The termite letter is the common name for the Official Georgia Wood Infestation Inspection Report. It is the written instrument for reporting evidence of wood-destroying organisms and of conditions that could lead to them. Only a company licensed in the wood-destroying organisms category can issue it, and its diagram must match its findings.
Key takeaways
- The report is the written instrument Georgia uses to record evidence of wood-destroying organisms and the conditions that lead to them.
- Georgia treats the report as the basis for transferring real property, which is why buyers and lenders ask to see it.
- Only a company licensed in the wood-destroying organisms category can issue the report, and its company name, license number and address are mandatory fields.
- Findings must disclose active or previous infestation of subterranean termites, powder-post beetles, wood-boring beetles, dry-wood termites or wood-decaying fungi.
- Where evidence is found, a diagram showing its location must be attached, and the diagram and the report must match.
- The word apparently matters, because the report describes what was found on the inspection and is not a promise that nothing will appear later.
What is the Georgia termite letter, in plain terms?
The termite letter is a written report on wood-destroying organisms. It is written so that a homeowner can follow it without trade training.
Georgia's Department of Agriculture describes the report as the written instrument for reporting evidence of wood-destroying organisms and conditions conducive to their infestation. Those organisms include subterranean termites, powder-post beetles, wood-boring beetles, dry-wood termites and wood-decaying fungi. The report is a record of one inspection on one day. It sets out the findings, the conditions that invite the problem and the locations where evidence was seen.
The department also advises companies to avoid technical jargon, because the report is meant to be read by a homeowner. That is why each location has to be described so an average reader can find it. A location written in plain words and tied to the attached diagram does more for a reader than a page of trade terms, and it gives a buyer something concrete to check.
Why does the letter matter when a house changes hands?
Georgia's Department of Agriculture says the report is the basis for transferring real property in the state. In practice, buyers and lenders often ask to see it before a sale closes.
Because the report is the instrument Georgia uses for transferring real property, it carries weight beyond the inspection itself. A buyer reads it to see what was reported about the structure, and a lender may ask for it before closing. That is the reason the report has to be written carefully and kept consistent with its diagram.
Anyone reading it should check the findings, the diagram and the issuing company, then ask about anything that is unclear before the sale moves forward. A letter that is hard to follow is a reason to ask questions, not a reason to assume the house is fine.
Who is allowed to issue the report?
Only a pest control company licensed in the wood-destroying organisms category may issue it. Georgia sorts structural pest control into categories, and this one covers termites and wood-decay fungi.
The Georgia Structural Pest Control Act divides structural pest control into categories. Category 28 covers fumigation. Category 29 covers household pests such as roaches, fleas, ants and rodents, treated by any method other than fumigation. Category 30 covers wood-destroying organisms, including termites, powder-post beetles, wood-boring beetles and wood-decay fungi, treated by any means other than fumigation. The termite letter sits in Category 30.
The Act provides for company licenses, certified operators and registered employees. A certified operator must pass a general standards exam and an exam for each category the operator works in. When you receive a report, check that the company holds the wood-destroying organisms license, and check the names of the operator and inspector against the department's license search.
What must the findings section disclose?
Findings must disclose active or previous infestation of several wood-destroying organisms, including subterranean termites. A category that is missing from the findings is a gap a buyer should question.
The findings must disclose active or previous infestation of subterranean termites, powder-post beetles, wood-boring beetles, dry-wood termites and wood-decaying fungi. Each of these is a line a reader should be able to see, so that the report shows whether something was found rather than leaving the reader to guess. In this part of Georgia, subterranean termites are the structural pest that matters most, so the termite entries are the ones most readers look at first.
The department also wants the findings to be plain. A finding of previous infestation deserves the same careful reading as a finding of active infestation, because the report is describing what the inspector saw. A reader who sees a finding should ask what it describes, where it is and whether the attached diagram shows it.
What does the attached diagram have to show?
Where evidence is found, the report must attach a diagram that shows where it is. The diagram and the written findings have to agree, so a reader can match each finding to a place in the structure.
Georgia's wood-destroying organism rules, in Chapter 620-6, call for a diagram showing the location of evidence whenever evidence is found. The diagram is not decoration. It is the link between a written finding and a physical part of the house, and a reader who cannot match the two has no way to check the report. The diagram and the report must match, so any change to one should be reflected in the other before the report is issued.
