12 Questions to Ask a Termite Company Before You Sign
Two licensed companies can look at the same house and recommend different things. These questions tell you which recommendation follows the evidence.
Ask for the company's Structural Pest Control Board registration and the operator license and check them at the DCA search; confirm the inspector is Branch 3 licensed, since California requires a licensed inspection before any termite opinion; ask which termite was found and how, whether the activity is current or old damage, and which areas could not be inspected; ask why localized treatment or fumigation fits this house, what product and active ingredient will be used, and whether you must leave; and get the warranty terms, exclusions, renewal cost and the repair itemization in writing before signing.
Local help: Want to put these questions to us? Bring the list. Call or text (626) 409-1584 or get a free quote.
Termite work is one of the few home services where two licensed companies can look at the same house and recommend different things, and both can be sincere. The way to tell a good recommendation from a convenient one is to ask questions the evidence has to answer. These are the twelve we would ask if we were the customer.
Before the inspection
- What is your Structural Pest Control Board registration number, and who holds the operator license? Look it up at the DCA search; termite work requires Branch 3. Our license guide shows how.
- Who will actually inspect my house, and are they a licensed operator or field representative? California requires a licensed Branch 3 inspection before any termite opinion (Business and Professions Code section 8516).
- Is the quote free, and is there a fee for a formal WDO report? Both answers are fine; a surprise is not.
About the findings
- Which termite do I have, and how did you tell? Drywood and subterranean are treated differently. Pellets, mud tubes, wings and live insects are the evidence; the answer should name what was found and where.
- Is the activity current, or is this old damage? The University of California is clear that pellets alone cannot show whether a drywood infestation is active. Ask what confirmed it. Our guide to old versus active damage lists the checks.
- Which areas could you not inspect? Every honest report lists inaccessible areas. A report with none is a report that did not look.
About the treatment
- Why localized treatment, or why fumigation, for this house? UC notes localized treatment is for limited, accessible activity and that whole-structure treatment reaches hidden infestations. The recommendation should follow from where the activity is, not from what the company prefers to sell.
- What product, and what is the active ingredient? The company must tell you in writing before applying anything (section 8538). A company that cannot answer is not the one.
- Do I have to leave, and for how long? Localized treatment: no. Fumigation: yes, for the days the fumigator sets. Get it in the quote.
About the money and the warranty
- What does the warranty cover, what does it exclude, how long does it run, and what does renewal cost? Retreatment warranties do not cover damage repair; ours say so in writing. Our warranty guide explains the terms to look for.
- Are repairs itemized separately from treatment? They should be. Treatment kills termites; repairs replace wood, sometimes by another trade.
- What happens if pellets show up again in six months? The answer tells you what the warranty is worth: a return visit under the written terms, at no charge, is the right one.
What good answers sound like
Specific, tied to the inspection, and written down. A company that names the evidence, explains why the method fits it, hands you the pesticide notice without being asked and puts the warranty terms in the quote is doing the job by the book. That is the standard we hold ourselves to on every termite inspection in the San Gabriel Valley, and it is a fair standard to hold anyone else to.
Sources
- California Structural Pest Control Board
- California DCA License Search (Structural Pest Control Board records)
- California Business and Professions Code § 8516 (inspection by a licensed Branch 3 inspector before any opinion or work; reports filed with the Board)
- California Business and Professions Code § 8538 (written pesticide notice by the registered company to owner and tenant)
- UC IPM Pest Notes: Drywood Termites (University of California)
Common Questions
Quick Answers.
What should I ask a termite company before hiring them?
Their Structural Pest Control Board registration and who holds the operator license, who will inspect and whether they are Branch 3 licensed, which termite was found and how, whether the activity is current, which areas were not inspected, why the method was chosen, the product and its active ingredient, whether you must leave, what the warranty covers and excludes, whether repairs are itemized, and what happens if activity returns.
How do I know if a termite company is legitimate?
Look up its registration on the California DCA license search and confirm it is current and licensed for Branch 3. A legitimate company inspects before it recommends, provides the written pesticide notice required by law, and puts warranty terms in writing before work begins.
Should I get more than one termite quote?
If the first recommendation is a tent, a second inspection is reasonable; fumigation is the larger job and the decision should rest on evidence. Compare quotes on what each inspection found and where, not on price alone, and ask each company why it chose its method.
What is a red flag on a termite estimate?
A recommendation without an inspection, no license number, no list of inaccessible areas, a warranty described verbally only, repairs folded into the treatment price without itemizing them, and pressure to sign the same day.
Does a termite company have to tell me what chemicals it uses?
Yes. Business and Professions Code section 8538 requires a registered company to give the owner and any tenant a written notice before application naming the pest, the pesticide and its active ingredients, along with the state's caution statement.
About the Author
Joshua A. Westad is the owner and licensed operator of ExterMetro Termite and Pest Control in Arcadia, CA. He holds California SPCB Company Registration #8828 (Branch 2 & 3), is a licensed WDO inspector, and has worked San Gabriel Valley homes and businesses for over twelve years — hands-on in the field on every kind of job the valley throws at him.
Think you just found termite evidence?
Bag a few wings or pellets, snap a photo, and text it to (626) 409-1584 — quotes from photos are free, and your job stays under licensed ExterMetro oversight from inspection through follow-up.