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Termite Damage Assessment in Lafayette, LA

A written assessment of termite damage in the structure, with the extent of the damage, the wood affected and the report a repair or an insurer may need.

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  • Serving Lafayette Parish
  • Formosan termite swarm season
  • Safety notes for children and pets

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Damage Assessment

Termite Damage Assessment: what it covers

Quick answer

A termite damage assessment records the extent of damage to the structure, the wood affected, the locations and the likely age of the activity, with photographs and readings. The report is written so a homeowner, a contractor or an insurer can see what was found. It does not say how much a repair will cost, and it is not a claim decision.

Termite Damage Assessment illustration for Lafayette, LA, with a red barn and rolling hills in the background

Damage is the moment when the termite problem becomes a repair problem. A sill that sounds hollow, a floor that gives under a step or a ceiling stain that appears after a long dry spell all prompt the same question: how bad is it, and what has to be done? A damage assessment answers the first part of that question in writing.

The assessment is built on what can be seen and measured. The wood is probed and photographed, its depth of damage is recorded where access allows, and the locations are set out on a plan of the house. Damage that is hidden behind finishes is noted as a suspicion, not a fact, until it is opened and seen.

This page explains what the assessment covers, how it is written up, what a homeowner should expect from it and where it stops. The assessment is a finding about the house. It is not an estimate of repair cost and it is not a decision about any insurance claim.

Service area
Lafayette & Lafayette Parish
Availability
Phones answered 24/7
Warning signs

Signs you need termite damage assessment

Damaged framing can be weaker than it looks, so do not stand on or load a floor or a sill that has been found soft. Keep people and pets out of an area where a joist or header has been cut or opened. Wear a mask and gloves when opening a wall that may hold dust and frass, and do not remove a load-bearing member without a plan from a qualified builder.

  • A sill or joist that sounds hollow or crumbles when a screwdriver is pushed in
  • A floor that dips or gives near an exterior wall
  • A door or window that binds in its frame with no change in season
  • A ceiling or wall stain that appears after the damage has been present a while
  • Galleries or frass visible where a finish has been removed or a board has split
Our process

How our termite damage assessment visit works

  1. Survey the visible damage

    The house is walked and each area of visible damage is photographed, measured and marked on a plan. The visible wood is probed to see whether the damage is surface staining or structural.

  2. Open a small inspection hole where needed

    Behind a baseboard, a closet wall or a removable panel, a small opening can show the framing beyond the finish. The opening is kept to the size needed, and it is photographed and repaired or closed afterward.

  3. Assess the structure

    Each damaged member is assessed for depth, length and whether it still carries load. A joist or sill that is cut through is recorded differently from one that is only surface-damaged, and a structural judgement is flagged for a qualified builder or engineer.

  4. Record the moisture and the likely activity

    Moisture readings are taken around the damage to show whether the wood is still wet and whether the activity appears active or old. The report says that an age is a judgement and not a measurement.

  5. Write the report with its scope

    The report sets out the locations, the photographs, the readings, the areas not opened and the recommended next step, which may be a repair scope from a builder and a treatment plan from the pest side.

What does a damage assessment actually record?

It records the locations of damage, the wood affected, the depth where it can be measured, the moisture around it, the photographs and the areas not reached. Each point is written so it can be checked by someone else later.

The first record is the location. Each damaged area is marked on a plan of the house with a number, and the number is used in the photographs and the notes. A sill on the north wall, joist 4 in the crawl space and a door header in the hall are three different findings and should be listed separately.

The second record is the wood. The species, if known, the shape of the member and the nature of the damage are all written down. A stripped surface is different from a cut-through section, and the report should use language that makes the difference clear.

The third is the reach. Damage often runs further than the visible part, and the assessment records how far it was traced and where it stopped. A stop line is a finding in its own right, because it tells the next person where to look.

Why does the age of the damage matter, and how is it judged?

The age matters for the repair and for the question of how long the damage was present. It is judged from the appearance of the wood and the activity, but it is an estimate and the report should say so.

Old damage is often dry, dark and inactive, while new damage tends to show fresh galleries, mud, live workers or wet wood. The assessment uses those signs to say whether the activity appears active or old, and it records what it saw to support that view.

The age of damage is not a measurement, and it can be wrong. A dry gallery can be old or can be from a colony that has moved on, and a damp one can be active or can have been wet by a leak. The report should say which it is and what evidence supports it.

