Termite Inspections When Buying a Georgia Home: What Buyers Should Expect

Quick answer

A clean-looking report does not mean every board was visible or that the house is guaranteed free from all future termite activity. The WIIR documents conditions and evidence found at the time of inspection within a regulated scope.

Buyers should read the entire report, attached diagram, inaccessible-area list, treatment section, and warranty-transfer information before closing. Questions are easier to resolve while access, negotiation, and specialist evaluations can still be coordinated.

What Is an Official Georgia Wood Infestation Inspection Report?

The Georgia Department of Agriculture defines the WIIR as the written instrument used to report evidence of wood-destroying organisms and conditions conducive to their infestation for transfer of real property in Georgia. Only a licensed pest control company licensed in the WDO category may issue it.

The official report covers five listed categories:

• subterranean termites;
• powder post beetles;
• wood-boring beetles covered by the form;
• drywood termites; and
• specified wood-decaying fungi, not mold or mildew.

The WIIR is the only form allowed by Georgia guidance for this real-property transfer purpose. A generic inspection checklist or a national form does not replace it.

What Areas Should the Termite Inspector Examine?

The report identifies the main structure and any other structures included. Attached or contiguous decks and enclosed porches are considered part of the main structure for the report. Detached garages, pool houses, sheds, fences, and other improvements should be clarified so the buyer knows what was and was not inspected.

The inspector examines readily accessible areas and may sound or probe materials where appropriate. Common areas include the foundation perimeter, crawl space, basement, garage, attached decks and porches, visible framing, plumbing penetrations, and other accessible termite entry or moisture locations.

Ask the inspector to explain the practical scope for the property’s foundation type. A slab-on-grade home, basement home, vented crawl space, encapsulated crawl space, finished basement, and spray-foam-insulated structure present different visibility limits.

What the Report Should Tell a Georgia Homebuyer

Why Inaccessible Areas Matter

Termite inspectors cannot report what they cannot see. Georgia guidance requires obstructed and inaccessible areas to be listed. Examples include floor and wall coverings, fixed ceilings, insulation, furniture, appliances, stored belongings, built-in shelving, low-clearance crawl spaces, and finished surfaces.

A large inaccessible area is not automatically evidence of termites. It is a limitation on confidence. Buyers can ask whether belongings can be moved, a locked area opened, crawl-space access improved, or a qualified contractor engaged to investigate suspicious damage.

What Are “Conditions Conducive to Infestation”?

On the Georgia WIIR, this is a defined regulatory category rather than a list of every condition a pest professional might consider important. The reportable conditions are limited to cellulosic material under the building, untreated wood-to-soil contact, and under-floor ventilation that does not meet the referenced standard.

The inspector may use the remarks section for other helpful observations. Buyers should still review leaks, drainage, grade, crawl-space moisture, damaged gutters, foundation cracks, additions, foam insulation, and landscaping with the appropriate home, building, or pest professional.

Active Infestation, Previous Evidence, and Damage Are Different Findings

Active infestation means the inspector found current evidence supporting activity. Previous infestation means evidence exists but current activity was not confirmed at the time. Neither label, by itself, quantifies structural damage.

Georgia’s form states that when active or previous evidence is reported, some degree of damage should be assumed. The termite inspector is not ordinarily a construction or building-trade expert. A qualified building professional approved by the buyer and lender should evaluate structural soundness and repair needs.

Do not let fresh paint, patched trim, or a recent treatment substitute for documentation. Ask for the diagram, treatment record, repair invoices, permits when applicable, and access to the affected area.

What Does the WIIR’s 90-Day Protection Mean?

Georgia guidance provides a specific 90-day obligation. If an infestation of a covered organism from which apparent freedom was certified is found within 90 days of issuance, the issuing company must provide a minimum adequate treatment free of charge to the property owner. The guarantee cannot be altered.

This is not a broad repair warranty or a promise that no future termite issue can occur. It addresses treatment under the rule. The form also contains a 90-day provision for correction of certain conducive conditions that were known to exist at inspection but not reported.

Report concerns immediately, preserve evidence, and contact the issuing company. Georgia Department of Agriculture consumer information explains how owners can request state inspection help for an incomplete or inaccurate report or conflicting findings.

Questions to Ask Before Accepting the Report

• Which structures, decks, porches, and additions were included?
• Which areas were inaccessible, and can any be opened before closing?
• Was active or previous evidence found, and where is it on the diagram?
• What reportable conducive conditions were present?
• Is visible damage cosmetic, localized, or in need of a building-trade evaluation?
• What treatment was performed, when, and by which company?
• Is a current contract active and transferable?
• What fee, deadline, inspection, or paperwork is required to transfer it?
• Does the contract provide retreatment only or qualifying damage repair?
• Were waivers or treatment exceptions issued, and are copies attached?

How a Termite Letter Differs From a Termite Bond

The WIIR is an inspection report tied to a real-estate transfer. A termite bond is the common name for an ongoing protection contract. One reports findings and regulated conditions at a point in time; the other defines future inspection, treatment, renewal, retreatment, and possibly repair obligations.

Read the Georgia termite bond guide before assuming that a transferable contract pays for damage. Obtain the entire agreement and confirm its status directly with the company.

A Practical Homebuyer Timeline

1. Order the WIIR early enough to review and investigate findings.
2. Make every structure and normally obstructed area accessible when possible.
3. Attend the inspection or schedule a direct review with the inspector.
4. Read the report, diagram, limitations, and treatment section.
5. Obtain structural or repair evaluations for reported damage.
6. Request the complete termite contract and service history.
7. Resolve treatment, repair, access, and transfer requirements in writing.
8. Keep the final WIIR and supporting records after closing.

Dixie provides termite inspections and control in Marietta and Metro Atlanta. The inspection should help a buyer understand visible evidence and the next question—not pressure the buyer into treating a condition that has not been identified.

Frequently Asked Questions

Use the Report to Make the Next Decision Before Closing

Dixie Exterminators can perform a termite inspection for a qualifying Georgia real-estate transaction, document visible findings, and explain treatment or ongoing protection options when appropriate. Buyers should combine that information with a complete home inspection and qualified structural evaluation whenever damage or access limitations require it.

Authoritative Resources

These government, public-health, and university sources informed the regulatory, identification, safety, and prevention guidance on this page:

• Georgia Department of Agriculture: Official Georgia WIIR Fact Sheet and Form
• Georgia Department of Agriculture: Structural Pest Consumer Information
• Georgia Department of Agriculture: Wood Destroying Organisms Contract Fact Sheet
• U.S. EPA: Termites—How to Identify and Control Them