Termite Inspections and Georgia Termite Letters in Atlanta

Most Atlanta termite inspections happen for one of two reasons: an owner saw something, or a house is being sold. The second kind comes with a state form and a deadline, and it is the one people most often leave too late.

A single-storey red-brick ranch house behind a black rail fence, with bare trees and a lawn

Call (470) 665-4393 Ask for a quote

The termite letter has an official name

What agents and lenders in Atlanta call the termite letter is the Official Georgia Wood Infestation Inspection Report, the WIIR. Georgia's rules make it the only form allowed when a wood-destroying-organism report is used in a property transfer, and only a pest control operator certified in wood destroying organisms can issue it. It reports on five things: subterranean termites, drywood termites, powder post beetles, other wood-boring beetles that keep reinfesting (the old house borer is the named example), and wood-decaying fungi below the first floor. Mould and mildew are not on it.

What the inspector actually looks at

The inspection covers readily accessible areas, with sounding and probing of wood. In an Atlanta house that typically means the full exterior foundation line, the crawlspace or unfinished basement, the garage, and visible wood in contact with or close to soil. The inspector also checks the company's own records for any treatment or renewal contract on the house in the past two years.

Anything hidden behind finished walls, flooring, siding, insulation, stored boxes or appliances is not inspected. In a finished basement or a renovated bungalow that can be a lot of the house. Clear a path to the crawlspace door and move what you can away from the foundation walls in the basement before the visit.

What the letter guarantees, and for how long

If a covered infestation is found within 90 days of the report, the company that issued it must treat the house free of charge. Conditions that encourage infestation which were present and not reported must also be corrected free within that window. That 90-day guarantee is real and is worth knowing if you are the buyer.

What the letter does not do is assess damage. It says so: it is not a structural report. Visible evidence of infestation should be presumed to involve some damage, and a diagram goes with the report, but how bad that damage is belongs to a builder or structural inspector chosen by the buyer and the lender.

When to book it in a sale

Not the week of closing. Whether your sale needs a WIIR depends on the purchase contract and the loan; FHA and VA loans often call for one. Once you know it is needed, book it early in the due diligence period. If it finds active termites, treatment and possibly a repair inspection have to happen before the date, and the 90-day guarantee runs from the report, not from closing.

If you are selling

Find your existing termite contract. The WIIR form records whether the house has a treatment warranty, whether it can be transferred to the buyer for a fee before it expires, or whether it cannot be transferred. A transferable bond with a clean renewal history is a selling point. A lapsed one is a question the buyer's agent will ask.

If you are buying

You or your agent can choose the inspecting company. The form requires the company to certify it has no interest in the property and no association with anyone in the sale. If the letter you receive looks incomplete or wrong, the Georgia Department of Agriculture accepts inspection requests about inaccurate reports.

Inspections when you are not selling

An annual inspection is part of most termite bonds, and Georgia requires one for a warranty-only contract. If you have no contract at all, an inspection is still the cheapest way to find out where you stand: whether there is activity, whether the old pre-treatment has expired, and what a new contract would cost. Good times to book one are after you see a spring swarm, before you finish a basement or close in a crawlspace, and before you build an addition or a deck against the house.

Call to book a termite inspection or a termite letter. Give the closing date if there is one, and a local company will fit the visit to it.

Call (470) 665-4393 Book an inspection

Common questions

How much does a termite letter cost in Atlanta?

It is usually a modest flat fee set by the company, and some include it for houses already under their contract. Ask when you book. Treatment, if the inspection finds termites, is a separate price.

How long is a Georgia termite letter good for?

The guarantee on it runs for 90 days from the date it is issued. Lenders and contracts may set their own requirement for how recent it must be, so check with your agent rather than assuming.

Who orders the termite letter, buyer or seller?

It depends on the purchase contract. In practice either can, and the form goes to the buyer, the seller, the lender and the agents. The inspecting company must certify it has no stake in the sale.

Does the termite letter cover damage?

No. It reports whether wood-destroying organisms were found and attaches a diagram of any evidence. Damage is for a builder or structural inspector to evaluate, and the form says it is not a structural report.

The letter found old damage but no live termites. Is that a problem?

It can be fine. Old damage with an active bond and treatment records is common in older Atlanta houses. Ask for the treatment history and get the damaged wood looked at by someone who repairs it.

What if the inspector could not get into the crawlspace?

Inaccessible areas are excluded from the report and should be noted on it. If a crawlspace door is blocked or the space is too tight, ask whether it can be opened up and the inspection completed before relying on the letter.

Can I get a termite inspection without a sale?

Yes. Most companies will inspect and quote at no charge or a small fee for a homeowner considering a contract. It is a sensible step after buying a house, after a swarm, or before closing in a crawlspace.

Is this site a pest control company?

No. It is an advertising and referral service operated by Pinecrest Advisory Services, LLC. The inspection and letter come from an independent Georgia-licensed company with a certified operator; we issue nothing.

Other pest work in Atlanta

Also serving

Termite Inspections & Letters is available beyond Atlanta, across Decatur , Sandy Springs , Brookhaven and Smyrna .

Ask about termite inspections & letters

Say what you are seeing and where, and a local pest control company will follow up, usually within a few days for an inspection. Answered Mon–Sat, 8am–6pm · after hours we call back the next morning Or call (470) 665-4393 if it is a swarm in the house or a closing date this week.