If you've never had a professional pest inspection, you might wonder what it actually involves — or whether it's worth the time. A thorough inspection takes about 45 minutes to an hour for a typical single-family home, and the information it produces is genuinely valuable, whether or not pests are found.
What the technician will do
Exterior inspection (15-20 minutes)
The technician walks the entire perimeter of the home, looking for:
- Cracks and gaps in the foundation, especially at the sill plate junction
- Gaps around utility penetrations (pipes, wires, vents)
- Evidence of burrowing activity near the foundation
- Wood-to-soil contact (a primary termite risk factor)
- Moisture issues — downspouts draining toward the foundation, poor grading
- Pest activity along the roofline: damaged soffits, open vents, signs of squirrel activity
- Standing water sources and potential mosquito breeding sites
- Evidence of previous pest problems (old mud tubes, gnaw marks, bait stations)
Interior inspection (20-30 minutes)
Inside, the technician focuses on high-risk areas:
- Kitchen — Under the sink, behind and beneath appliances, in the pantry, along baseboards. This is the highest-risk room for cockroaches and pantry pests.
- Bathrooms — Under the sink, around the toilet base, under bathroom mats. Look for moisture damage and silverfish activity.
- Basement/crawl space — The most informative area of any home. Mud tubes, rodent droppings, moisture damage, nesting material, and entry points are most visible here.
- Attic — Evidence of squirrels, bats, or other wildlife; insulation disturbance from rodent burrowing; droppings.
- Garage — Rodent entry points, nesting sites behind stored items, pest activity along the walls.
What you'll receive
A professional inspection generates a detailed report documenting:
- What was found (or not found) and where
- Any conditions that increase pest risk (entry points, moisture, conducive conditions)
- Recommended treatment if pests are present
- Prevention recommendations
This written documentation is valuable in several ways: it gives you a baseline to compare against future inspections, it's useful if you're buying or selling a home, and it creates a record if a pest problem develops in a specific area over time.
When to schedule an inspection
Inspections are most valuable when:
- You're buying or selling a home
- You've never had a professional evaluation of your property
- You suspect pest activity but haven't confirmed it
- It's been more than a year since your last inspection
- You've recently had work done on the home (construction disturbance often triggers pest activity)
Many homeowners find that a single inspection gives them a clear picture of their property's vulnerabilities — and that many of the entry points can be sealed without an ongoing treatment program, simply by addressing structural issues.