The age also matters to the owner. Damage that has been present for years can point to a monitoring gap, and that is the kind of finding a homeowner needs to think about when the next inspection is planned.

How is the report used by the homeowner, a builder and an insurer?

The homeowner uses it to decide on repairs, the builder uses it to scope the work and an insurer may ask for it when a claim is made. The assessment does not decide the claim or set the repair cost, and it should not be read as doing either.

A homeowner can take the report to a builder or a roofer and ask for a repair scope. The report tells the builder where the damage is and how much was found, so the builder can quote the work. The pest assessment does not set that quote.

An insurer may ask for documents when a claim is made. The assessment can be part of the file, but the insurer decides what the policy covers. Ask the insurer, and not the pest company, what the policy says about termite damage.

The report does not make a coverage decision. For questions about a policy, the homeowner should read the policy and speak to the insurer.

What should be done about the damage once it is recorded?

The sequence is usually to stop the activity, check the moisture, repair the wood by a qualified person and then confirm the repair. The assessment sets the order, and the repairs are carried out by the people qualified for each part.

Stopping the activity comes first. An assessment that finds active damage should be followed by a treatment plan or a monitoring plan before any repair, because repairing wood while the colony is still feeding is wasted effort.

The moisture comes next. Wet wood is a continuing problem, and a repair that goes back into wet framing will fail. The leak or drainage problem should be fixed first, as described in the prevention service.

The repair is then carried out by a builder or a carpenter. The assessment supplies the locations and the extent, and the repair is checked afterward against the plan. The final record should show that the damage was repaired and that the activity was confirmed as stopped.

Options

Types and options for termite damage assessment

Surface damage to trim and sills

Damage that is limited to the outside trim, a sill face or a skirting board is usually repaired in place. The assessment records the depth and the reach so the repair can be scoped.

Structural damage to joists and framing

A joist, a stud or a header that has lost wood needs a builder or engineer to judge its strength. The assessment records the damage and flags it, and does not make the structural decision itself.

Damage behind a finished wall or floor

Damage that cannot be seen is noted as a suspicion, with the reasons for the suspicion. An opening is recommended only where the readings or the evidence justify it.

Lafayette Parish

Why termite damage assessment is different in Acadiana

Owner-occupied housing is 65.5 percent of the parish and 53.1 percent of the city, so the homeowner is usually the person who must act on a damage report.

Formosan termites are established in Lafayette Parish according to a 1999-2001 Louisiana survey, which is one reason the damage check looks for that species in the framing and soil.

The swarm season in the parish runs late April into June, and damage found in the spring is often checked again in the same window.

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Where we work

Termite Damage Assessment across Lafayette Parish

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Related

Subterranean Termite Inspection

A written inspection of a house and its foundation for subterranean termites, covering the structure, the soil edge, the crawl space and the yard.

Formosan Termite Control

Inspection and treatment for Formosan subterranean termites, a species a Louisiana survey lists as established in Lafayette Parish.

Termite Prevention and Moisture Repairs

A check for the water problems that wet the soil and wood at a house, and a plan to fix or refer each one, from outdoor faucets to roof and pipe leaks.

Termite Bait Station Monitoring

Bait stations placed in the soil around a house and checked on a set schedule, so termite activity is found and recorded through the whole year.

Guides

Read before you book

FAQ

Termite Damage Assessment FAQs

Will the assessment tell me the cost of the repair?

No. The assessment records the damage and its extent. A repair cost comes from a builder or carpenter who inspects the work, and the figure is not given on this site or over the phone.

Is the damage going to get worse?

It can, if the activity is still active and the moisture stays high. The assessment says whether the activity appears active or old, and the treatment plan is what stops further loss.

Can I use the report for an insurance claim?

The report can be part of your file, but the insurer decides what the policy covers. Speak to the insurer about the policy before relying on the report for a claim.

Does the assessment mean the whole house is damaged?

Not necessarily. It records the damage that was found and the areas that were not reached. A clean area is recorded as clean, and a suspicion behind a finish is recorded as a suspicion, not a finding.

Do I have to open the walls?

Only where the evidence or the readings justify it, and only to the size needed. The assessment should explain why an opening is recommended and what it will show.

Is there a charge for the assessment?

Calling is free. Any charge is agreed in writing before the assessment starts, and no figure is given on this site or over the phone before that.

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