Closing on time.

If you are buying or selling a home in Gaston County or across the line in York County, the termite letter is one of the small items that can stall a closing. Envirosafe writes these reports for homeowners, realtors, relocation companies and closing attorneys on both sides of the state line, and our inspectors are licensed in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Call or text 704-860-2041 to get on the schedule.

What a Wood Destroying Insect Report Actually Is

A wood destroying insect report is a licensed inspector walking the accessible parts of a structure and documenting what is visibly there on the day of the inspection. That is the whole job, and understanding that saves a lot of arguments at the closing table.

North Carolina uses its own official form, WDIR 100, adopted by the state Structural Pest Control Committee, and it is required on nearly every residential structure sold. Only someone licensed through the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Structural Pest Control Division, or working under that license, can issue one.

North Carolina WDIR and South Carolina CL-100 Are Not the Same Report

People use “termite letter” for both, and that causes real problems when a property sits near the state line. The two reports cover different ground.

North Carolina: the WDIR

The NC report covers wood destroying insects: subterranean termites, powder post beetles, old house borers, carpenter ants and in some cases carpenter bees. It also requires the inspector to note conditions conducive to subterranean termites. It does not cover wood decay fungi, structural damage, wildlife, or plumbing and roof leaks.

South Carolina: the CL-100

The official South Carolina Wood Infestation Report goes further. Along with insect activity it addresses decay fungi and moisture damage, limited to the portion of the structure below the level of the first main floor, which in practice means the crawl space or basement substructure. That is why a CL-100 turns up problems a North Carolina WDIR would never have been asked to look at.

Lenders in South Carolina generally require the CL-100, and the standard practice is to order it within 30 days of closing so the report reflects current conditions.

What the Inspector Is Looking For

Most of the real findings come from the crawl space, and most of the time is spent there. We check:

• Mud tubes on foundation walls, piers and the interior of block
• Damaged or hollowed sills, joists, band boards and subfloor
• Exit holes and frass from powder post beetles and old house borers
• Carpenter ant and carpenter bee activity in accessible wood
• Conditions that invite subterranean termites: wood to ground contact, form boards left in place, debris under the house, mulch against siding, poor drainage
• Standing water, excess moisture and, in South Carolina, decay fungi below the first floor

What the Report Does Not Do

This is worth saying plainly. The report is not a warranty that a house has no wood destroying insects. It documents visible evidence in accessible areas on the day of the inspection, nothing more. An inspector cannot report on what is behind finished walls, under insulation, or in a crawl space that cannot be entered, and a clear report is not a promise about the future.

If a home has a real termite history, what protects the buyer is a treatment and a bond going forward, not the letter.

If the Report Comes Back With Findings

This is where most closings get stuck, and it is where we are different from an inspection-only outfit. We can write the report and also do the work to clear it, so you are not lining up a second contractor with a closing date coming.

Depending on what turns up, that can mean termite treatment, treatment for carpenter ants, old house borers, powder post beetles or carpenter bees, moisture control and crawl space work, crawl space cleanouts, mold testing and remediation, or asbestos abatement. Rodney Allman holds structural pest control and asbestos licenses in both Carolinas, which is why all of that stays under one roof.

Timing It Around Your Closing

Order the inspection early enough that findings can be handled without moving the closing date. A report that comes back needing treatment or crawl space work needs days, not hours, and both sides of the transaction should build in that room. If you are working toward a specific date, tell us when you call and we will schedule around it.

For Realtors, Relocation Companies and Closing Attorneys

We work these files constantly and we know what a lender will accept. If you handle transactions on both sides of the state line, you are dealing with two different forms and two different sets of expectations, and we are licensed for both. Call the office and we can set up a standing arrangement for your listings.

Serving Gaston County, York County and West Mecklenburg

Our office is at 1001 E. Catawba St. in Belmont. We write reports throughout Gaston County including Belmont, Gastonia, Mount Holly, Cramerton and Dallas, across into Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Tega Cay and Lake Wylie in York County, and into Steele Creek, Pineville and Huntersville. The full list is on our service area page.

Common Questions About Termite Letters

Who pays for the inspection, the buyer or the seller?

It depends on the contract and on local custom, and it is negotiable. In South Carolina it is common for the buyer to order the CL-100 since the buyer is the one relying on the disclosure. Your agent or closing attorney will tell you how it is being handled on your deal.

How long is the report good for?

Practice is to order it close to closing, generally inside 30 days, because it only describes conditions on the day of the inspection. If a closing slips well past that, expect the lender to want a current one.

The house is new construction. Do I still need one?

Usually yes, because the lender asks for it. New construction is not immune either, and a builder pre-treatment does not last forever.

The report shows old damage but no live activity. Now what?

That is a common outcome and it is not automatically a problem. What matters is whether the damage is structural, whether there is an active infestation, and whether the house is protected going forward. We will walk you through what we saw rather than leaving you to interpret a form.

Can you inspect if the crawl space is blocked or flooded?

Not properly, and the report has to say so. Inaccessible areas get noted as inaccessible, which lenders and buyers do not love. If access is a known problem, tell us up front and we will sort it out before the inspection instead of after.

Do you handle both North Carolina and South Carolina reports?

Yes. Our inspectors are licensed in both states, which matters for anyone buying or selling near the line.

Schedule a Termite Inspection

Call or text 704-860-2041, or request it online. Envirosafe Pest Control, 1001 E. Catawba St., Belmont, NC 28012.