Termite & WDO Inspection in Los Angeles
Escrow termite reports from our own SPCB-licensed company, in select Los Angeles areas including Pacific Palisades and Malibu. Can be done on the same visit as your home inspection.
In-house termite inspection for Los Angeles buyers
Trident’s termite and wood-destroying organism (WDO) inspections are done in-house, through Trident Pest Control, our own licensed company, under California Structural Pest Control Board Company Registration #PR8662. In the Los Angeles areas we cover, the termite inspection can be done on the same visit as your home inspection, so there is no second company to schedule and no hand-off between firms.
We inspect in select Los Angeles areas, including Pacific Palisades and Malibu. Coverage depends on the address, so call (949) 294-1188 to confirm your property is covered before you book.
New to the in-house question? Read why in-house termite inspection matters, or see our termite inspection page for what the inspection involves.
Why in-house matters in a Los Angeles escrow
Your inspection contingency is a fixed number of days, and the termite report is one of the documents your agent, the seller and escrow will all read. Every separate appointment with a separate company spends some of that time.
The home inspection and the termite report also overlap more than most buyers expect. A plumbing leak, a failed shower pan or wood touching soil can show up as a moisture note in one report and as damage or a conducive condition in the other. When one company wrote both, one team has seen the whole picture. So ask your inspector a simple question: who actually writes the termite report?
What a California termite report covers
A California termite report documents wood-destroying pests and organisms in the accessible areas of the structure, in the Structural Pest Control Board’s Section 1 and Section 2 format.
Subterranean termites
Termites that live in the soil and travel into the structure, often through mud tubes along foundations, piers and framing.
Drywood termites
Termites that live inside the wood itself, with no soil contact. Evidence includes pellets, kick-out holes and damaged members in attics, eaves and framing.
Wood-destroying fungi
Decay such as dry rot, usually driven by moisture from leaks, poor drainage or wood in contact with soil.
Wood-destroying beetles
Beetles whose larvae bore through and weaken wood, noted where evidence is visible in accessible areas.
Section 1 findings
Active infestation, infection or damage found at the time of the inspection. This is the section agents and escrow officers read first.
Section 2 findings
Conditions likely to lead to infestation or infection if left alone, such as excess moisture or earth-to-wood contact.
Home, termite and sewer on one visit
Where we cover the address, your home inspection, your termite/WDO inspection and a sewer scope can all be done on the same visit. The house, the wood and the line under the yard can be covered on one appointment instead of three.
Tell us which inspections you need when you call, and we will confirm what can be scheduled together. Schedule your inspection.
Licensed by the Structural Pest Control Board
Trident Pest Control holds California Structural Pest Control Board Company Registration #PR8662, registered for Branch 2 and Branch 3. Branch 3 is the class that covers termites and other wood-destroying organisms. Founder Jeff Clark is a Field Representative licensed for Branch 2 and Branch 3 (FR65979), and General Manager Sean Culpepper is a Branch 3 Field Representative (FR68536).
Every inspector is a Trident employee. We never sub-contract an inspection.
Rebuilding after the fires?
For owners rebuilding in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, our fire rebuild phase inspections check the work against California’s Chapter 7A wildfire construction requirements at rough-in, pre-CO and final. A termite and WDO inspection can be added to any of those visits and is documented in its own report.
Los Angeles termite inspection questions
Buying in Los Angeles?
Call to confirm your address is covered, then add the WDO/termite inspection when you book your home inspection. Certified, in-house Trident inspectors, never sub-contracted.