommended for a termite treatment, so we went to give an estimate. What the inspection company noted as termites turned out to be sawdust from a vent pipe that was installed in the basement of the home on the right side when a new furnace was put in. The buyer had a VA loan, so once someone said it needed treated for termites it needed done, even though it wasn’t termites at all. The best example I can give you is we had a home in Cuyahoga Falls, where the home inspector marked the detached garage as having termites and recommended treatment. The garage was empty except for some boards that were up against the interior foundation. On the left side was a termite mud tube crawling up the block about two inches. So the inspector tapped on his iPad, marked that it had termites and recommended treatment. Took about two minutes and he made an extra $100 at the inspection. We were hired to do the treatment and when we showed up the first thing we did was move the boards away from the walls. That is when we discovered the sill plate was heavily damaged from termites and that extensive work and costs were going to be incurred to make the garage sound again. Now on paper the garage was marked recommended for treatment – so legally he was covered. But the lack of further inspection never gave the buyer a true picture of what the garage looked like and its structural integrity. That is what you’re paying for when you have an inspection done. So once again, hire a pest control company to do your WDI inspection. Dealing with wood destroying insects is what we do day in and day out so trust a professional that has the right experience for the job. We like the line that Dave Ramsey uses, which is you want your home to be a blessing, not a curse – So make sure to have a home inspection and a WDI inspection performed by a pest control company to make sure it will truly be a blessing.
Well, that wraps up this episode of the prevention pest control podcast. You can reach us anytime at prevention pest control.net, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or by calling us directly at 234-571-1203. Please like and subscribe our podcast. Thanks for listening and remember, an ounce of prevention is all it takes for a pest free home.
