| (a) Inspections for the purpose of issuing a WDIR must
be conducted in a manner consistent with the procedures described
in this section by a licensed certified applicator or technician in
the termite category. The printed name and registration number or
license number of any employees receiving training that are present
for the inspection must be listed on the report. The purpose of the
inspection is to provide a WDIR regarding the absence or presence
of wood destroying insects and conditions conducive to wood destroying
insect infestation. The inspection should provide the basis for recommendations
for preventive or remedial actions, if necessary, to minimize economic
losses. Only for purposes of a Real Estate Transaction Inspection
Report, as described in §7.176 of this title, relating to Real
Estate Transaction Inspection Reports, there must be visible evidence
of active infestation in the structure or visible evidence of a previous
infestation in the structure with no evidence of prior treatment to
recommend a corrective treatment. The inspection must be conducted
so as to ensure examination of all visible accessible areas in or
on a structure in accordance with accepted procedures. While such
an examination may reveal wood destroying insects, there are instances
when concealed infestations and/or damage may not be discovered. Examinations
of inaccessible or obstructed areas are not required.
(b) Inaccessible or obstructed areas recognized by
the Department include, but are not limited to:
(1) inaccessible attics or portion thereof;
(2) the interior of hollow walls, spaces between a
floor or porch deck and the ceiling or soffit below;
(3) such structural segments as porte cocheres, enclosed
bay windows, buttresses, and similar areas to which there is no access
without defacing or tearing out lumber, masonry, or finished work;
(4) areas behind or beneath stoves, refrigerators,
furniture, built-in cabinets, insulation, floor coverings; and
(5) areas where storage conditions or locks make inspection
impracticable.
(c) The inspector must describe the structure(s) inspected
and include the following:
(1) the address or location;
(2) a diagram showing:
(A) approximate numerical perimeter measurements of
the structure as accurately as practical (does not have to be to scale);
(B) construction details needed for clarity of the
report;
(C) areas of current wood destroying insect activity;
(D) areas of previous wood destroying insect activity;
and
(E) areas of conditions conducive to infestation by
wood destroying insects;
(3) inaccessible or obstructed areas, including, but
not limited to the areas listed in subsection (b) of this section.
(d) The inspection must include, but is not limited
to, the following areas if accessible and unobstructed:
(1) plumbing, which includes:
(A) bathroom;
(B) kitchen;
(C) laundry; or
(D) other specified area, i.e., hot tub, etc.;
(2) window and door frames and sills;
(3) baseboards, flooring, walls, and ceilings;
(4) entrance steps and porches;
(5) exterior of slab or foundation wall;
(6) crawl spaces, which include:
(A) support piers (include stiff legs);
(B) floor joist;
(C) sub floors;
(D) sill plates; and
(E) foundation wall.
(7) fireplace; and
(8) weep holes.
(e) Visible evidence of the following conditions must
be reported:
(1) wood destroying insects or signs of current active
infestation;
(2) termite tubes or frass;
(3) exit holes or frass from other wood destroying
insects;
(4) evidence of previous treatment or infestation;
(5) conditions conducive to wood destroying insect
infestation, including but not limited to:
(A) a structure with wood to ground contact;
(B) formboards left in place;
(C) excessive moisture;
(D) wood debris under or around structure;
(E) footing too low or soil line too high;
(F) insufficient clearance in crawl space;
(G) expansion joints or cracks in slab;
(H) decks; or
(6) infestation of other wood destroying insects.
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