Locations must also be described so an average reader can find them. That means naming a visible part of the structure rather than using a code only an inspector would recognize. If you are looking at a report and cannot find a finding on the diagram, ask the company to explain the location in plain words before you rely on it.
What happens when the report finds evidence?
Visible evidence of active or previous infestation means some damage should be assumed to be present. A qualified inspector approved by the purchaser and the lender then evaluates the damage.
A sample form used by a Georgia county notes that where visible evidence of active or previous infestation is reported, some degree of damage should be assumed to be present. The same sample states that damage evaluation is done by a qualified inspector approved by the purchaser and the lender. A reader should read each finding with that sequence in mind rather than treating the letter as the final word on the house.
This is why a finding is not the end of the conversation. A buyer who sees evidence in the report should ask what kind it is, where it sits and how the damage will be evaluated. The report tells a reader where to look. It does not finish the evaluation on its own, and the termite letter service page describes how the report is prepared.
What does the word apparently mean in the certification?
The rule frames the report as certifying that a structure is apparently free of the organisms in question. The word matters. It describes what was found on the inspection and does not promise that nothing is present.
The word apparently is easy to skip past. In the certification, it tells a reader that the company is reporting what it observed, not guaranteeing the condition of the structure. The inspection covers what can be reached and seen on the day, so the report describes that and nothing wider. A reader who understands the word reads the findings as a record of an inspection, not as a permanent verdict.
The report is a point-in-time record, not a warranty. If a company offers a termite warranty, that is a separate contract with its own written terms, and the termite warranty guide covers what that contract must include. Keep the two documents apart when you compare them, because each answers a different question about the house.
How can I verify the company that signed the report?
Check the license search for the company and for the person who signed, and look for the license category on the report itself. The company name, license number and address are mandatory fields on the report.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture runs a public license search that covers structural pest control companies, employees and operators. Use it to confirm that the company holds the wood-destroying organisms category and that the person who signed the report appears in the search as an operator or employee. A report that is missing the company name, license number or address is a reason to ask questions before relying on it.
Workers performing structural pest control services are required to carry an employee identification card issued by the department. If the technician who visits your home cannot show one, ask again before letting work begin. For a concern about an unlicensed operator, the department has a reporting form, and that is the route to use rather than guesswork.
Frequently asked questions
Is a termite letter the same as a termite warranty?
No. The termite letter is a written report of findings for a property, while a termite warranty is a contract for continuing inspection and treatment. A letter can accompany a sale whether or not there is any warranty. The termite warranty guide explains what a warranty contract has to include. Read each document separately, and do not assume one replaces the other.
Who can sign the report?
The report can only be issued by a pest control company licensed in the wood-destroying organisms category. Operators and employees are certified or registered under the Structural Pest Control Act, and the company must hold the right license. The company name, license number and address must appear on the report. Check each against the department's license search before you rely on the letter.
What does apparently free actually mean?
It means the report describes the structure as it appeared to the inspector on the day of the inspection. The word is a description of observations, not a promise that nothing will ever be found. Read the findings and the diagram to see what was reached and what was not. If a finding is unclear, ask the company to explain it in plain words.
Does a termite letter cover repairs?
The report itself is a record of findings. Any commitment to treatment or repair sits in a separate written contract, and that contract is where the limits are stated. Look at its statement about inspection, future treatment and repair limits. A buyer should also consider who will evaluate any damage, which is done by a qualified inspector approved by the purchaser and lender.
What if the report shows evidence but the house looks fine?
Visible evidence is disclosed in the report, and the look of the house does not change that. Some damage should be assumed where visible evidence is reported, and a qualified inspector approved by the buyer and lender evaluates it. Ask for the diagram and read the location of each finding. A finding that looks minor on the page still needs an answer before the sale moves forward.
How do I report an unlicensed operator?
The Georgia Department of Agriculture has a reporting form for unlicensed operators in structural pest control. Use it if a company is working on a property without the license it should hold. Keep the date, the company name and any written material you received. A search of the license records can show whether the company appears in the department's records before you file.
Sources
- Georgia Department of Agriculture
- Georgia Department of Agriculture
- Georgia Department of Agriculture
- Georgia Department of Agriculture
- Georgia Secretary of State
- Georgia Department of Agriculture
This guide is general information for Gwinnett County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.