Updated
Termites do not announce themselves. They work through floor joists, sill plates and support beams while a household goes about its business, and by the time the damage is obvious the repair side has usually grown well past the treatment side.
That is why the company matters, and why a handful of questions asked before signing is worth the twenty minutes. Here is what to ask, what the answers should sound like, and what should give you pause.
A termite inspection and treatment agreement often runs for years, so it is worth understanding before signing rather than after.
Why Pittsburgh houses complicate this
The housing stock here skews old. Stone foundations, dirt floor basements, porch structures set near grade and decades old framing are common, and all of it suits the eastern subterranean termite, the species found throughout Allegheny County.
Add humid summers, clay soil that holds water against foundations, and basements that stay damp, and the conditions are consistently favorable.
It also means experience in this housing stock is worth something specific. Where termites hide in a 1920s house with a stone foundation is not where they hide in a 1998 house on a poured slab.
Stone foundations, dirt floor basements and framing near grade are common in older Pittsburgh housing.
Questions about the company
- Are you licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture? Pesticide application is licensed at the state level and the answer should come with a number, not a reassurance
- Do you carry general liability and workers compensation insurance? Ask for the certificate. Work happens in crawl spaces and around foundations, and uninsured injury on your property is your problem
- How long have you treated termites specifically in this area? General pest work and termite work are different disciplines
- Who performs the treatment? Sometimes the person quoting is not the person treating. It is fair to ask about the technician’s training
- Can I have local references? A company working steadily in Allegheny County can produce a few recent ones quickly
Questions about the inspection
The inspection is the foundation of everything else, and a quote produced without one is a guess.
- Will you show me where activity was found?
- Which areas were inaccessible, and what does that mean for the plan?
- Did you find active infestation, previous damage, or both?
- What conditions on this property are contributing, and what should I change?
That last one separates a thorough company from a fast one. A plan that treats the colony and ignores the downspout dumping at the foundation is half a plan. What happens during a termite inspection describes what a proper visit covers.
Questions about the treatment
For subterranean termites there are two main approaches, and the right one depends on the house.
- Which method are you proposing and why? A liquid treated zone in the soil, a bait system, or both. The answer should reference your foundation and where activity was found, not a standard package
- What product, and is it repellent or non repellent? Non repellent materials let workers pass through and carry the material back to the colony
- Will drilling be needed? Reaching soil beneath a porch, patio or garage slab sometimes requires it. Better to know in advance
- How long will it take and what access do you need?
- What happens to the damaged wood? Most pest companies treat and do not repair. Clarify where that line sits
Ask which method is proposed and why it fits your foundation.
Questions about the contract
The agreement should be itemized and plain. You want to see what is being done, with what, over what area, and what happens afterward.
- What exactly does the guarantee cover, and for how long? A treatment guarantee means the company comes back if termites return. It is not insurance for damage
- What voids it? Renovation, grading changes or another company treating the property often do
- What is the follow up schedule? Bait stations depend on inspection to work at all
Get all of it in writing. A verbal guarantee is a future disagreement.
Signs worth walking away from
- A quote produced without inspecting the property
- Pressure to sign today, or a discount that expires at the end of the visit
- Vague answers about which product is being used
- Reluctance to show license or insurance
- A guarantee described verbally but absent from the contract
- A sales conversation that never mentions moisture or conditions
- Full payment demanded up front before any work
Questions about what comes after
Most of the value in a termite agreement sits after the first visit, and most of the disappointment comes from not asking about it.
- How often will someone come back, and is that included? Bait stations in particular depend on scheduled inspection to work
- What happens if activity is found again? Retreatment at no charge, at a reduced rate, or at full price
- Who do I call between visits, and is there a charge for coming out?
- If I renovate or regrade, do I need to tell you? Work that disturbs treated soil can create a gap and may affect the agreement
What happens in year two matters as much as what happens on treatment day.
What a good conversation sounds like
A straight company inspects first, shows you what it found, explains why it is proposing a particular method for your foundation, puts the scope and the guarantee in writing, and tells you plainly which areas it could not see. It should also tell you what to fix yourself, because conditions work is cheaper for you and makes the treatment hold.
Our termite inspection and treatment service starts with a free inspection for homeowners, then a plan matched to what was found.
Getting a second opinion
On a significant treatment it is reasonable to have more than one company inspect, and worth doing when the recommendations differ.
Compare the inspection findings rather than the prices. Two reports describing different locations of activity, or one describing conditions and the other only listing a package, tell you more about the companies than the totals do.
Be careful comparing a liquid treatment quote against a bait system quote as though they were the same product. One is mostly a single visit, the other is installation plus ongoing monitoring, so the first year figures are not comparable on their own.
If one company finds extensive activity nobody else sees, ask to be shown it. Active evidence can be pointed at.
Stewart Termite & Pest Control has treated Pittsburgh homes for termites since 1987. For an inspection and a written estimate, call 412-822-7610 or request one online.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I ask a termite company first?
Whether they are licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, whether they carry liability and workers compensation insurance, and how long they have treated termites specifically in this area.
Should a company quote before inspecting?
No. Treatment scope depends on foundation type, access and where activity is found, so a price given before an inspection is a guess.
What should a termite guarantee cover?
Ask what happens if termites return during the guarantee period and how long it lasts. At Stewart, liquid treatments and bait stations are both guaranteed for one year.
Is a bait system or a liquid treatment better?
Neither is better everywhere. Liquid establishes a treated zone in the soil in one visit, bait works through the colony over time and keeps monitoring afterward. The right one depends on the house and what the inspection found.
Does a termite inspection cost anything?
At Stewart, termite inspections are free for homeowners, and the treatment plan is based on what the inspection finds.
What is a red flag with a termite company?
Pricing without inspecting, pressure to sign immediately, vague answers about products, and any guarantee that exists only in conversation.