Understanding the Cost of a Termite Inspection
Termites are among the most annoying pests you can find in your home or office. They may be small in size, but are very destructive wood-eating pests that can damage your property. It can even cost property owners thousands of dollars each year. In addition to treatment, the cost of a termite inspection can also be really high.
The truth is, termite can do more damage to your home than hurricanes and flooding, causing over five billion dollars in damage to properties every year. Also, termite damage is not always covered on most insurance policies because the damage can be prevented. So, whether you are selling or buying a home, a comprehensive termite inspection is absolutely essential. It will protect the lender, seller and the buyer.
When are Termite Inspections Provided?
Termite inspection is an important aspect of selling or owning a home. Since termites are among the most destructive pests you can find in a house or any building, knowing whether or not a property is infested by it is critical. Termite inspections are typically provided for one of the following reasons:
- a condition to give a quote for termite control methods or prevention
- a requirement when buying a home
- a part f an annual termite service agreement
- a follow-up after treatment, confirming the control of infestations
People are normally concerned with the cost of a termite inspection when they are selling or buying a home or refinancing a mortgage. Sometimes, it is also an insurance requirements or necessary for a routine checkup.
What Affects the Cost of a Termite Inspection?
On average, property owners who find termite damage in their home will spend about three thousand dollars for repair. However, there are also some factors that affect the overall cost of a termite inspection. These include:
- The Square Footage of your Home
Bigger homes are more likely to have more extensive termite invasion than smaller properties. These homes also usually require more inspection hours. Therefore, if you have a bigger home, then you are more likely to spend more on termite inspection.
- The House’s Foundation
The materials and the manner in which your house’s foundation was built can also affect the cost of inspection. This is primarily because some particular types of foundation need a tailored treatment approach to get rid of the problem. Also, if your foundation has a basement or a crawl space, it will cost a lot to inspect and treat termites more than it would on normal structures of foundations.
- The Infestation Extent
The more damaged your building is because of termites, the higher the cost of termite treatment. Also, it will require more in terms of inspection to treat termite colonies that have affected your house’s structural integrity than it would cost treating a young colony that has affected a few areas in the house.
- The Location of the Infestation
The primary locations for subterranean termite infestations often occur around moisture, including the gutters, air conditioner drips, leaky pipes and any rotting wood. Inspectors will also considered the location of infestation to determine the cost of a termite inspection, as there are some areas in the home where they find difficulty getting through.
In general, the cost of a inspecting your home for termites can really be costly, depending on these and other factors. If you have very tight budget, you need to think of ways to bring the cost down. One effective way to do this is to shop around and obtain more than just one estimate.
There are a lot of termite control companies that offer free estimates. You can take advantage of the services they offer.
Knowing that you are dealing with termite infestations can be very devastating, especially if you don’t have money to solve the problem immediately. If left unattended and now properly managed, termites can cause a huge damage to your property. Therefore, preventing these pests from invading your property is the most effective and practical way to protect your home and loved ones.
While the cost of a termite inspection may not seem cheap to many, it is still a worthy investment if you think more deeply and how it can help protect the integrity and increase the value of your home.