· by Michael Blair, Nashville's Pest Control
Pest control agreements bundle two quite different things: general pest service, which is largely preventive, and termite protection, which is closer to insurance. They deserve separate evaluation.
What should a termite contract cover?
The important distinction is between a retreat-and-repair contract and a retreatment-only one. University of Georgia urban entomologist Dan Suiter’s guide to termite contracts spells it out: under a retreat-only contract the company holds no responsibility for damage, old or new, and repairing it falls to the owner. A repair contract covers new damage, as long as the terms of the contract are met.
The stakes here are real. UT Extension’s publication on subterranean termite control calls them the most destructive wood-feeding insects in Tennessee, and HUD’s termite infestation probability map puts the state in its moderate-to-heavy zone. Read what the repair side actually covers and price both options; our termite service explains what we inspect and treat.
What should a general pest service agreement include?
Ask how often the company comes, what it treats inside and out, which pests are covered and which are excluded. Bed bugs, wildlife, mosquitoes and termites are often priced as separate services, and in Tennessee termite work needs its own license category: the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s licensing page lists termites under Wood Destroying Organisms. What our general pest service covers is set out on its page.
Ask what happens between visits. A meaningful agreement includes free callbacks; a weak one charges for them.
- Retreat-and-repair or retreatment only, for termites
- Which pests are covered and which are excluded
- Free callbacks between scheduled visits
- Whether the annual termite inspection is included
- Whether the termite contract transfers if you sell
When you sell
In Tennessee, a wood destroying insect infestation report is issued with the sale or transfer of a house and must be warranted for 90 days, according to the Department of Agriculture’s pesticide consumer tips. Ask whether your termite contract can be transferred to a buyer and what it costs. If you are on the selling side now, our post on the termite letter covers what the report says.
Keep the documentation together with the treatment history — it is what makes the transfer straightforward.
Questions worth asking
Whether the technician is the same each visit, since someone familiar with the property notices change. And the company’s state charter number: the Department of Agriculture requires a pest control charter for any company doing pesticide application for hire, and its guidance on termite retreatment says a company may legally do business only if the charter number is visible on its vehicles and advertisements.
And what the renewal price is after the first year, because introductory pricing is common and escalation is where the cost sits. The state does not regulate pest control pricing, so the contract is where that gets settled. If you want ours laid out side by side with what you have now, ask us for a free estimate.
Sources
- University of Georgia CAES, What does your termite-control contract provide? (2004) — Retreat-only versus retreat-and-repair contracts; repair covers new damage
- UT Extension, PB1344 Subterranean Termite Control — Most destructive wood-feeding insects in Tennessee; annual inspection renewal fee
- HUD, Appraisal and Property Requirements: Tip Zone Information — Tennessee in Termite Infestation Probability Zone 2, moderate to heavy
- Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Certification, Licensing and Charters — Charter required for custom application; Wood Destroying Organisms category
- Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Consumer Tips — Wood destroying insect report issued with a sale, warranted 90 days; no authority over pricing
- Tennessee Department of Agriculture, TDA Offers Tips for Termite Retreatment After Flooding (2010) — Charter number visible on vehicles and advertisements
FAQ
What a Pest Control Contract Should Cover — questions
Is a termite bond worth it in Nashville?
For many houses here, yes. Subterranean termites are the most destructive wood-feeding insects in Tennessee, by UT Extension’s description, and HUD rates the state moderate to heavy for termite infestation. The distinction that matters is repair coverage versus retreatment only, because only a repair contract covers new damage.
Do I need quarterly pest control?
It depends on the house and your tolerance for the occasional insect. Many homeowners choose a regular exterior service; others with a well-sealed house and no pest history call only when something appears. Either way, keep termite protection as its own decision, since that is the part that protects the structure.
Does a termite agreement transfer when I sell?
That depends on the contract, so confirm it before you need it and ask about any fee. In Tennessee a wood destroying insect report is issued with a sale and warranted for 90 days, so keep the agreement, the treatment history and the inspection reports together for the buyer.
Do you need a license for pest control?
In Tennessee, yes: any company applying pesticides for hire needs a pest control charter from the Department of Agriculture, and termite work has its own license category, Wood Destroying Organisms. A company may legally do business only if its charter number shows on its vehicles and advertisements.