Licensed termite inspectors serving Chandler and the Phoenix Metro Area
Schedule NowArizona’s climate is favorable for termite activity. The termites that cause most of the trouble in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa and Phoenix live underground and come up into a house from the soil, out of sight. Most homes here are built slab-on-grade with stucco walls, and termites can work their way in through cracks in the slab, plumbing openings and the joint where the stucco meets the foundation, often for a long time before anyone notices.
Activity often picks up when the ground is moist, after monsoon storms and where irrigation keeps the soil wet next to the house. A termite inspection from Desert Oasis Property Inspections looks for signs of infestation, the conditions that invite it, and prior damage across the property, so you know what you are buying before your inspection period ends.
Subterranean termites travel in pencil-width mud tubes to stay out of the dry desert air. We look for them on foundation walls, the base of the stucco, garage slabs and block walls, and inside wherever the structure can be seen.
Hollow or blistered baseboards and door frames, damaged trim and old drill holes in the slab or patio can point to earlier activity or a past treatment. We document what we find so you can ask the seller the right questions.
Moisture and wood near the house draw termites in. Irrigation and drip lines watering the foundation, plumbing leaks, soil or landscaping piled against the stucco, and wood touching the ground all go in the report.
A termite report is required for many real estate transactions, and many lenders ask for one as a condition of the loan. Yours is delivered within 24 hours of the inspection, ready to share with your agent and lender.
Buyers are sometimes surprised that a newer home in Gilbert, Queen Creek or San Tan Valley needs a termite inspection. New construction sits on fresh slabs with new landscaping and drip irrigation, and that moist soil right against the stucco is what subterranean termites look for. Older homes in central Mesa, Tempe and Phoenix have had decades for small cracks, additions and past repairs to give termites a way in.
Whatever the age of the house, a few habits make a difference once you own it: keep sprinklers and drip emitters pointed away from the foundation, leave a gap between soil or rock and the bottom of the stucco, fix plumbing and cooler leaks quickly, and keep firewood and wood debris away from the walls.
Most buyers add the termite inspection to their home inspection so everything is done in one visit. Buying in Mesa? See our page on home inspections in Mesa, AZ.
