Good Termite Damage disclaimer

[Sean Fogarty]

Originally Posted by jbushart

Once again ....

The present existence (or not) of termites is not within the scope of a home inspection, in most states requires a special license, and should not be included in your report.

The damage that you see can and should be included in your report. You cannot "disclaim" damage that you can see. You report the damage that you can see and describe it to your client.

Your SOP ... referred to and agreed to in advance of the inspection by your client ... already addresses ("disclaims", if you will) any and all hidden and concealed defects. This includes the possibly destroyed ceiling joists that are hidden by insulation, framing behind the drywall, sheathing behind the siding, and every other place where hidden and concealed defects can exist. You may remind your client of this in your report.

Your client needs to fully understand that you are reporting ... not "disclaiming" ... that you have no way of determining the extent of the damage without disassembling the home. Your report does not address the hidden and concealed defects and you don't know if they exist or not.

I don't understand what is so difficult about this.

How do you "disclaim" the possibility of termite damage inside the walls when you did NOT find a mud tunnel? It's all the same thing and covered by the PIA that contains a signed agreement to inspect in accordance with the SOP.

I'm not having trouble understanding anything.

Its not about disclaiming hidden problems in other areas but more so visible damage that you can see.

If you see one spot 6" in length that looks minimal at best what do you do?

Do you report it needs repair

Do you pass it off to an engineer so they can look at it?

Do you tell them it doesn't look to be of significance, but only a more invasive inspection can determine the amount of damage?

Thats what I'm shooting for. I'm not worried about other places, I was wondering about the places that I could see that "visually" showed minor damage that IMO had no affect of integrity of the wood but without poking, probing, looking further, could not be truly determined.


When you look at a section of damaged wood where in your professional opinion as an inspector do you decide its level of significance?

[Eric C. Van De Ven]

Originally Posted by sfogarty

Canned comment. Thats all I was asking for. NO discussion, no debates.

Your photo is exactly why I was looking for a good canned comment. Same with the home I looked at yesterday. Mine was only a couple of places.

I understand they can damage what you dont see, which is why I asked for the statement to begin with. If you have one you use regualarly then that great, if not then that's OK

I came up with one already so Im good now.

No discussion, no debates, on this message board?
"Shirley you can't be serious"!

[Christopher Currins]

Originally Posted by sfogarty

Thats what I'm shooting for. I'm not worried about other places, I was wondering about the places that I could see that "visually" showed minor damage that IMO had no affect of integrity of the wood but without poking, probing, looking further, could not be truly determined.

Don't you poke and probe if/when you visually suspect damage?

[Troy N. Pappas]

Sean, you will have better luck poking and probing a whole crawlspace then probing for a straight answer here.

[ayeshaa akter]

Termites are familer to live in a community. They lives with kings, servents, solders and slaves. There is also queen. Although the queen termite has a king, he is normally destroyed as soon as she is pregnant.
Know more about it plz see
termites