Pest inspection - free, or independent?

What is pest inspection?

A general pest inspection is a walk of the whole property looking for evidence of pests, the entry points letting them in, and the conditions keeping them there - then a written report of what was found and where. It is broader than a termite inspection and produces no lender document. Its value depends almost entirely on one thing: whether the person inspecting also sells the treatment they are about to recommend.

Signs you need pest inspection

• You are hearing something in the ceiling or the wall at night and cannot tell what it is
• You have found droppings, gnaw marks or a smell and want an identification before you act
• You keep seeing insects with no obvious source, in a room with no obvious food
• Your general home inspector flagged something pest-related and moved on
• You have treated the same problem twice and it has come back both times - a sign the entry point was never found
• You just moved in and want a baseline before you commit to a service plan
• You are a landlord getting conflicting reports from a tenant and need something documented

Seeing something not on this list? Browse pest control problems by symptom →

How pest inspection actually works

1. 1

   You describe the evidence first

   Where, when, how often, and what you actually saw or heard. Scratching in the ceiling at dusk points somewhere completely different from a trail of insects on the kitchen counter at night.

   Watch forAn inspector who does not ask. The homeowner's observations narrow the search more than anything else on this list.

2. 2

   Exterior walk and entry-point survey

   The perimeter, the grade line, utility and pipe penetrations, weep holes, vents, soffits, the roofline, the garage door seal, and vegetation touching the building. This is where the actual cause almost always is.

   Watch forAn inspection that never leaves the inside of the house. Interior sightings are symptoms; the entry point is the diagnosis.

3. 3

   Interior inspection of the likely harbourage

   Under sinks and appliances, the water heater closet, pantry, behind and beneath cabinetry, plumbing chases, and any area you reported activity in.

   Watch forNobody moving anything. Most interior evidence sits behind or beneath something.

4. 4

   Attic, crawl space and basement

   Insulation disturbance, droppings, rub marks along joists, chewed wiring, nesting material, moisture, and daylight visible at eaves or vents. These spaces produce most of the meaningful findings in a house.

   Watch forBoth spaces skipped. If the attic hatch was not opened and the crawl space not entered, the inspection covered the least informative part of the building.

5. 5

   The findings report

   What was found, where specifically, what it indicates, and what conditions are supporting it - ideally with photographs of anything you cannot see for yourself.

   Watch forA report that is a treatment proposal with a findings paragraph on top. Those are different documents and you should be able to tell which one you were given.

What does pest inspection cost?

Independent pest inspections are usually a modest flat fee, scaled by property size and how much crawl space and attic work is involved. Treatment companies commonly inspect free, which trades the fee for a sales conversation. See the Cost Guide for how inspection fees are often credited against later work.

See the full pest inspection cost guide - by material, size and region →

If the number is the problem, here are the ways people pay for it →